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Liang Tingnan (; 1796–1861), courtesy name Zhangran (), was a Chinese scholar and writer. A native of Guangdong, he compiled an index on coastal defence in the region and advised numerous state officials. He later led a number of schools and academies. In addition to being a prolific playwright and poet, Liang also wrote extensively on foreign affairs and Chinese history.
The Southern Han and another ancient kingdom that covered what became the Guangdong region, Nanyue, became the focus of Liang's historical studies. He wrote six books on the two kingdoms and their rulers, including Nanhan shu (南漢書; 18 or volumes, 1830) and Nanyue wuzhu zhuan (南越五主傳; 3 juan, preface dated 1833). Liang also wrote a lengthy biography of Su Shi, in addition to an Epigraphy treatise on ancient Chinese stone and bronze inscriptions.
Liang was later appointed as the superintendent of the Yuehua Academy in Guangzhou by Deng Tingzhen. Still later, he became the director of several schools in Chenghai, as well as the superintendent of the Xuehai Tang Academy in Guangzhou. During the First Opium War, Liang briefly commanded a company in Foshan. He returned to Guangzhou after a ceasefire was reached in late 1841, and became an unofficial advisor to and Qi Gong (祁𡎴). In 1850, Liang was awarded with the title of Neige zhongshu (内閣中書, literally Secretary of the Grand Secretriat), in recognition of his military service.
Liang's Yesujiao nan ru Zhongguo shuo (耶稣教难入中国说) underlines the difficulties faced by Christian missionaries in converting the Chinese people, most of whom subscribed to Confucianism. Liang himself questioned how "a criminal punished by the Roman authorities could be the Savior of humanity." He was also skeptical of the Last Judgment: "Never mind that we do not know how long in the future it will be before judgement takes place, it has already been over a thousand years from the time of Jesus to now — why would judgement take place all at once?"
Liang also produced at least five volumes of prose poetry and fourteen volumes of verse poetry. Through the Eastern Western Monthly Magazine, he was exposed to the works of such Western poets as Homer and John Milton; he wrote about them favourably and remarked that "Westerners also revere poetry writing".
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