| The article entitled THE STUDY OF GULANGYU ON LEASE consists of five chapters.The first chapter tells the process of formation of Gulangyu as a leased territory. In June 1840, the British government launched an Opium War against China, which ended in "Nanjing Treaty" signed by the Qing government that humiliated our nation and forfeited our sovereignty. After the occupation of Gulangyu by the British troops in August 1841, big powers competed for this settlement and set up their consulate respectively. They fought with both open and secret means in order to turn it into a "public concession". Because of the fatuousness and incompetence of the Qing government over the 60 years Gulangyu finally became a public concession in May 1903.In the second chapter we approach both of the political and economic situation in Gulangyu as a foreign settlement. At that time, the municipal administration bureau, represented by the big powers from the west, was established to exercise its united rule over this concession. Even though the bureau had the Chinese as its directors it was still in the control of the foreigners. It is true that the bureau had played some part in the municipal administration and the economic development as it was responsible for the city's construction, local order and the collection of municipal administration fees. There were also the Chinese judicial and administrative departments as well as some other non-governmental organizations. However, these Chinese departments were in name only and had no right for decision-making concerning the island's political and economical policies. It was, as a matter of fact, a paradise for the foreign adventurers and a sanctuary for warlords, bandits, hooligans and local despots. It can not be denied that some economic development had been achieved in the island over that period of time. However, the national industry and commerce accounted for only a small proportion in economy simply because the economic lifeblood was in the hands of the foreigners.The third chapter talks about its culture and education. After Xiamen became a treaty port, some British and American missionaries came to Gulangyu, who built churches, set up missionary schools and preached their religions. It was not until Gulangyu fell into the public concession did more foreign missionaries arrived, and morechurches, schools and hospitals were put up, featuring the western culture and education. Although the missionary schools mainly served the foreign churches they did, in some sense, play some positive role in spreading cultural and scientific knowledge. Besides, the causes of culture and education created by the Chinese people in the island were also prosperous.The fourth chapter describes how the Japanese tried to transformed Gulangyu into its monopolized settlement and brought it under its colonial domination. Before and after the Pacific War Japan managed to turn the island into its colony by expanding its invasive war. It lasted as long as four years until the victory in the anti-Japanese war, during which time the Japanese carried out their colony's political and economic policies and cultural aggression. They also established schools, cultural communities and hospital in the island. This 4-year occupation by the Japanese turned out to be the darkest period of time in the history of foreign settlement.The fifth chapter gives an account of the struggle of the islanders. Right after Gulangyu became the public concession people began their firm and unswerving struggle against colonial domination. The struggle, which intensified after the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, gave a heavy blow on the rule of the foreign aggressors and created a brilliant chapter in China's modern history of fighting against imperialism.In the sixth chapter, we dwell on the public concession's influence on the recent development of Xiamen in the fields of judicial system, economic and administrative construction and cultural education. The administrative legal system in the consular law c...
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