The Coastal Trade And The Commercial Development Of Tianjin In The Qing Dynasty

Zhiguzhai was the predecessor of Tianjin.During the reign of the Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty,Tianjin Wei was bulit as a military fortress to guard the Capital of the empire.The administrative division of Wei was replaced by the Zhou,successively by the Fu in the Qing Dynasty.The ban on maritime trade was lift in the early Qing dynasty, Tianjin's commercial freight transport channels included the Canaland the new sea Road. In the Mid-Qing Dynasty, the canal was gradually fading, the trade by sea had become the largest source. Before the Opening of Tianjin, the Maritime trade included the Bohai Bay in the coastal trade of foodstuff and bean, and long distance trade with Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. By Opening of trade, Tianjin has been included in the scope of the international trade market, Steamship trade and sailing ships have been greater development,and gradually became the most important international trading port in northern China.The development of coastal trade could be confirmed from the collection of customs taxes. Tianjin had three Customs,and the chang customs were Tianjin customs and the sea tax agency. Tianjin Customs show a strong tax base after it was establishment,and the tax reached the highest in the middle of Qianlong. The sea duty was just a small local tax in the Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty,and the tax is limited.then the tax grew quickly,and the Qing government made it for the Central jurisdiction, and fixed 40000 liang. In fact, the highest amount of tax was reached in Jiaqing dynasty. After opening of trade in Tianjin,for charging the foreign trade,a new custome named Tianjin Custome was established.The tax of Tianjin customs was growing from the initial thirty thousand liang, to more than 80 million liang in the late Qing Dynasty. After 1901, the total reached 300 million liang.According to calculations and indicate that, before the mid-Qing Dynasty, the regular tariff income tax of maritime trade was about half a share of about 50million to 60 milling per year;and accounted for about two-thirds tax of about 90 thound to 100 thound liang in the jiaqing dynasty.the grain reform by the sea in the xianfeng dynasty,Tianjin customs revenue basically were from the sea, then total tax paid by the Tianjin Maritime Trade in the 130 thound to 140 thound or so. Tianjin customs was established in 1861, made the maritime trade onto a new level, the annual total tax of sea cargo trade to almost 1.2 million.Before its inception, the Customs mainly from Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other places. Hinterland is mainly Beijin. After its inception, the importer by the Tianjin Customs cargo is divided into two categories:Local products imported and the foreign goods imports, of which was opium, feathers, etc, the import of Local products are still sugar, tea and other bulk. Exporters of goods to fur, medicinal herbs, straw braid, etc. for the bulk cargo business. After its inception,the scope expanded to the hinterland of North China, most of the northern areas, including Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong and other places.With the development of commodity circulation in the Qing Dynasty, the Commercial prosperity, businessmen gathered.A number of foreign businessmen from Fujian and Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanxi and other places.They built many business hall here.the local merchants were salt and grain traders. After its inception, Tianjin emerged new business groups and organizations:foreign trade sector Matheson as the intermediary, the new comprador group of businessmen, especially in Guangdong, the most powerful businessman;and a new Chamber of Commerce, across the to geography and link Is a businessman and a sign of gradual progress towards modernization.The most prosperous commercial district in Tianjin was outside the north gate and the East Gate,a focal point of trade-Divergence of the two wings. outside the North gate was the most prosperous areas,a collection of the most famous commercial street, such as Gu Yi Street, Lane bamboo, etc., Particularly the eastern area was the most developed area, where commonly known as "Hou jia hou", by the North was entertainment. outside the East Gate area is more commercial than the developed regions, particularly near the temple for the most, two blocks from the most prosperous city.In 1860,with the development of foreign trade, the continuous development of urban commercial. On the one hand, traditional commercial street in the district, the traditional money business, pawn and the exchange industry, have greater development; the same time, there are all kinds of new banks have been established. In addition, the logistics services for the city hotels, increasing the number of rows stack, restaurants, entertainment industry have developed greatly. After its inception, with the establishment of foreign concessions area, built in the east of the Haihe River, a new city was built. Together with the concession area of the population, commercial development, where a variety of new financial institutions, hotels, warehouses and restaurants, entertainment and other consumer markets,it was a new prosperous area.In short, the coastal trade has become the subject of Tianjin from Qianlong Dynasty,and Tianjin to promote from a canalcity into a port city; and then the cargo was basically come from the sea. After it incepting with the expansion of domestic and foreign markets, there are the further development of maritime trade in tianjin,and it became the largest international port city in north China.