Fuzhou is a famous seaport city on the southeast coast of China, and western capitalist countries have long set their sights on this city. After the Opium War, Fuzhou first became one of the "five-port trade" ports that the Qing court was forced to open. Since then, it has become an important gateway for western capitalist forces to invade China and a typical semi-feudal and semi-colonial deformed consumer commercial city. Great changes have taken place in the social environment and economic structure of Fuzhou.
A blow to traditional handicrafts
The first purpose of capitalist countries to open their doors to China is to regard China as a dumping market for capitalist industrial products. When treaty of nanking was signed, British representative Pu Dingcha told British capitalists that he "opened a new world for their business." The world is so vast: "the output of all the factories in Lancashire is not enough to supply her with clothes in a province."
Since the opening of Fuzhou, capitalist countries have come to Fuzhou to set up foreign firms and residences as offices for economic aggression against China. Most of these foreign firms and buildings are located in Zangqian and Fan Chuan Fort areas of Fuzhou. For example, Yuchang Foreign Firm, Concord Foreign Firm and Fuxing Foreign Firm in Britain, Shuicai Foreign Firm in the United States, Mitsui Foreign Firm and Suzuki Foreign Firm in Japan, Zen Foreign Firm and Dongheng Foreign Firm in Germany are all large-scale foreign firms. The main tasks of these foreign companies, besides spying and stealing political and economic information, are to dump foreign goods in China and buy Fujian local products at low prices. It is worth noting that cotton textiles are the most imported foreign goods, which is a fatal blow to Fuzhou's local economy.
Fuzhou is a city with a relatively developed handicraft industry, especially the textile industry, which once shined brilliantly in history. In Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty, the silk textile industry in Fuzhou made great achievements. During the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty, a folk textile craftsman named Lin Hong in Fuzhou invented a textile machine called "refitting machine". Many strange patterns, such as dragons and phoenixes, birds and animals, and Fu Lushou, have been woven with this refitted machine, which is very beautiful. At that time, silk textiles in Fuzhou were generally divided into silk and satin. These products are not only sold to domestic provinces, but also exported to Southeast Asia and Japan. Some existing lane names in Fuzhou, such as a lane named "Machine Room" in Guanglufang and a lane named "Weaving Satin Lane" east of "August 17th" North Road, all indicate the prosperity of textile industry in ancient Fuzhou. The Book of Minbu describes the prosperity of the silk industry in Fuzhou in the Ming Dynasty, saying: "All silk is blessed ... never leaving the watershed and Pucheng small pass, going to Wuyue like running water, especially those who sail to the sea."
In addition to silk, textiles such as cloth and hemp in Fuzhou also developed for a period of time. In the second year of Song Zhenzong Dazhong Xiangfu (1009), the banana cloth produced in Fuzhou was listed as a tribute. Its "blue cloth" and "blue cloth" are very popular because of their excellent dyeing. In addition, there is a kind of cloth made of ramie in Fuzhou, which is called "grid cloth". During the Five Dynasties, Fujian paid 35,000 pieces of Fuzhou grid cloth, and during the Five Dynasties, Fujian paid 8880 pieces of Fuzhou grid cloth to the Jin Dynasty (see History of the Five Dynasties). In the Song Dynasty, linen fabrics called "bamboo cloth" and "silk" were also popular for some time.
In a word, Fuzhou is a relatively developed city in the history of silk textile industry. Unfortunately, after the Opium War, capitalist countries imported a large number of textiles to Fuzhou like a flood burst its banks, which led to the bankruptcy and collapse of Fuzhou silk textile industry. According to the statistics of Fuzhou Customs at the end of Guangxu reign of Qing Dynasty, at that time, capitalist countries imported more than 40,000 tons of "foreign cloth" and "foreign yarn" to Fuzhou Port every year, with a value of 654.38+10 million yuan. The customs report said: "Nine out of ten people buy foreign cloth and cotton." Thus, after the Opium War, the traditional textile industry in Fuzhou collapsed under the dumping of imperialist foreign cloth. Even in the last hundred years, until the liberation of Fuzhou, we have never seen local silk textiles in its market. In the 27th year of Guangxu reign in Qing Dynasty (190 1), there were only three small family silk reeling factories in Fuzhou, which only produced some silk threads, and the scene was terrible.
Second, foreign goods are dumped, resulting in a large foreign trade deficit.
After the Opium War, the foreign goods imported by capitalist countries through Fuzhou Port have the largest number of two types: one is the aforementioned foreign cloth and yarn, and the other is "foreign rice" and "foreign noodles". At the end of Guangxu, foreign rice imported through Fuzhou Port averaged 3.5 million stones per year, with a value of about 8.5 million stones. In addition to the above two categories, at that time, about 4.5 million gallons of "foreign oil" (kerosene) were imported every year, with a value of more than 502,000. The annual import value of "foreign sugar" is about 502,000. Among the imported foreign goods listed by the customs at that time, there were flour, glass, soap, matches, steel, iron, copper, lead, tin, bicycles, cement, buttons, sea cucumbers, bird's nest, candles, coal, chemical products, enamels, clocks and watches, electrical appliances, dyes, feather cotton, satin, woolen cloth, ivory, French utensils and so on. According to statistics, in the peak period of "foreign goods" dumping in Fuzhou market, the annual import volume was about16 million Liang. Judging from the value of the above-mentioned imported foreign goods, the largest number are "foreign rice" and "foreign cloth". This means that since the Opium War, the most basic necessities of life in Fuzhou have been controlled by imperialist businessmen. This fact itself can give a correct conclusion to history. Since the "five-port trade", the main reason for the bankruptcy and collapse of China's rural economy is imperialist aggression and plunder. The second purpose of imperialism to open the door to China is to buy China's local products cheaply through this vast market. Judging from the absolute figures of the customs, after the Opium War, Fuzhou Port exported more native products than at any time in history. However, compared with the figures of imports, exports lag far behind imports, and there is a large deficit in foreign trade every year. The existence of huge trade deficit is a basic condition of Fuzhou's economy after the Opium War. It is this basic situation that has caused the decline of Fuzhou's economy 100 years.
Among the local products exported from Fuzhou Port, tea, wood, homemade paper and bamboo shoots are the main products. The statistics released by Fuzhou Customs at the end of Guangxu can be roughly seen.
Tea (including Kung Fu, oolong tea and all kinds of tea): the maximum export in a few years is about 200,000 tons, with a value of about 4.5 million. Wood: the largest export volume, with an annual output value of about 654.38+0.5 million. Domestic paper: the largest export volume, about 40,000 tons per year, with a value of about 402,000. Bamboo shoots: the largest number of exports, worth about 400 thousand yuan a year.
In addition to the above-mentioned bulk export commodities, the export value of products from other places is the highest, totaling about 302,000 a year. These include more than 3 million Jin of oranges, 1 10,000 Jin of olives, 3,000 boxes of longan, 1 10,000 Jin of dried litchi, 1 10,000 paper umbrellas, and an indefinite number of rattan, lacquerware, brown sugar, tin foil and tobacco leaves.
In a word, since the "five-port trade", the goods exported through Fuzhou Port are worth more than 7 million yuan a year at best, compared with the value of imported goods160,000 yuan, the annual deficit is nearly10,000 yuan. If the population of more than 20 counties and cities in the Minjiang River Basin is evenly distributed, then everyone will have to bear more than three taels a year. Year after year, the "foreign debt" of Fuzhou people is getting heavier and heavier. Moreover, almost all imported goods are industrial products, and almost all exported goods are agricultural products (a few are handicrafts). This semi-colonial foreign trade is a fatal blow to Fuzhou's local economy, making it stay in the backward agricultural and social stage for a long time. In the past, Japanese imperialism once shouted the slogan "Agricultural China, Industrial Japan", which was actually a major trend of Fuzhou's economy under imperialist aggression since the Opium War.
Third, the social economy is extremely prosperous.
After the "five-port trade", although Fuzhou's local economy was on the verge of bankruptcy, the textile industry in particular was dealt a fatal blow. However, due to the development of semi-colonial comprador commerce, Fuzhou market showed abnormal prosperity. Various comprador foreign firms and business gangs have been set up, intrigued with each other and vying for profits. At that time, Shanghang Street in Nantai, Fuzhou was the coordination center of Fuzhou business gangs, and later the General Chamber of Commerce was established here.
After the "five-port trade", there were more than 200 commercial gangs in Fuzhou, and there were about 1.5 million shops in the city. Among these gangs, Fuzhou Tea Gang is the most powerful. Tea gangs in Fuzhou can be divided into local gangs and foreign gangs. The strength of local gangs is greater than that of foreign gangs, with an annual output of about 654.38 million tons of tea, accounting for more than 70% of Fuzhou's total tea exports. There are about 40 tea shops under the jurisdiction of this business school, most of which are concentrated in Taijiang District. Foreign gangs are divided into three gangs: Beijing gang, Lu gang and Hui gang. Every year, they come to Fujian to pick tea in March of the lunar calendar and leave Fujian in August, and the annual tea picking volume is about 70,000 to 80,000 tons.
According to the variety of tea, there are three tea gangs in Fuzhou: 1. Maochagang, which specializes in purchasing green tea, manages about 90 thousand tons of green tea every year. At that time, "Hengyuantang" was the representative of this gang. 2. Box Tea Gang, mainly engaged in black tea and rock tea, packaged and delivered. The "Justice Hall" at that time was the representative of this gang. 3. Hu Axiang Tea Gang mainly deals in scented tea. This tea gang was powerful, and later fragrant tea became a specialty of Fuzhou tea.
After the "five-port trade", Fuzhou's export trade was dominated by tea, followed by wood. As Fujian is one of the main forest areas in China, a large amount of timber produced in Minjiang River Basin flows to Fuzhou by waterway, so Fuzhou has become the main port city for timber export in China. At that time, there were three kinds of timber business in Fuzhou: 1. Timber customers (also known as "Shanke") go deep into the upper reaches of Minjiang River to buy timber and transport it to Fuzhou. 2. Muya (also known as "Muxing"), with a line number in Fuzhou, sells timber on behalf of mountain customers and is an intermediary for timber. 3. Mubang (also known as "Wood Merchant") is a merchant who buys wood from Muhang and then transports it from Fuzhou Port to other provinces.
In short, judging from the economic status of Fujian Province, Fuzhou has become the general hub of goods distribution after the five-port trade. The total trade value of Fuzhou accounts for more than 35% of the total trade value of the province. In China, Fuzhou is also an important foreign trade port.
In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, the rulers imposed a "sea ban" to prohibit coastal people from going overseas and conducting overseas trade with private individuals. However, after the Opium War, due to the signing of treaty of nanking, Fuzhou became one of the "five-port trade", closed the door of China for more than two centuries and was forced to "open to the outside world". From then on, Fuzhou was first influenced by the ideological trend of western capitalist culture and became a hotbed for brewing western capitalist culture. After the "five-port trade", Fuzhou was completely reduced to a port city with consumption and entertainment as the mainstay. Capitalist countries import a large number of opium to Fuzhou Port and open many opium dens. Larger foreign firms in Fuzhou, such as French foreign firm, Japanese Zhang Rixing foreign firm, Fuji foreign firm, Sanwu company, etc. All of them are foreign businessmen mainly engaged in opium. At that time, there were many cigarette houses in Fuzhou, most of which were located in Nantai, such as Woyunlou at the end of the pier, Ziyuntian in Shangyuan Lane, Taoyuan in Shanghang Street, Zizhulin in Hengjie Street, Deng Yuntian in Tea Pavilion, etc. In this city, there were Renji in Jinmen Building, Jiuru in Si Qian, and a secluded place by Hujie River. As for the small cigarette houses, there are countless more.
As prosperous as opium dens, brothels and casinos. At that time, Taijiang was also the largest brothel, mainly concentrated in Tiandang, Zhoubian and Taijiang Road. The most famous brothels are Hongxi Hall, Xinziluan, Lequnfang, Xinyuji, Hongyantang, Baoxiu Hall, Saiyue Hall in He Qian Street and Huating in Taiyuan, all of which are first-class brothels. As for second-class, third-class, "half-open door" and so on, the list goes on. At that time, casinos generally did not operate independently, but mostly operated on the black market, or attached to brothels and cigarette houses.
After the "five-port trade", with the abnormal development of the economy, Fuzhou society did have a superficial prosperity. There are many restaurants and restaurants here, forming a consumption city full of feasts and luxuries. In order to meet the entertainment needs of many bureaucrats, gentry and comprador classes, Fuzhou's cooking technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, forming a so-called "Fujian cuisine" system with Fujian characteristics.
Fujian cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines in China. Although it has a long history, it was not until the "five-port trade" that an independent cuisine was formally formed. As the birthplace and pioneer of Fujian cuisine, Juchunyuan restaurant in Fuzhou still exists today.
The former name of "Juchun Garden" is "Sanyouzhai", which was founded in the fourth year of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty (1865) and is located at the intersection of Xiannan, the "August 17th" North Road in Fuzhou. The business of Sanyouzhai is very prosperous, and most of them do business with dignitaries and wealthy businessmen. Later, due to poor management, business gradually declined, so Zheng Chunfa took over and renamed "Sanyouzhai" as "Juchunyuan".
Zheng Chunfa has served as the official chef of the yamen of the Inspection Department for a long time, and has developed a superb set of cooking skills, paying special attention to the study of "color, aroma, taste and shape" of dishes. Therefore, the dishes made are well-known and known as "the first chef in Fujian", thus becoming the pioneer of Fujian cuisine system.
Fourth, "slaves", "piglets" and "contract Chinese laborers"
Fuzhou is a major hometown of overseas Chinese. Historically, there are quite a few overseas Chinese in Fuzhou. However, after the Opium War and the "five-port trade", most overseas Chinese in Fuzhou went abroad in the form of "slaves", "pigs" and "contract Chinese workers".
After the Opium War, capitalist countries such as Britain and France coerced the Qing court to sign various unequal treaties, clearly pointing out that Britain and France could recruit laborers in China to legalize the sale of coolies. Later, more western colonialists adopted the strategy of kidnapping laborers through intermediaries to recruit "China contract workers". The so-called "China contract workers" are called "pigs" and become "slaves" in disguise.
Fuzhou, after the "five-port trade", was one of the main export ports of the so-called "contract Chinese workers" at that time. It was with the assistance of Gao Jing, the French consul in Fuzhou, and the Catholic Church in Fuzhou that the French businessman Wei Chi opened a foreign firm called Xiabeshun (also known as Laboshun) in Majiang, Fuzhou. In this foreign firm, there are 1500 Chinese workers kidnapped by Weichi in Fuzhou. Later, 1000 Chinese workers in Fuzhou were sent to Madadasi (Madagascar) to do "formal work", and another 500 were sent to Haiyunyong (Reunion) Islands to work in agriculture and industry. Because these Chinese workers were abused by foremen, there was a wave of demands to rescue them from returning to China in Fuzhou. Later, Wei Chi took the opportunity of repairing the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway and recruiting workers in Mexico to lure Chinese workers in Fuzhou. He also transported the first batch of 520 people to the Liu Bo Copper Company in Santa Rosalia.
Precautions:
(1) Essays on the history of the Opium War, British bourgeois textile interest groups and historical materials of the two Opium Wars.
② See Fuzhou Prefecture Records and Minhou County Records.
③ Compilation of Qing Diplomatic Archives (1), p. 224.