What were the thirteen lines in Guangzhou during the Qing Dynasty? Describe it in detail.

Founded in the prosperous period of Kangxi, Guangzhou 13th Bank is a specialized foreign trade bank chartered by the Qing government. Alias "foreign goods line" and "foreign firm" Known as "Jinshan Bamboo Sea, Tianzi Nanku".

1757, with the imperial edict issued by Emperor Qianlong that foreign trade only leaves Guangdong Customs, the foreign trade of the Qing Dynasty was locked in the 13th line of Guangzhou. At the Chinese-foreign trading place near the Pearl River, thirteen ports are crowded with foreign ships, and almost all major countries and regions in Asia, Europe and America have had direct trade relations with thirteen banks.

It has global trade routes to Europe, Latin America, South Asia, East Asia and Oceania, and is the only surviving Maritime Silk Road under the closed door policy of the Qing government. Until the Opium War, thirteen banks monopolized China's foreign trade for 85 years, and China's trade with Europe maintained a trade surplus status of 100, which made the global silver continuously flow into China.

Guangzhou has a long history of foreign trade and is known as the "Millennium Capital". In fact, Nanhai County has belonged to the west of Guangzhou for more than 1000 years since it was founded in Sui Dynasty. 13 banks established more than 200 years ago were under the jurisdiction of Nanhai county at that time. In the early years of Qing Dynasty, with more and more foreign businessmen coming to Guangzhou, many countries set up business halls in Guangzhou. Foreign businessmen coming to China for trade or other affairs must go through "public banks" chartered by the Qing government. These "public banks" are collectively called "thirteen banks".

During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, only Guangzhou was a "one-stop trade" in the whole country. Guangzhou's foreign trade developed rapidly and its market flourished. Through the thirteen lines, China's porcelain, tea and silk have been going to sea continuously, and the "foreign goods" such as watches, glass mirrors and enamels imported from abroad are even more eye-opening.

In the records left at present, the thirteen-line commercial pavilions are often described as "golden mountains and silver seas, rolling in financial resources". From the historical pictures, we can see the glory of the thirteen lines of that year. On the screen, merchants from all over the world shuttled through the thirteen-line shopping malls, and the scene of tens of thousands of people racing horses in the river was amazing.

Extended data:

starting time

Since the Tang Dynasty, Guangzhou has been one of the most important commercial ports in China, and Guangzhou 13th Line was a special organization in China's foreign trade from the end of17th century to the middle of19th century. Thirteen business halls are concentrated in the southwest corner of Guangzhou suburb, close to the Pearl River, which is a busy water pier.

1684, Guangdong government recruited 13 powerful Hong Kong merchants and appointed them to do business with foreign businessmen on foreign ships and collect customs duties on behalf of the customs. During the period of 1757, the Qing Dynasty adopted a closed door policy, and only Guangzhou was reserved as a foreign trade port, while Shisanhang was the only legal foreign trade channel in China at that time.

gear train

Shisanguang Bank is subordinate to Guangdong Customs, and its operating mechanisms, such as business contract system, business guarantee system, general business system, business solicitation system, and public treasury system, are essentially ways for the Qing government to ensure the control of foreign affairs by business and ensure tax revenue.

The contract system refers to the system of "contracting foreign goods" by thirteen merchants; According to the merchant protection system, hong merchants should first be responsible for all the actions of foreign businessmen in China; Generally, there are one or three chief businessmen, who are the richest businessmen and are responsible for leading businessmen to trade with foreigners; Soliciting business system refers to all links of a transaction; The purpose of establishing public banks is to standardize the foreign trade market, master the bargaining power and maximize the interests of banks and businessmen.

Baidu encyclopedia-Guangzhou shisanhang

People's Network-Interpreting the "South China Sea Element" behind the 13th Modern Guangzhou.