Why can "Ningbo Gang" flourish in modern Shanghai?

In modern times, Shanghai was the most developed industrial and commercial economic center in China, and it was also an immigrant city. It was once called "the monopoly stage of the guest gang". Among many immigrants in Shanghai, Ningbo immigrants occupy the most striking position. One of the important reasons is that the industrial and commercial organizations registered in Ningbo (hereinafter referred to as Yong Shang) have achieved great success in modern Shanghai. The first machine ginning factory, the first oil press factory, the first match factory, the first machine manufacturing factory and the first bank in China were all founded in Shanghai Yongshang.

Such as Ye Chengzhong who founded Xiechang Match Factory, Liu Hongsheng of Greater China Match Company, Xiang Songmao of Wuzhou Pharmacy, Fang Yexian of China Chemical Industry Society, Bao of Xinyi Chemical Pharmaceutical Factory, etc. , have achieved great success in the development and management of modern enterprises. Shipping, western medicine entertainment, Qin Runqing of banking, and Song of banking are also industry leaders, and many of them span various fields.

Ye Chengzhong who founded Xiechang Match Factory, Liu Hongsheng of Greater China Match Company and Xiang Songmao of Wuzhou Pharmacy (from left).

Judging from the internal structure of the organization representing the interests of maritime business, the leading position of Yong business is more obvious. For example, the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce established in 1902 (later reorganized into Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce and Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce) was changed 18 times in 27 years, and Shang Yong was elected as the prime minister (president) for a total of 23 years. According to statistics, from the end of 65438 to the beginning of the 20th century, 70% of the total number of more than 20 Hakka business groups in Shanghai were Yong merchants, 10% were Cantonese merchants and 20% were others. It can be said that Shanghai was dominated by businessmen at that time.

Why can Ningbo businessmen make such amazing achievements in modern Shanghai? A few days ago, Zhu, a professor of history at Fudan University, made an analysis and interpretation of this at the "Seminar on Modern China Businessmen's Economic Activities in Shanghai" sponsored by China Institute of Ancient Books Protection.

Cohesive village organizations

Zhu believes that the rise and success of modern Yong businessmen in Shanghai must have unique characteristics and advantages that other businessmen do not have, otherwise it will be difficult to explain why Yong businessmen and other businessmen have achieved such success.

These characteristics and advantages, first of all, Ningbo Gang has a strong cohesive force of fellow organizations, the most famous of which are Siming CCBA and Shanghai Ningbo Gang.

It can be seen from the article "The Origin of Shanghai Siming Office Written by Zhang Rang" that Ningbo businessmen set up Siming Office, a fellow-townsman organization of Shanghai, in the second year of Qing Jiaqing (1797), and each person collected a sum of money every day for "building a C house (a house for storing coffins), setting up a righteous grave (a public grave) and setting up a memorial hall in Shanghai.

Siming CCBA

Therefore, Siming CCBA has naturally become the activity center and refuge center of Ningbo people living in Shanghai, and Ningbo people have a strong sense of identity and maintenance. Therefore, when the French Concession cleared the way at 1874 and invaded the former site of Siming CCBA, Ningbo people in Shanghai paid the price of seven deaths to defend it. 1898, when the French army planned to invade again, it met with strong resistance again and ended in failure.

The activities of Ningbo Tourist Association in Shanghai mainly focus on social assistance and promoting school education. In terms of social assistance, such as 128 and 18 13, during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, hometown associations set up special committees to deal with the aftermath of rescuing, sheltering and repatriating fellow villagers in distress.

In school education, including the establishment and promotion of primary and secondary education, the establishment of various scholarships. 10 65438-0927 Shanghai established primary schools with a maximum of 3460 students. In addition, the association also invested in public welfare undertakings such as building bridges, roads and dredging rivers to varying degrees.

Zhu believes that in modern China, such an efficient social organization as Ningbo Child Star Club is rare. Together with the four CCBA, it has won the support and support of Ningbo people, thus having strong cohesion.

Cohesion with geography as the core promotes the development of businessmen.

China City Commercial Bank five yuan.

1897, China commercial bank, the first self-operated bank in China, was born. Three of the nine directors are from Ningbo. Shortly thereafter, another commercial bank initiated and organized by Ningbo businessmen living in Shanghai, Siming Bank, was born.

Siming Bank has a capital of RMB 6.5438+0.5 million, and has the right to issue banknotes. The profit of issuing bank notes is great, but the risk is also high. Because at that time, China people generally didn't trust paper money, but trusted silver dollars, so once the situation changed, it was easy to run. Siming Bank's capital is not abundant, so it has also encountered several runs, and each time it relies on the villagers living in Shanghai and Ningbo to help it out.

Siming bank

On one occasion, almost all the shops opened by Ningbo people accepted the banknotes of Siming Bank. Even many Ningbo-born workers, when they saw someone waiting for cash outside Siming Bank, took the initiative to take out foreign currency and change it into paper money from Siming Bank. After many twists and turns, Shanghai residents also know that Siming Bank is backed by all its fellow villagers and will not waver, thus enhancing their confidence in its banknotes.

Driven by no external pressure, ordinary Ningbo workers with low incomes are willing to take the initiative to help Siming Bank diversify and take risks, which surprised Zhu. "Such a situation is extremely rare in modern Shanghai and even in modern China."

Another example is Ningshao Shipping Company, which was established in 1908. In the process of its establishment and development, it has been constantly squeezed out and squeezed by foreign shipping companies. After going through all kinds of hardships to rent a dock on the Huangpu River from Japanese and French businessmen, Ningshao Merchant Shipping Company set the fare at 50 cents and announced that it would never raise the price, which won the support of Chinese businessmen. However, in order to squeeze in fewer people and have abundant capital, foreign businessmen reduced the ticket price from 1 yuan by 30 cents and used other means to attract guests.

The ticket price of Ningshao Merchant Shipping Company is 50 cents.

In this case, the vast number of Ningbo people living in Shanghai broke out in amazing unity. Various industry groups under Ningshao Commercial Group held meetings to express their opinions, formulate codes, support Ningshao Commercial Shipping Company, and organize "Aviation Industry Maintenance Meeting" to support Ningshao Commercial Shipping Company to compete with foreign shipping companies.

For example, when Ningshao businessmen held a meeting with colleagues in the silk satin embroidery and clothing industry, their directors said, "If my Ningshao company is really forced down by him, it will be my Ningshao gang that broke the ice and will be laughed at by other gangs. So, please come today. From now on, you will take your own Ningshao boat to Shanghai and Ningbo. It is absolutely impossible to see that it is meager profit to take other foreigners' ships at present. " At the same time, five rules have been formulated, including that all goods must be shipped by Ningshao ship, and every year the store must buy Ningshao ship tickets in advance.

With the support of many Ningshao people who went to Shanghai, Ningshao Merchant Shipping Company not only gained a firm foothold, but also had the strength to buy merchant ships from foreign shipping companies. On the other hand, with the support of the vast number of fellow villagers in Ningbo, the developed businessmen are also trying their best to give back to their fellow villagers. For example, 19 1 1 year, when the Revolution of 1911 broke out, the situation in Wuhan was very tense, and the ticket price soared. Ningshao Merchant Shipping Company sent a boat to Wuhan in time to lend a helping hand to the villagers who were eager to leave and send tickets to the poor free of charge.

The role of Siming CCBA and Ningbo Tourism Association in Shanghai

Businessmen clearly realize that finance is the blood of economic development, and only when finance and industry penetrate and support each other can they really develop and grow. As Liu Hongsheng, a Ningbo-born industrialist, said, "A bank cannot exist for a long time without the relationship between industrial and commercial enterprises; Industrial and commercial enterprises, if there is no bank as a pillar, will be restricted to stop. "

According to statistics, 19 12, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1932,/kloc-0. The same is true of the banking industry. Since the establishment of China Commercial Bank, the first bank in China, Ningbo citizens have been active in many banks.

Ningbo businessmen either run banks to further promote industrial growth after starting from traditional businesses, or start from banks and financial industries to support industrial and commercial development to promote their own development, or industrial operators invest in financial industries in the form of shares. Either way, the final result is to promote the overall development and growth of Yongshang.

Finally, Zhu concluded that organizations like Shanghai Siming and Ningbo Association, which were neither government nor enterprises, had played an important role in modern China society, especially in public welfare undertakings such as relief, education, medical care and support for hometown construction, which undoubtedly made up for the lack of social security system in modern China and replaced and played the due role of some governments to some extent.

Their regional-centered cohesion enabled Ningbo businessmen to tide over the difficulties and gain a foothold in a foreign land. Their emphasis on the combination of finance and industry prompted them to surpass other local businessmen and take the lead in modern Shanghai's economic activities.

Source | 澎湃 Network

Author | Xiao Xu

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