Why did Quanzhou, the world's largest port in the Yuan Dynasty, gradually decline during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China?

The main reasons are as follows: the Ming government imposed a strict "sea ban" and restricted Quanzhou Port to pass through Ryukyu, which greatly restricted the foreign trade of Quanzhou Port; In the tenth year of Chenghua (1474), Shibo Company moved to Fuzhou, and Laiyuan Post in Quanzhou was abandoned together with Shibo Company, marking the end of the 400-year foreign trade port status of Quanzhou Port. The war in Qing dynasty and the influence of maritime ban and border migration.

Quanzhou is a famous world trade port in the Middle Ages. However, since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Quanzhou has gradually declined, and the bustling and frequent appearance of the sea has disappeared. Why did Quanzhou Port turn from prosperity to decline?

1. xenophobia. At the end of Yuan Dynasty, there was a rebellion in Quanzhou, where the local Semu people attacked each other and killed each other, which spread to most parts of Fujian Province. It was not until twenty-six years ago that the rebellion of this armed group was put down. This war has seriously damaged Quanzhou's social economy. The trade activities between Quanzhou Port and Asian and African countries cannot be carried out.

During the war, local residents were very dissatisfied with the rising status of foreigners, so there was another wave of xenophobia, and many foreign businessmen set sail one after another. This war caused serious damage to Quanzhou's overseas traffic, which directly led to the decline of Quanzhou Port.

The city shipping company moved to the south. The migration of Quanzhou shipping company is also closely related to the decline of Quanzhou port. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the ruling class attached great importance to overseas trade. Quanzhou Shipping Company earnestly implemented the opening-up policy, actively attracted foreign businessmen to trade in China, and strengthened the management of ships and foreign businessmen entering and leaving Hong Kong. Therefore, the company promoted the development of Quanzhou Port, making it the largest trading port in China and then one of the largest trading ports in the world.

In the Ming Dynasty, the company was subordinate to the Chief Secretary. Fujian Chief Secretary is located in Fuzhou, and officials in charge of shipping often go to Fuzhou, because it is more convenient for Ryukyu envoys to go to Fuzhou than Quanzhou. Because most of Ryukyu's tribute and trade came from Fuzhou, we took the opportunity of paying tribute and went back to our hometown to visit relatives and friends. So in the eighth year of Chenghua, Fujian Shipping Company moved from Quanzhou to Fuzhou. The establishment of the shipping company witnessed the prosperity of Quanzhou Port, and its migration marked the decline of Quanzhou Port.

The enemy is in trouble. In the early Ming Dynasty, due to the invasion of pirates in the southeast coast, Ming Taizu imposed a maritime ban, on the one hand, to maintain social order, on the other hand, to change the Yuan Dynasty's policy of attaching importance to commerce and return to the traditional policy of attaching importance to agriculture. By the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing government banned Zheng Chenggong financially, ordered "moving the border" and forced coastal residents to move inward, stipulating that "grain rice should not enter the water and grain rice should not cross the border. 」

In Ming Dynasty, the sea was forbidden, and Quanzhou Port declined. Throughout the Ming Dynasty, the role of Quanzhou Port was only reflected in providing supplies for professionals and ships during Zheng He's pilgrimage to the West, and maintaining part of the tribute with Ryukyu. The sea ban in this period forced private overseas trade to be smuggled, because the government's control was weak and local business officials formed a certain profit-seeking force, which made private commercial trade have enough living space to grow. Although the official business system in Song and Yuan Dynasties has been replaced by private business, the overseas development of private business has greatly declined. Facing the frequent smuggling activities of coastal businessmen relying on geographical advantages, the Ming government tried to control and resolve the illegal trade of other smuggling ports by mastering some ports, among which Zhangzhou Yuegang rose after the official relaxed the ban several times and became the largest private commercial port in the southeast coast. In the era of Guangdong and Hong Kong, galleons kept going back and forth between China and the Philippines, and trade continued. Spanish silver shipped from Mexico to the Philippines continuously flows to China through China maritime business, while China commodities and immigrants flow to the Philippines, and a Chinese business network and Chinese business society have begun to take shape.

The implementation of the above policies in Ming and Qing Dynasties destroyed Quanzhou's social economy and overseas transportation. The so-called "relying on mountains to eat mountains, relying on the sea to eat the sea", maritime trade is the basis of Quanzhou people's life. However, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this international trading port became a private trading port, which shows the negative impact of the sea ban policy on Quanzhou Port.

/kloc-In the 5th century, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy and other countries in Europe developed into colonial countries. Their eastward invasion interfered with the East-West maritime trade and hindered the development of Quanzhou's overseas traffic. Coupled with the harassment and destruction of Quanzhou by Japanese pirates, Quanzhou Port gradually declined.

After the Opium War, China lost its sea power and became a semi-colony of western powers, and its coastal ports were forced to open, becoming a market for western dumped goods, plundering China resources and monopolizing the export trade of China's silk, porcelain, tea and other commodities. Since then, the Maritime Silk Road has fallen into a recession. This situation continued throughout the Republic of China until the eve of the founding of New China.

4. Geographical changes. Another reason that can't be ignored for the decline of Quanzhou Port is the change of geography. Due to vegetation destruction and serious soil erosion, a large amount of sediment flows to the estuary and continues to accumulate in Jinjiang River Basin. Quanzhou Port is a fast silting area, with an average annual siltation of 4.6 mm, which makes Quanzhou Port lose its natural conditions as an excellent port.