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Concessions in Tianjin
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The Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Chinese imperial Qing Dynasty to the European imperial powers in Tianjin (previously romanized in Postal map spelling as Tientsin), China.
r to the 19th century, the Chinese were concerned that European presence would upset the order of the Empire. However, the Europeans produced or controlled substantial amounts of goods desired by the Chinese market.
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The Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Chinese imperial Qing Dynasty to the European imperial powers in Tianjin (previously romanized in Postal map spelling as Tientsin), China.
General context
Prior to the 19th century, the Chinese were concerned that European presence would upset the order of the Empire. However, the Europeans produced or controlled substantial amounts of goods desired by the Chinese market. Strictly controlled and subject to import tarriffs, European traders were limited to operating in a series of towns which operated as manifestations of the Imperial throne. However, the risks of the trade for Europeans were substantial, as they had little standing before Chinese officials.
Over the centuries, this form remained, but as the European states increased in power, the frequent imprisonments and executions of European traders became less and less overlooked. To protect and further their own imperialist interests, and realizing the strength they had in trade for goods demanded by the Chinese market, European powers began demanding forms of diplomatic protection for their traders, missionaries, travellers, and diplomats. However, the historical nature of the Chinese Imperial system impeded such an overt recognition of European powers. Consequently, the Chinese officials established a system whereby European diplomatic stations were given a kind of tribute-in-chief status at certain locations in lieu of Chinese Imperial oversight. One such station which was granted to not just one but several European nations was Tianjin.
By the mid-nineteenth century Tianjin was opened up to foreign trade, and the importance of Tianjin was enhanced by the railways connecting it with Beijing on the one hand since 1897, and with Shanhaiguan and Manchuria on the other.
As a result, Tianjin soon had a large and flourishing community of European traders, entrepreneurs, diplomats, and merchants residing full time. As attacks on Europeans were frequent, and in order to reduce the possibility of conflict, the Chinese officials ceded certain authorities over the Europeans in a specific area of Tianjin to the diplomatic missions.
The British and French concessions were the earliest to be created in Tianjin; between 1895 and 1900 they were joined by Japan, Germany, Imperial Russia, and by countries without concessions elsewhere in China: Austria-Hungary, Italy and Belgium in establishing self-contained concessions each with their own prisons, schools, barracks and hospitals. The European settlements covered five miles (8 km) in all, the river front being governed by foreign powers.
With the collapse of the Chinese Empire, the Kuomintang managed a restructuring of Chinese domestic and foreign relations, allowing it recognize European states as equals. In turn, the concessions in Tianjin were dismantled in the early to mid-20th century with successful recognition of the European states by the Kuomintang which gave European property owners equality before Chinese officials. However, World War Two disrupted this nascent development before international law was established between China and the West. Finally, when the Communist Party defeated the Kuomintang, it immediately categorized European traders as Capitalist, seizing their property for distribution to the Party. This occurred in all of the Treaty Ports in China. With the exception of Hong Kong and Macau in Southern China which were appendages of Great Britain and Portugal respectively, all Europeans were expelled from China.
American concession
The United States never requested or received extraterritorial rights in Tianjin. A de facto concession was administered from 1869 until 1880, principally under the aegis of the British mission. Ultimately, the American concession territory became part of the British Concession in 1902. The United States maintained a permanent garrison at Tientsin from January 1912, by the 15th Infantry, US Army until 1938 and by the US Marine Corps until December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor.
Austro-Hungarian concession (1901-1917)
During the Boxer rebellion and its aftermath 1899-1901, Austria-Hungary participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance and helped in suppressing the rising. However, Austria-Hungary sent by far the smallest force of any of the combatant nations. Only one warship and 75 marines were dispatched.
Even so on September 7th, 1901, Austria-Hungary gained a concession zone in Tianjin as part of the reward for its contribution to the allies. The Austro-Hungarian concession zone was in area, slightly larger than the Italian, but smaller then the Belgian zone. The self-contained concession had its own prison, school, barracks and hospital. It also contained the Austro-Hungarian consulate and its citizens were under Austro-Hungarian, not Chinese rule. If they committed a crime on Chinese soil they could be tried in their own courts.
Though provided with a small garrison, Austria-Hungary proved unable, due to World War I to maintain control of its concession. The concession zone was swiftly occupied by China at the Chinese declaration of war on the Central powers and on 14 August 1917 the lease was terminated, along with that of the larger German concession in the same city. Austria finally abandoned all claim to it on September 10, 1919 (Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye), Hungary made a similar recognition in 1920 (Treaty of Trianon).
However despite its relatively short life-span (only 16 years in all), the Austrians have left their mark on that area of the city, as can be seen in the wealth of Austrian architecture, that stands in the city to this day.
List of consuls
- Carl Bernauer (1901-1908)
- Erwin Ritter von Zach (1908)
- Miloslav Kobr (1908-1912)
- Hugo Schumpeter (1913-1917)
Belgian concession (1902-1931)
The former Belgian Concession was established in 1902. Located on the eastern bank of the Hai River (Hai He), the Belgian government and business community did not invest in concession development, therefore there were not many buildings constructed in this area, and those that were built are no longer extant.
In 1904, China and Belgium signed a contract with Companie de Tramways et d'Eclairage de Tientsin, which stated that "this company has the exclusive right to produce and maintain the electric light and trolley systems for a term of 50 years."
In 1906, with the founding of the trolley system, Tianjin became the first city in China with a modern public transportation system. The electric light and trolley businesses were profitable ventures.
In 1937, Companie de Tramways et d'Eclairage de Tientsin was taken over by the Japanese army. Following the end of World War II, the Brussels-based company turned over the entire system to China.
British concession (1860-1943)
The British concession, in which the trade centres, was situated on the right bank of the river Haihe below the native city, occupying some . It was held on a lease in perpetuity granted by the Chinese government to the British Crown, which sublet plots to private owners in the same way as was done at Hankou. The local management was entrusted to a municipal council organized on lines similar to those which obtain at Shanghai. The seat of government was the stately Gordon Hall, situated on Victoria Road (now Jiefang Lu).
French concession (1860-1946)
The former French concession was established in 1860. After more than 100 years, almost every prominent building in the original concession is still extant, including the French Consulate, the Municipal Council, the French Club, the Catholic Cathedral, the French Garden and many others. Many of the bank buildings along the financial street (currently Jiefang Lu, formerly the Rue de France) are still in existence today.
The villas around the Garden Road are beautiful and diverse.The dome of the French Cathedral was the subject of unwanted attention during the Cultural Revolution: some young Red Guards climbed to the top of the dome to destroy the cross, though later the Tianjin government not only repaired the cross, but also renovated the entire church. Many French celebrities lived in Tianjin. Among them,the natural scientist Father Emile Licent who conducted research in Tianjin from 1914 to 1939. He founded the Musee Hong Ho Bai Ho and left 20,000 specimens of animals, plants and fossils, as well as 15,000 books. In 1998, Tianjin government invested and rebuilt the Tianjin Nature Museum.
German concession (1899-1917)
The United States 15th Infantry occupied the mammoth stone German Barracks from 1917 until 1938, departing after the Japanese Army entered Tientsin.
Italian concession (1901-1947)
On September 7, 1901, a concession in Tientsin was ceded to the Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia) by the Qing Dynasty of China. On June 7, 1902, the concession was taken into Italian possession and administered by an Italian consul. In 1935, the Italian concession had a population of about 6,261, including about 536 foreigners. The Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina) stationed some vessels at Tientsin.
During World War II, the Italian concession in Tientsin had a garrison of approximately 600 Italian troops on the side of the Axis. On September 10, 1943, when Italy signed an armistice with the Allies, the concession was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. Later in 1943, the Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana, or RSI) formally relinquished the concession to the Wang Jingwei Chinese Government. Like the RSI in Axis-held northern Italy, Wang Jingwei's Japanese-sponsored Chinese government was a puppet state and was not recognized by the Kingdom of Italy, by the Republic of China, or by most nations. The Wang Jingwei Government ended when the Empire of Japan was defeated.
On June 2, 1946, the Kingdom of Italy became the Italian Republic (Repubblica Italiana) and on February 10, 1947,
by virtue of the peace treaty with Italy, the Italian concession was formally ceded by Italy to Chiang Kai-shek's Republic of China.
Japanese concession (1888-1945)
The former Japanese concession was established in 1888. The Japanese army occupied the entire city of Tientsin from 1937 until their defeat in 1945.
There are two preserved buildings which attract visitors' attention. They are the Zhang Garden and the Jing Garden of the abdicated emperor Puyi.
In 1924, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Puyi, was forced to leave the Forbidden City in Beijing and lived in Tientsin until 1931 when he was forcibly taken by the Japanese army to Dalian. The imperial concubine Wenxiu divorced Puyi in Tientsin, which was the first time in Chinese dynastic history that an imperial concubine divorced an emperor.
Russian concession (1903-1920)
The former Russian concession was established in 1903. The former Russian concession in Tientsin (1903-1920), originally an area of more than 398 hectares, was never completed. Located on the eastern bank of Hai He River along a bend in the river, it was originally divided into two districts (east and west). In 1920 the government of the Republic of China retakes the land and concession from the Russian SFSR. In 1924, the Soviet Union renounces its claim on the concession.
Sources and references
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