British concession of Amoy 厦门英租界 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1852–1930 | |||||||||
 Flag | |||||||||
| Status | Concession of Great Britain | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 1852 | ||||||||
• Annexation by the Republic of China | 1930 | ||||||||
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The British concession of Amoy (present day Xiamen) (Chinese: 厦门英租界) was one of seven total British concessions in China. It was also one of only two foreign concessions in Amoy, the other being the Kulangsu International Settlement.
History edit
Background edit
British interest in Amoy harbors begin before 1852. Following the Opium Wars, the Sino-British Treaty of Nanking stipulated Amoy be one of five treaty ports open for foreign trade, beginning the arrival of foreign influence in Amoy in 1842. At the time, nearby Gulangyu Island was being occupied by British troops, and negotiations were being drafted between the British and Chinese to cede British control of Gulangyu to the Chinese, and most of the troops ended up moving to Amoy across the bay. Negotiations between the Qing and British to lease out rural areas around Amoy began in 1845, but quickly broke down as the two proposed sites were unsatisfactory for British consul John Rutherford Alcock and the local yamens began evading the subject.[1]
Relations resumed following the arrival of Henry Parkes to Amoy to demand a resolution to the manner.[1] A small swath of beach ground was soon leased to the British with a rent of one tael per square zhang. The lots were originally subdivided into four lots: two for British merchants, one for the Dent & Co. firm, and one for the government.[1] Efforts were made by the British to retain control of parts of the aforementioned two sites, but those were suspended by local officials.
Expansion edit
Eventually, three more beach ground lots were purchased by the British in 1862, 1865, and 1866. The beach eventually became prosperous, becoming a commercial bund for Amoy, the "principal business quarter of the town".[2] Expansion began in earnest after the Small Swords Society seized Amoy, expanding British naval presence as warships ferried British nationals to Kulangsu. However, with consulates being constructed, locals blocked attempts by the British to build residential facilities. As such, foreigners began to reside on Kulangsu, sailing to Amoy via sampans for business and work-related duties.[2] A municipal council that governed the concession was established in 1877.[1]
The Chinese defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War changed the political dynamics on Amoy. In accordance with the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Japan annexed Taiwan, and in an effort to further expand their influence, began seeking out Amoy real estate. An attempt by the Japanese to claim two sites at Amoy in 1897 was rebuffed by foreign powers, and the Qing government claimed there's no land left to give at Amoy. Ultimately, concerned with rising tensions, the Qing government agreed to sign away Kulangsu Island in Janurary 1902 as an international settlement for nine countries, including Britain and Japan, to establish consulates on.
Civil Unrest and Dissolution edit
Gradual tensions between foreign nationals and Chinese began reaching high levels, causing incidents at the municipal levels, such as when the Council blocked a Chinese telephone company to erect phoneline posts in 1907.[1] In 1909, Chinese student marches through the bund were stopped by British authorities.[1]
The collapse of the Qing government inflamed tensions, especially as army commanders-turned-warlords like Li Houji and Zang Zhiping began seizing control of Xiamen[3]. Xiamen became the nucleus for anti-British boycotts in 1925, which already further deteoriated the concession's importance in trade. Following a climax in tensions after the May Thirty Incident, perpetual deeds for the lands were swapped with local Chinese officials, and the concession ceased to exist in 1930.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f Yu, Chen. "The making of a bund in China: the British Concession in Xiamen (1852–1930)". Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering. 7 (1): 31–38. doi:10.3130/jaabe.7.31 – via JSTAGE.
- ^ a b Bowra, Cecil A.V. (1908). "Twentieth-century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China: Their Early History and Development". Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Co. Ltd.: 813–28.
- ^ a b Yu, Chen (2005). Urban Transformation in Semi-Colonial China: Gulangyu International Settlement, 1903-1937. Tianjin University. p. 253.