China's "Four Big Rice Markets" came into being in the process of underdeveloped agricultural commodity economy in the old society, which played a positive role in promoting grain production and circulation at that time and greatly improved local social development, farmers' life and commercial trade. Wuxi, Changsha, Wuhu and Jiujiang, as the four "rice markets", have the common advantages of convenient transportation along the Yangtze River, rich grain production and developed trade circulation. As for the ranking of the four "rice markets", Wuxi and Wuhu each ranked first, which is meaningless now.
I. Wuxi
Wuxi is located in the south of Jiangsu Province, bordering Taihu Lake in the south, Huishan Mountain in the west and Taihu Lake water network plain in the north. It is the intersection of Shanghai-Nanjing Railway, Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, Xicheng Highway and Xicheng Canal. Wuxi Jianxian County began in Qin and Han Dynasties and has been in use ever since. Historically, it was once the famous "Land of Fish and Rice" in China, known as the head of "Four Big Rice Markets" in China, and also one of the earliest birthplaces of national capitalists in China.
As early as the heyday of grain transportation in Ming and Qing dynasties, Wuxi was already a famous grain market in the south of the Yangtze River, a concentrated place of grain transportation in Taihu Lake Basin and Zhejiang Province. During the Qianlong period, Wuxi's grain throughput reached 78 million tons. At the beginning of the 20th century, at the end of 65438+, the grain accumulation was the highest in southeast provinces, and the grain processing industry became the five major rice milling centers in China. Since the reform and opening up, Wuxi rice market has been active and its business has spread all over the country. In order to meet the needs of the reform of grain circulation system and the new round of market reform and development, the function and taste of Wuxi rice market will be comprehensively improved, and the national market signboard of "Wuxi Grain and Oil Center Wholesale Market" will be restored. "Wuxi Rice Market" is mainly composed of two markets: North and South. South Market is based on Wuxi Grain and Oil Transfer Reserve, which has the advantages of railway grain and oil dedicated line and Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal rice wharf, and mainly deals in bulk grain such as rice, wheat, soybeans and corn. The northern market is dominated by the existing Wuxi grain and oil market, and the spot trading of finished grain and oil mainly meets the needs of residents in Xicheng and surrounding areas. Sanliqiao, the suburb, is the largest grain and oil market in China, 1990, ranking first among the four rice markets.
Wuxi is a subtropical monsoon climate, warm and humid, with many places of interest. There are Chong'an Temple in the Northern Song Dynasty, Xi Hui Park under Huishan Mountain has the Tang site "The Second Spring in the World" and Mingjichang Garden, and there are Longguang Temple and Longguang Pagoda in Xishan Mountain. At the beginning of the 20th century, Liyuan, Meiyuan and Yuantouzhu (also known as Hengyun Park) were built in the lakeside area. From Taibo to the top of the four great painters of Wu and China, representing the intellectual integrity of China, and writing China's only one of the world's top ten famous songs "Two Springs Reflecting the Moon", Wuxi has a written history of civilization for thousands of years. As for China's modern famous figures such as Xu Beihong, Qian Zhongshu and Sun, everyone will be familiar with them.
Second, Changsha
Changsha is located in central and eastern Hunan, the lower reaches of Xiangjiang River and the eastern part of Hunan. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, it has been the political, military, economic, cultural and educational center of Huxiang region, with a long history, splendid culture and a gathering of celebrities. Changsha is characterized by "the land is jade, the water is pearl", Yuelu Mountain is the screen, Xiangjiang River is the belt, the land and water mainland floats in the heart of Bijiang River, Liuyang winds in the suburbs, lakes and mountains alternate with each other, and the city walls are scattered in the meantime, forming the landscape of the Tang Dynasty. Changsha has a recorded history of more than 3,000 years, and the formation and construction of the ancient city of Changsha also has many characteristics. Changsha itself is a historical relic, with ancient and modern city sites and ancient and modern city centers overlapping. There are only a handful of cities in China that have continued from the Warring States Period to the present. Ding Wangtai and Jia Yi's former residence in Han Dynasty, gardens and temples in Tang and Five Dynasties, academies in Song Dynasty, Wang Fu and Chengge in Ming Dynasty all have their own characteristics and styles. Although Changsha suffered from Wenxi fire, its unique ancient buildings, gardens, temples, ancient city ruins, ancient streets, ancient post roads and ancient rivers are still vivid.
Changsha rice market occupies an important position in the commercial history of Changsha, and its embryonic form can be traced back to the late Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, Tanzhou had been able to build large ships to carry rice and transport rice to and from Xiangjiang River. In the early years of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty, there was a "thousand boats carrying rice" on the Xiangjiang River, which was sold directly to Hankou and then to Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and it was very popular. The Yisu River near Changsha has become a gathering area of 100 valleys. "Compared with granaries, rice bags are closed, and the annual trade volume reaches more than 2 million tons." 1726 (the fourth year of Yongzheng), the Qing government issued a document by the vassal department to open various dental shops and provide trading places, and the rice market was formally formed. There are 35 tooth shops in Changsha Town, of which 24 are grain shops. The prosperity of Changsha grain store attracted Xiaomi Town near Changsha to gather in the provincial capital. At the same time, there have been artificial mills, cattle mills and even machine mills that process rice into rice for sale. During Guangxu period, there were 500 shops in Changsha, most of which were located along the river from Bixiang Street to Caochaomen, especially Chaozong Street, so it was called "Mi Street". At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Changsha's grain industry began to divide into four natural industries: rice milling based on processing, grain depot based on grain storage, grain store based on valet trading and pure retail rice store. 1908, Zeng Guofan's son-in-law Nie Jigui opened Xie Feng Grain Depot in Changsha. The prosperity of Changsha rice market is mainly based on the relatively developed grain production in Hunan Province, in addition to Changsha's special geographical and economic status. At that time, the total grain output ranked third in the country, second only to Guangdong and Sichuan. The rice market declined after the Wenxi fire in Changsha. After War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory, it gradually recovered. By 1947, there were more than 700 enterprises in Changsha's grain industry.
The climate in Changsha is changeable in spring, with abundant sunshine in summer and autumn, short cold period and long hot summer period. There are many places of interest and revolutionary memorial sites in Changsha, including Mawangdui Han Tomb, Yuelu Academy, Lushan Temple, Qingshuitang, Chuanshan Society and the First Normal University. Attractions include Orange Island and Love Night Pavilion. Changsha's commerce has flourished since ancient times, and its handicraft industry has developed. In the 30th year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1904), Changsha officially opened its ports for trade. During the Republic of China, Changsha rice market and its industries of gold, money, silk and paper were famous all over the country, and many commercial streets and time-honored brands appeared in Changsha, which was known as "land of plenty", "land of fireworks", "land of Hunan embroidery" and "land of pottery".
Third, Jiujiang
Jiujiang is adjacent to Poyang Lake in the east, Yangtze River in the north, Mufu Mountain in the west, and Lushan Mountain in Nanping City. Jiujiang is an ancient and beautiful city with a long history. It is called the North Gate of Jiangxi. Known as Xunyang and Chaisang in ancient times, it is located at the junction of Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan and Anhui provinces. During the Xia and Shang Dynasties, Jiujiang belonged to Jing and Yangcheng, and in the Spring and Autumn Period it belonged to Wu Zhidong and the west of Chu, so it was called "Wu Tou Chu Wei". After Qin Shihuang unified China, Jiujiang was established as one of the 36 counties, named Jiujiang, also known as Jiangzhou. Since the Qin Dynasty, seven names have been used, namely Jiujiang, Chaisang, Jiangzhou, Xunyang, Runan, Ganyu and Dehua. Jiujiang place names have been used since the Ming Dynasty. According to ancient records, Jiujiang is "the mouth of the Three Rivers and the thoroughfare of the Four Reaches", with seven provinces connected and merchants gathered. It is also one of the "four big rice markets" and "three big tea markets" in modern China. It is one of the top ten ports in the golden waterway of the Yangtze River with unique scenery.
The source of commodity rice in Jiujiang is local rice. Jiujiang and its surrounding counties and cities are alluvial plains formed by the Yangtze River, Poyang Lake and Hexiu, as well as hills and valleys of the shogunate mountains, with mild climate and abundant rainfall. Historically, it is the land of plenty and the main source of Jiujiang rice market. The second is foreign tourists. Anhui and Hubei provinces adjacent to Jiujiang city are mainly rice along the river. This traditional circulation channel has continued to this day. Jiujiang rice market goes from Hankou to Shanghai, Shaoxing and Jinhua in Zhejiang, among which Shanghai and Hankou have the largest sales volume. Nanchang, the provincial capital, is a first-class rice distribution center in the province, which is distributed from Jiujiang to Shanghai and Han. Therefore, Nanchang is the main supplier and rice processing base of Jiujiang rice market. Jiujiang is the outlet of the throat. Foreign businessmen from Jiangxi go to Jiangxi to buy rice, and most of them go to Jiujiang to discuss business, and go through the formalities of rice leaving the country at Jiujiang Customs until it is shipped out of the country. The transfer points of Jiujiang rice market in northern Jiangxi are Hukou, Tujiabu and Wucheng. These three towns are close to rivers and lakes, so water transportation is very convenient. Jiujiang became a rice market, and the hukou played a great role. Tujiabu, located at the intersection of Xiushui and Nanxun Railway, is a key grain area in northern Jiangxi, importing and exporting tens of thousands of kilograms of grain every year. Grain flows, and some Nanxun routes Jiujiang to leave the country; Part of it went from Xiushui to Wucheng, leaving the country through Hukou and exporting to Wuhan, Shanghai, Nanjing and other places.
Fourth, Wuhu
Wuhu is located in the southeast of Anhui province, with the center geographic coordinates of 1 19 degrees east longitude 2 1 minute north latitude 3 1 minute. The city covers an area of 33 17 square kilometers and a population of 2150,000, including 630,000 urban residents. Wuhu has a long history. The Spring and Autumn Period was the return of Wu to righteousness. As a county name, it began in 109 BC and has a history of more than 2000 years. Historically, Wuhu's agriculture, handicrafts and commerce were quite developed. There were "towers" and "thousands of fireworks" in the Southern Tang Dynasty. After the Southern Song Dynasty, especially in the Yuan Dynasty, Wuhu was already a prosperous town. Since the Ming Dynasty, it has gradually become an important commercial port in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Handicrafts such as sizing and dyeing are well known. In the Ming Dynasty, Song Tiangong said that "weaving is better than Songjiang (Shanghai) and sizing is better than Wuhu", and a large-scale sizing and dyeing workshop was formed, which was called "Wuhu Giant Shop". In recent years, the stone tools, bones and various mammal fossils made by ancient humans found in the herringbone cave in Wuhu are between 2 million and 2.5 million years old, which traces the history of human activities in Asia back to 400,000 to 500,000 years. Dagongshan ancient copper mine site was the largest copper production base in China during the Spring and Autumn Period, Han and Tang Dynasties, and/kloc-0 was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council in 1996.
1876, the Yantai Treaty signed by China and Britain turned Wuhu and Wenzhou, Zhejiang into trading ports. The signing of this unequal treaty not only brought great impact to Wuhu's national economy, caused abnormal development, but also opened the door to Wuhu's opening to the outside world. 19 18 Wuhu customs' import and export value reached 3.5% of the national foreign trade in that year, and it is one of the trading ports in the Yangtze River basin. The Wu Shen Canal, which starts and ends in Wuhu and Shanghai, closely links Wuhu with the economy and culture of Jiangsu, Wuxi, Nanjing and Hangzhou. After the opening of Wuhu, a large number of foreign firms and companies entered Wuhu. At the same time, the spread of advanced science and technology also stimulated the development of modern industry in Wuhu. The earliest national industry in Anhui Province was established in Wuhu. 1883 Wuhu set up a wired telegraph line, which is the earliest city in the province to use telegraph. 1897 Yixin (Mechanical Mill) Rice Flour Company was the first one in China at that time. In 1930s, civil aviation also opened flights to Shanghai and Wuhan. After entering the 20th century, Wuhu's industry and commerce developed to more than 100, with five or six thousand merchants, becoming the birthplace of modern industry in Anhui and one of the economic centers in the Yangtze River basin. Because of its superior geographical location and prosperous business, it was once called "the backbone of Anhui" and "the giant port of the Yangtze River" in history.
Wuhu is known as the first of the "Four Big Rice Markets" in China, and the starting point and birthplace of the rice market is Matang District today. Matang District is commonly known as Henan, because it is located on the south bank of Qingyi River flowing into the Yangtze River. The coastal areas are densely populated and the market trade is quite prosperous. The "Huining Chiguangtai Road", which governs southern Anhui, is also here. 1948 Wuhu "Jiangguang Mihang Reconstruction Monument": "In the eighth year of Guangxu, Gong (Li Hongzhang and posthumous title Wenzhong) asked the general to move the grain market from Zhenjiang No.7 to this place." It is a fact that Li Hongzhang supported the rice market, but the specific operator is Zhang (Zhang). During the Tongzhi period, he met Li, the governor of Guangdong. In the eighth year of Guangxu (1882), Li was appointed Governor of Huguang, Li Hongzhang was appointed Governor of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang, and Zhang was appointed as Guan Dao of Wuhu. Li Li advised Zhang to come forward and give advice to Li Hongzhang under the banner of prospering Wuhu commercial port, relying on the power of the imperial court to move Zhenjiang rice market to Wuhu. Li Hongzhang advocates that it is the best policy to let the rice merchants move by themselves. Discuss the results and formulate specific preferential measures to make rice merchants profitable. Zhang personally went to Zhenjiang, relying on the friendship of fellow villagers, and promised Guangchao Rice Industry to help Wuhu Guandao issue a license to specialize in rice industry, which has a patent in Wuhu; The rice packaging fee shall be paid by the seller; There is no additional price increase for foreign shipping water foot silver, that is, it is still calculated as Zhenjiang from Wuhu to Shanghai. Sure enough, Guangchao Fanbang invested in Wuhu and set up Fanhao. Followed by more than twenty Ning and Yan Gang. The four rice gangs are the pillars, which promote the rise of rice market by "piling up like mountains and selling like rivers".
Li Fangjing, the son of Li Hongzhang, immediately seized this great opportunity and opened Yuan De Yu Square along Yanhe Road. Fumin Bridge in Henan (now Zhongshan Bridge) has a Hengfeng granary, which can store 20,000 to 30,000 tons of rented rice. Li Zhonghao, the son of Li, owns a pawnshop and Baoshan Changqianzhuang, and has set up branches in Shanghai, Hankou and Guangzhou, covering almost the business of rice merchants' lending, remittance application and Guangdong tickets. Li Zhonghao is also the general manager of Wuhu China Merchants Bureau. Bulk rice is exported by rotation, monopolizing water transportation. In the 800-mile Wanjiang area, especially in the Jiangbei area, the Li family owns tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, and it is only natural that rented rice should be converted into commercial grain. In a word, the rice market has brought business opportunities and rich profits to the Li family, and also promoted the prosperity of related industries. The grand rice market is spread along the banks of the long river, and the rice market in the south of the city is particularly prosperous. County annals said: "From Nanguan to the pontoon bridge, rice noodles are called heather". From the south exit of Fumin Bridge to the Property Management Supervision Department, there are many grain warehouses and official warehouses on the platform, forming a street, hence the name Kuzi Street. "The address is in Pu 'nan Street, Laiyuan, in front of Guan Jie, and then goes to Yangming Academy." There is also a "Rice Industry Institute" in Hengjie on the north bank of Jiangkou, which is a rice merchant organization mainly composed of four Hakka rice gangs. Zhang presided over the Henan Provincial Road Department, took effective public relations measures, formulated and implemented preferential policies for attracting investment, and opened Wuhu rice market, which was of great benefit to the development of local economy.
Wuhu is located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with a subtropical humid monsoon climate, mild climate, abundant rainfall and four distinct seasons. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the natural environment is full of pleasant scenery and human landscape. As early as the Southern Liang Dynasty, lyna (Xiao Yi) wrote a poem "Pan-Wuhu" to praise the scenery of Wuhu. Poets Li Bai, Wen and Du Mu in the Tang Dynasty and writers Mei, Wang Anshi and Shen Kuo in the Song Dynasty all wrote poems about Wuhu. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the traditional "Eight Scenery of Wuhu" was formed.