THE HAI RIVER AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF TIANJIN, 1897-1948 By AI WANG A dissertation ...

312 Pages·2014·3.79 MB·English

CITY OF THE RIVER: THE HAI RIVER AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF

TIANJIN, 1897-1948

By
AI WANG

A dissertation/thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of History

AUGUST 2014

© Copyright by AI WANG, 2014
All Rights Reserved
© Copyright by AI WANG, 2014
All Rights Reserved
To the Faculty of Washington State University:

The members of the Committee appointed to examine the
dissertation/thesis of AI WANG find it satisfactory and recommend that it
be accepted.

___________________________________
David A. Pietz, Ph.D., Chair

___________________________________
Jeffrey C. Sanders, Ph.D.

___________________________________
Heather Streets-Salter, Ph.D.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This dissertation owes a special great debt of gratitude to my advisor David A.
Pietz. I readily embraced his invaluable knowledge to advance my study, support my
life, and gain encouragement for my career. Without his help, studying Chinese
Environmental History would not have been possible. I also want to express my
immense thankfulness to Jeffrey C. Sanders and Heather Streets-Salter who inspired
me with their expertise, warmth, and dedication to both Environmental History and
World History study. Their assistance and knowledge accompanied me on my
amazing graduate journey at Washington State University.
This dissertation was financially supported by a doctoral fellowship from the
Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for the International Scholarly Exchange. This
fellowship allowed me to travel between Pullman and Tianjin and made my one-year
search of multiple historical records for hints and clues and copying many documents
at the Tianjin Municipal Archive and Tianjin Library both affordable and enjoyable.
I further thank my friends for their endless encouraging words and intellectual
stimulation. They include Laurie Turner, Cherri Wemlinger, Ma Yan, Tang jiahui,
Michael Depa, Jennifer C. Brown, Li Bin, Zhou Xin, Yu Yang, Li Xu, Zhou Keke,
Peng Jing, Luo Linna, Wu Peiling, Zhang Hong, Zhang Ruojin, Liu Yang, Song
Sikang, Chen Peidi, Wang Qianqian, Xu Youjie, Lu Meiyan, Huang Li, Zhang Junmei,
Xu Yanli, Peng Xuejuan, Gao Haiyan, Sun Lili, Ye Shan, Wang Bin, Rico Tang.
Last, I thank my parents for their always unselfish love and Xiao Qin, who has
supported me all through these years and drew all the maps for the final manuscript.

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CITY OF THE RIVER: THE HAI RIVER AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF

TIANJIN, 1897-1948

Abstract

by Ai Wang, Ph.D.
Washington State University
August 2014

Chair: David A. Pietz

This dissertation explores the modern transformation of the Hai River by the
Haiho Conservancy Commission from 1897 when the Commission emerged to 1948
when the Commission became loosely controlled by the Guomindang. Thematically,
this research documents the changes to the Hai River and its tributaries and the
construction of the city of Tianjin and its waterfront in the modern era. It pays equal
attention to the cultural aspects involved, as the river, city, and its people interacted in
ways that constructed multiple meanings and new values. The undertaking argues that
transforming the Hai River into a navigable river for modern transportation and
communication played a critical and dynamic role in building a modern vibrant city.
The discussion begins with the vision that the governors in the Qing Dynasty
had for constructing an agrarian state with an emphasis on a water
conservancy-irrigation project near the city. It examines the State‘s involvement in
enhancing the cultural meanings of the river through allowing folk religious practices
on the waterfront. It then delineates the major shift from the Qing management of

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water and the river to the series of physical transformations of the Hai River launched
by foreign engineers in the Haiho Conservancy Commission and their Imperialist
determination to make the city into a modern harbor for commercial businesses.
During the lengthy process of change of the natural surroundings, Chinese
conservancy commissions also participated in forming and shaping water
management policies. The Chinese strengthened its state power by conservancy
commission and thus delivered greater influence and incorporated the Hai River
tributaries into its own planned economic construction of a state. The river and the
city were further transformed by the Japanese. A gigantic Japanese colonialist scheme
focused on constructing a comprehensive transportation system in North China,
resulting in further changes to both the river and its city.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................... iii
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ iv-v
NOTES ON UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS .................................................................. vii
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................... viii
LIST OF MAPS ..................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1
2. CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................... 15
3. CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................... 56
4. CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................. 109
5. CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................ 159
6. CHAPTER FIVE .................................................................................................. 211
7. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................... 270

BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................ 281

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NOTES ON UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS

The units of measurements were used differently in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)
and the Republic of China (1912-1949). The following conversions from Chinese
measurements into the metric values show only approximations.

Length units

1 li = 576 m
1 zhang =3.2 m
1 chi = 0.32 m

Weight Units

1 shi (picul) = 100 jin (catties) = 50 kg

Capacity Units

1 sheng= 1000 ml

Volume Units

1 fang = 1 m3

Area Units

1 mu = 614.4 m²
1 qing =100 mu =61440 m²

Counting Unites

1 gross= 144 items

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LIST OF TABLES

1. Table 1.1 ....................................................................................................................21

2. Table 1.2 ......................................................................................................................43

3. Table 1.3 ......................................................................................................................45

4. Table 2.1 ....................................................................................................................77

5. Table 2.2 ......................................................................................................................80

6. Table 2.3 ......................................................................................................................81

7. Table 2.4 ....................................................................................................................86

8. Table 2.5 ......................................................................................................................89

9. Table 2.6 ......................................................................................................................93

10. Table 2.7 ................................................................................................................100

11. Table 2.8 ..................................................................................................................102

12. Table 3.1 ..................................................................................................................132

13. Table 3.2 ..................................................................................................................148

14. Table 3.3 ..................................................................................................................149

15. Table 4.1 ..................................................................................................................182

16. Table 5.1 ..................................................................................................................259

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LIST OF MAPS

1. Map 1.1 ........................................................................................................................17

2. Map 1.2 ........................................................................................................................24

3. Map 1.3 ........................................................................................................................27

4. Map 1.4 ........................................................................................................................39

5. Map 2.1 ........................................................................................................................64

6. Map 2.2 ........................................................................................................................84

7. Map 2.3 ........................................................................................................................88

8. Map 3.1 ......................................................................................................................124

9. Map 3.2 ......................................................................................................................132

10. Map 3.3 ....................................................................................................................141

11. Map 4.1 ....................................................................................................................178

12. Map 4.2 ....................................................................................................................185

13. Map 4.3 ....................................................................................................................187

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