Shanghai Fuzhou Road, also known as Four Roads, began construction in the early 1850s. Originally built from the Bund to today's Henan Middle Road section, in 1856 it was extended westward to the Second Racecourse, now hubei road junction. In 1864, the Tibet Road was built today, with a total length of 1453 meters. With the rapid increase in the population of the concession, the bookstores, newspapers, restaurants and tea shops on The Fourth Road are lined up one after another, blending in with various residential houses.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, its eastern section consisted of Huifuli (about east of Henan Road and west of Jiangxi Road), along the street and the Nonnei Bookstore newspaper hall, and the old patrol house of the public concession (the former site of the municipal hall) at the corner of Henan Road became a prominent landmark on Fuzhou Road at that time. Inside and outside this cultural alley, a live drama with sound and color in the history of modern news and publications has been interpreted, which is still worthy of our careful review and reflection.
Former Fuzhou Road (Shanghai Municipal Archives Collection)
A wide variety of newspapers
After the opening of Shanghai, foreign missionaries and businessmen began a series of news and publishing businesses, and then the Chinese people also set up various newspapers and bookstores. At the end of the 19th century, there were dozens of newspapers and periodicals in Shanghai, among which the famous "Declaration", "Zilin Hu Bao", "News Daily", "Shiwu Bao", "Sino-Foreign Daily", "Qiushi Bao" and so on, enjoyed a high reputation in the country. Before and after the restoration and reform of the law, the first climax of the Chinese newspaper was ushered in, especially some tabloids and periodicals attracted attention. Among them, there is the earliest Chinese "Yanyi Vernacular Newspaper" named "Vernacular", and the leisure tabloid "Maritime Strange News" and so on.
Yanyi Vernacular Newspaper, the earliest newspaper in China named "Vernacular"
At the beginning of the 20th century, more newspapers and bookstores appeared almost at the same time in the treasure land of Huifuli, and the influential ones were "Selected Newspapers" and "Political and Art Bulletins".
On October 1, 1901 (November 11, 1901), Guangxu 27 was founded, and the journal marked "The General Distribution Office is in Huifuli, the wall of the old patrol room on Shanghai's Fourth Road". This is an abstract quarterly magazine, in a line binding, mainly selecting the news statements of various newspapers, but also publishing self-written commentaries. The founder is Zhao Zude (Yi Chu), and the editors-in-chief are Jiang Zhiyou and Wang Fushi. Contributors include Cai Yuanpei, Jiang Fangzhen, Du Yaquan, Wumushan Monk, Di Chuqing, etc.
Shanghai Public Concession Patrol House
Founded after the signing of the Xinugu Treaty and the Qing court's permission to implement the New Deal, the newspaper truly recorded the changes in society, especially the ideological changes in the educational circles. Cai Yuanpei wrote a narrative praising the "Xuan bao" for "choosing between the national literature newspapers outside the territory of the region" and "relying on the body in the warm past, taking the path from the new".
The purpose of the newspaper is to "open up the wisdom of the people", and the selection of materials, the setting of columns, and the writing of arguments all revolve around this purpose. The "Chronicle of Internal Affairs" focuses on the Qing government's trend in implementing the New Deal at that time; the "Diplomatic Chronicle" focuses on the current situation of the loss of power and land in various parts of the country; the "Chronicle of the Countries of the Earth" helps readers understand the situation in various countries, including materials such as "The List of Warships of Various Countries" and "The Chronicle of the National Use of Various Countries"; the "Records of What I Heard" report various anecdotal news; the "Collection of His Sayings" translates the comments of foreign newspapers and periodicals on the China issue; and the columns such as "Economic Preparation," "Industrial Chronicle," "Agricultural Chronicle," "Transportation Chronicle," and "Military Minor History" encourage the Chinese people to set up industries. Editors often add finishing touches to these messages.
"Selected Newspapers" that gather historical truths
The Anthology brings together the truths of many historical events of the early 20th century. For example, the whole process of the student tide in China and abroad between 1902 and 1903 is recorded more completely. There are 56 issues of "Anthology" in existence, and because of the high value of historical materials, it has always been favored by historians. In 2018, the library of Sun Yat-sen University and the Guangdong People's Publishing House photocopied and published a full set of "Selected Newspapers", which became the library's standing books.
In February 1902, another political periodical, the Political Art Bulletin, was published in Huifuli, with the address "Huifuli, the Old Patrol of the Fourth Road and the Landlord". Editors-in-chief Deng Shi and Huang Jie. The journal is a semi-monthly magazine, each issue is about 40 pages, divided into two parts: the first part of the speech and politics, with the political science literature compilation, the political book collection, the internal affairs of the general record, the foreign affairs of the general record, the record of the major wire transfers, the Western political series and other columns; the next part of the speech and art, with the art of literature, art books, art, appendices and other columns.
"Political Art Bulletin" Qing Guangxu Thirty-one Years (1905) Typeset Edition
From the 12th issue, the journal added a novella history and published articles on Chinese and foreign history. The purpose of the journal is similar to that of the "Selected Newspaper", through the discussion of current politics, the study of social pathologies, and the exploration of a way to save the country and survive.
The "Political Art Bulletin" is also different from the "Selection Newspaper", which at the end of each year imitates the style of European and American magazines to classify and merge the contents of the whole year and publish a compilation of the "Political Arts Series". The Bulletin of Political Arts survived for more than six years, ceased publication in March 1908, and published 146 issues of the magazine and six episodes of the Political Arts Series.
Where is the "new" of The New Society?
Sakushinsha was one of the earliest book companies in Keifuri, founded in 1901 by Motosuke Motoya and Japanese female educator Kazuko Shimoda. The site is in a building along the street at No. 53, the old patrol landlord of The Fourth Road, and the printing house is located in HuifuLi.
He regarded ZuoXinsha as a base for publishing revolutionary books and newspapers and disseminating new ideas, and his advertisement for his new book stated the purpose of its establishment:
"Fang Jinming recognized the restoration, changed the examination, set up schools, and imported civilization, and needed books urgently. There are many disadvantages in the anecdotes, that is, there are two or three rare books, and they are all literal translations of the original books, which are mostly uncomfortable with the national conditions of the country... Our society was jointly founded by middle Eastern specialists, and in view of this, it has searched for useful books in the East and west, captured the elite, edited into a book, and the reader has this one, which is equivalent to a hundred volumes of his book... And at the expense of huge sums of money, the purchase of new printing machines, specially invited Tokyo famous craftsmen to brush their own printing, white paper dress, exquisite, generous gentleman fortunate to give the view. ”
The "new" of the New Society is first reflected in the new content of the published books. Its publications can be broadly divided into the following categories:
I. Translations of political, legal, and economic theories, such as The Outline of the Constitution, The New National Studies, The History of the British Restoration, the Code of Political and Legal Affairs in the East and the West, International Law, and The theory of Currency.
II. Translations on the China Issue and Reflecting on the Pros and Cons of Chinese Culture, such as "Records of the White Mountains and Black Waters", "Discussion on the History of rejuvenating the Country", "China's North-South Trade Outline", "World Naval Power", and so on.
"Records of the White Mountains and Black Water", as a collection of the new society
Iii. Geographical and historical translations, such as Europa, History of Korea, History of Cossack Aggression in the East, Colonial History, History of The American War of Independence, etc.
Fourth, concise teaching books for natural sciences, such as "Outline of Physical Chemistry", "New Botanical Textbook", "New Compilation of Zoology", etc.
5. Reading books of foreign language textbooks and a small number of novels, such as "Chinese-Japanese-English Three-Kingdom Conversation" and "Orthodox Oriental Language". Zuo Xinshe also published the monthly magazine "Mainland" advocating the democratic revolution, which was run by students who returned from Japan.
"New Botanical Textbook", as a new edition of the Society
Zuoxinsha also innovated in the history of publishing. First of all, Chinese books have always been bound in the line, and for the first time, the New Society introduced the binding method of western-bound books, and the "Theory of Competition in Things" and "TheOry of Women's Education" published in 1901 were the earliest western-bound books in China. Secondly, the first time Sakurasho used the new copyright page, it was immediately promoted.
The glory of Zuoxinsha lasted from 1902 to 1906, and in 1907, He Yuancheng was arrested by the Qing government as a revolutionary party and imprisoned. The original site of Zuoxinsha was renamed "Zuoxinsha Printing Bureau", and the advertisement called for a new printing machine and Japanese technicians, attracting multicolored lithographic confessions, pictures, monthly cards, imitation orders and other pieces. Sakushinsha disappeared from Hye-ri on the Fourth Horse Road after about 1909.
The first scientific and technological journal founded by the Chinese people
In 1900, three young people from Zhenhai, Zhejiang Province, Yu Heqin, Zhong Guanguan and Yu Huizu, holding the ideal of industrial salvation of the country, self-raised funds to set up a home-light phosphorus factory in Pudong, Shanghai. Minister of Commerce Sheng Xuanhuai sent personnel to investigate and grant a 15-year patent. Unfortunately, the funds were insufficient, and the expensive instruments and equipment could not be bought, and the Emmanuel Factory closed its doors in less than half a year. The three young men were not discouraged, and in 1901 they set up a scientific instrument museum with their fellow friends in Baoshan Street (now Guangdong Road), which was soon moved to Huifuli. Although the scale of the scientific instrument museum is small, it combines instrument distribution, science education and scientific and technological publishing.
1946, Investigation Report of the United Credit Bureau on the Museum of Scientific Instruments (Shanghai Municipal Archives Collection)
In March 1903, the journal Science World of science in the Science InstrumentAtion was launched. This is the first scientific and technological journal founded by the Chinese people. Yu heqin is the editor-in-chief. The magazine has columns such as pictures, theories, principles, internships, excellence, biographies, textbooks, academic reports and novels. The content covers the basic knowledge of many disciplines such as ionization, electrolysis, atomic medium, solution, thermochemistry, X-ray, geology, etc., as well as the introduction of new technologies, new processes and foreign inventors in the foreign chemical industry.
Taking the 4th issue of "Science World" as an example, the theoretical column publishes "Shallow Temperature Theory", "On the Cause of Rocks", "Description of Useful Plants and Poisonous Plants", "Comparison between Humans and Apes", "On Atomic Weight", etc.; the practice column publishes "Lecture Notes Experiment on the Equilibrium Theory of Ionization and Speed", "Rock Standard Depository Method"; the Extraction Column publishes "Cultivating True Pearls", "Fetal Raw Fish", "Military Book Transmission Dove", "Washing Material of New Inventions", "Electroplating Liquid for Aluminum" and other scientific anecdotes or practical invention knowledge. The "Interpretation of Chemical Names" series has made great contributions to the specification of the use of chemical elements.
Science World
In November 1904, Science World was suspended because Yu and Qin were going to study in Japan. During this period, the scientific and technological books published by the Science InstrumentAtion Library in cooperation with teaching and main business include: "Physical and Chemical Textbook", "Chemical Practical Analysis", "Experimental Chemistry Textbook", "Chinese Mining Journal", "Simple Textbook of Geology" and "Description of Physical Instruments of the Science Instrument Museum". The years of Wahfulry were a critical period during which it laid its foundation.
Science World, No. 8 (Shanghai Municipal Archives Collection)
In 1909, the Scientific Instrument Museum was moved from Huifuli to the Guangdong intersection of Chessboard Street. At the beginning of the Republic of China, Gu Xieguang and Gu Suoguang brothers joined, and the scientific instrument museum opened a new situation. In 1921, "Science World" was renewed, and while maintaining the original business characteristics, the Scientific Instrument Museum published a large number of Jinshi calligraphy and painting books. This is related to the host Gu Xieguang's personal hobbies and collections. Its site was moved to Fuzhou Road Stone Road East in the 1920s until the 1950s. In modern Times, there are no less than a thousand large and small bookstores in Shanghai, most of which have swirled and disappeared, like the fifty-year-old bookstores in the Science Instrument Museum.
The Biaomeng Library where vernacular textbooks are compiled
The vernacular movement was not a specialty of May Fourth, and there was already a strong wave of vernacular in the late Qing Dynasty. It gave birth to a number of vernacular newspapers and periodicals, as well as to the Biaomeng Library, the first bookstore to compile and print vernacular textbooks.
Founded by Shi Chong'en (Xi Xuan), a Qiantang native, Biaomeng Library was originally located in Hangzhou and moved to Shanghai around 1905, with its first foothold in Huifuli on Sima Road. Boss Shi aimed at the promising textbook market, and the vernacular movement began to quietly break the barrier of Chinese language disharmony, and he compiled a series of vernacular textbooks such as "Drawing Mongolian Learning Is Easy", "Picture Four Books Vernacular Explanation", "The Latest Private School Improved Textbook" and so on. Biaomeng's books are accompanied by pictures, and when encountering difficult things, they are expressed in their use.
Biaomeng Library "Picture Four Books Vernacular Interpretation , Mencius Scroll"
Shi Chong'en also divided the imaginary characters such as "Zhi Hu Zhi Ye" into categories and compiled them into "Drawing Quick Passage Virtual Character Method", which was published in 1903. "Dependent Arising" says:
“...... Who knows that there is a real truth in the imaginary word? If you think about it now, there are all categories to be divided. I now list several titles, gather all the imaginary words in one place, each type first uses a few words of vernacular to explain, and then gives examples of practice methods, embeds the imaginary words in the colloquial language, and asks children to practice well, practice well, and when they encounter the imaginary words in grammar, they can naturally understand. ......”
"Drawing Quick Pass Virtual Character Method"
This book divides the imaginary words into 25 categories, and the most valuable thing is that the editors can express the imaginary words with pictures, so that children can learn the application of the imaginary words from their intuition. Biaomeng Library also launched China's first vernacular dictionary "Drawing Vernacular Character Collection", "Drawing Chinese Vernacular History" written in vernacular script, and "Picture Four Books Vernacular Interpretation" that interprets scriptures in vernacular.
The Qing government successively promulgated the two school systems of nongyin and 癸卯. However, the Faculty could not come up with its own textbooks, so it had to stipulate that the textbooks of the Business, Civilization and other bookstores should be promoted as applicable textbooks in the name of the Faculty's examination and approval. There are many kinds of vernacular textbooks in Biaomeng Library, and its advertisement "Drawing Mongolian Literacy is Really Easy" is also crowned with the words "Identification of Beijing Normal University", but it cannot be listed on the bibliography recommended by the Faculty.
"Drawing Mongolian Literacy is Really Easy"
There are many kinds of books published in the Biaomeng Library, which have been strictly criticized and refuted by the Faculty and the provincial scholars, and the purchase and use of the various schools are prohibited. Some people think that it is excluded from regular textbooks because it is too quick to become popular; others think that its vernacular translation violates the "Heavenly Rule". In 1908, Biaomeng's library had to reprint ancient books such as "The Complete Works of Mr. Wang Yangming" to make ends meet. Although it still published more than 70 kinds of textbook advertisements in newspapers, it was helpless to gradually lose in the fierce competition for textbooks, and was merged into Guangyi Bookstore at the beginning of the Republic of China.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the bookstores that were in Huifuli with Biaomeng Bookstore and mainly published textbooks included Zhenglihou Company (the head of the old patrol landlord of Sima Road), the Popularization Bookstore (No. 47 Huifuli of Sima Road), the Changming Book and Instrument Company (Huifuli of Sima Road), the Qunyi Book Club (Sima Road Huifuli) and the Compilation Department of the Science Society (No. 26 Huifuli of Sima Road). Huifuli and the distant chessboard street almost became the publishing center of textbooks in Shanghai and even the whole country at that time.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, how many bookstores and newspapers were there in and around Huifuli on the fourth road of the Ming Dynasty? According to the author's research, in addition to the above-mentioned part of this article, there are more than 20 enlightened bookstores (No. 15, Shouchenzi, old patrol landlord of Sima Road), Guangya Bookstore (first landlord of The old patrol of Sima Road), Junyi Book Company (No. 45 Huifuli), Quinoa Guangshe (Huifuli of Sima Road), Nanyang Book Bureau of the Republic of China (No. 23 of the old patrol landlord of Sima Road), as well as Guoxue Preservation Society, Shenzhou Guoguang Society, and Yadong Library.
Beginning in 1914, the concession authorities began to build the Ministry of Works Bureau Building (now No. 193 Hankou Road) between Fuzhou Road, Jiangxi Road, Hankou Road and Henan Road, and Huifuli was demolished. Since then, this old Shanghai cultural alley has disappeared from the Fourth Road.
Shanghai Public Concession Bureau Building (Shanghai Municipal Archives Collection)
Magazine Editor: Li Hong
New Media Editor: Fang Yaqi
Typesetting: Li Binfang