British Concession In Jiujiang

British Concession of Jiujiang was established in 1861. It was officially ended in 1929 when the Chen-O'Malley Agreement was signed. There was a sizable European community living in Jiujiang during that period. It was Jiujiang's only concession.

Historical Background

After China's defeat in the Second Opium War, China and Britain signed the Treaty of Tientsin. At the beginning of the eleventh year of Xianfeng (1861), the British Counsellor, Harry Parkes, went to the new port on the Yangtse River by naval vessel according to the treaty to investigate the situation and select the site of concession to be opened. After the concession sites of Zhenjiang and Hankou were delimited on March 22, Harry Parkes returned to Jiujiang from Hankou and decided to open up a commercial port in Jiujiang.

Historical Development

Late Qing Period

In the 11th year of Xianfeng (1861), Zhang Jixin, general minister of Jiangxi province signed, along with Harry Parkes, the treaty for opening up the British concession in Jiujiang, the Treaty of Land Lease in Jiujiang. The concession was located in a narrow area to the west of Jiujiang, between the Yangtze River and Gantang Lake, to the west of Longkai River, with a length of 150 zhang from east to west and a depth of 60 zhang from south to north, covering an area of 150 acres. The southern part of the concession includes part of PenPu Port.Bickers, R. (2013). 8. British Concessions and Chinese Cities, 1910s–1930s. In New Narratives of Urban Space in Republican Chinese Cities (pp. 155-195). Brill.

On March 27, the first year of Tongzhi (1862), when the British were re-surveying the boundary of the concession, there was a conflict with the local residents.Bickers, R. (2013). 8. British Concessions and Chinese Cities, 1910s–1930s. In New Narratives of Urban Space in Republican Chinese Cities (pp. 155-195). Brill.

In 1891, the British Concession Bureau of Industry reclaimed the outer parts of the Penpu port as parks and courses.Bickers, R. (2013). 8. British Concessions and Chinese Cities, 1910s–1930s. In New Narratives of Urban Space in Republican Chinese Cities (pp. 155-195). Brill.

On April 26, 1909, the first year of Xuantong (1909), a Chinese merchant, Yu Facheng, was killed by a British policeman, which triggered a "boycott of British goods" in Jiujiang that lasted several months.Bickers, R. (2013). 8. British Concessions and Chinese Cities, 1910s–1930s. In New Narratives of Urban Space in Republican Chinese Cities (pp. 155-195). Brill.

The Republic of China Era

In the eighth year of the Republic of China (1919), people in Jiujiang protested against the British concession authorities' activities of levying taxes on transit luggage and goods.Bickers, R. (2013). 8. British Concessions and Chinese Cities, 1910s–1930s. In New Narratives of Urban Space in Republican Chinese Cities (pp. 155-195). Brill.

On June 13, 1925, in support of the May 30th Movement, the masses in Jiujiang launched an attack on the British Concession.Bickers, R. (2013). 8. British Concessions and Chinese Cities, 1910s–1930s. In New Narratives of Urban Space in Republican Chinese Cities (pp. 155-195). Brill.

Return to Chinese Government

Encouraged by the occupation of Hankou by the Northern Expedition Army. On January 9, 1927, "Jiujiang Citizens' Diplomatic Action Committee to Britain", which was jointly organized by various groups of Jiujiang citizens, was established. On the afternoon of January 13, the citizens of Jiujiang held an anti-British movement demonstration meeting on the drill ground. More than 10,000 people attended the meeting. The crowd was furious and shouted slogans such as "Down with British imperialism" and "Take back the British Concession".Murdock, M. (2002). The Bifurcated Nation: The Agitative and State-building Agendas of the Nationalist Regime during the Northern Expedition, June 1926-April 1927. In Selected Papers in Asian Studies: Western Conference of the Association for Asian Studies (Vol. 1, No. 70, p. 1).

The concession was later occupied by National government's troops to prevent it from being looting by the violent crowds. However, the British did not officially give up the concession until two years later. In 1929, when the Chen-O'Malley Agreement was signed, the concession was officially returned to Chinese government.Murdock, M. (2002). The Bifurcated Nation: The Agitative and State-building Agendas of the Nationalist Regime during the Northern Expedition, June 1926-April 1927. In Selected Papers in Asian Studies: Western Conference of the Association for Asian Studies (Vol. 1, No. 70, p. 1).

Modern Development

Transformed into a Tourist Attraction

In 2016, Jiujiang people's government decided to repair four buildings left from the concession and transform them into a cultural and historical block, called ''Jiujiang 1858''. The block is located on Binjiang road. The four buildings are as follows:
* Former Taiwan Bank of Japan
* Former Japanese Consulate
* Former Japanese Consulate Residential Building
* Former Asiatic Petroleum Firm Residential Building

Of the four buildings, the former site of Asiatic Petroleum Firm Residential Apartment was turned into British Concession Museum.

Important Visitors

In 2018, then Hōfu mayor and president of National Mayors Association of Japan (NMAJ), Masato Matsuura (松浦正人), led a delegation of NMAJ visited the museum.
Masato Matsuura said :''I was born in the former Japanese consulate. Jiujiang is my second hometown. I am deeply attached to the beautiful landscape here''.{{cite web , title=日本全国市长会代表团来访九江租界旧址 , url=http://www.jjwenlv.com/detail.php?wzid=787&lbid=1264 , website=Jiujiang Cultural and Tourism Development Group Website , access-date=21 July 2021

References

Concessions in China
Former British colonies and protectorates in Asia
Jiujiang