The study of the development of Shanghai Tourism in 1930s

• Main Authors: Hsing-Yuan Huang, 黃信元
• Other Authors: Wang Yueh
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/16688657254710812622

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 歷史學系碩士班 === 99 === The prosperity of Shanghai in 1930s can be traced back to the change of economic and geographic concepts of Western Great Powers such as Britain in 17th and 18th centuries. After a thorough observation and evaluation, Britain was then interested in Shanghai; therefore, after the Opium War in 1840, Britain achieved its goal of having trading relation with China while the five ports were opened. On their own accounts, not only Britain, but also America and France set up their settlements one after another. Hence, Shanghai seemed to be a country of a country and this small city was then took on an entirely new look. For the development of Shanghai, because of the protection and construction from the Britain, America and France, a large number of the rich men and the ordinary people who wanted to flee for refuge from the war of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the war among warlord during the end of the Qing moved to Shanghai. Compare with other cities in China, which were suffering from the chaos caused by wars, Shanghai was extraordinarily prosperous. Since 1) the National government established the capital in Nanjing after Northern expedition, 2) the national political center had been moved from south and north to the central section after Central Plains War in 1928, 3) Shanghai was closed to Nanjing and it was the center of the seacoast in Golden ten years, 4) the Communist Party went underground and the economy was controlled by big financial groups after Chiang Kai-Shek purged the political party, and 5) the growing population of Shanghai, the society continuously developed. In fine weather and favorable geographical position, Shanghai was full of different industries and the recreational activities. Shanghai at the time was ready for the tourism as other international cities. Though there were European, American and Japanese tourism institutions, Chen Guang-Fu, in the need of market, established the first China travel agency called China Travel Service. Once the travel agency was established, travelling business was actively and successfully expanded such as tour guiding, easy travel, and social service etc. Since then, many travel agencies run by local people and travelling groups were founded. For this reason, the tourism of China had been improved further. There were travel activities from ancient times till now in China, but the ways of travelling hadn’t been changed. However, the use of modern facilities in settlements had changed the quality of travelling in Shanghai since the ports opened. Ample tourism resources as well as the establishment of China Travel Service had been a demonstration of China tourism at that time in part.