THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804)
This article examines the commercial activities of five members of the Ye family—Cudgin, Leunqua, Giqua, Tiauqua, and Yanqua—who operated within the Canton trade system between 1720 and 1804. While maritime historiography often focuses on the dominant "large houses" such as the Yan and Pan families,...
Saved in:
| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2005
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40013/2300 |
| _version_ | 1877196271171665920 |
|---|---|
| author | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_autocomplete | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_browse | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_facet | Paul A. Van Dyke Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_sort | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| container_title | Review of Culture |
| container_title_str | Review of Culture |
| container_volume | 13 |
| container_volume_str | 13 |
| description | This article examines the commercial activities of five members of the Ye family—Cudgin, Leunqua, Giqua, Tiauqua, and Yanqua—who operated within the Canton trade system between 1720 and 1804. While maritime historiography often focuses on the dominant "large houses" such as the Yan and Pan families, Paul A. Van Dyke argues that the Ye merchants provide a vital counter-narrative, representing the "small merchants" who navigated the trade with distinct strategies. Utilizing a range of European archival sources, including records from the English, Ostend, and Danish East India companies, the study reconstructs the business operations and social trajectories of these figures.
The findings reveal that most Ye merchants adopted a cautious, thrifty approach, eschewing the aggressive expansion and heavy foreign debt characteristic of their larger competitors. They typically relied on middlemen rather than direct agents in China’s interior. Significantly, the article highlights Cudgin and Yanqua as rare, documented examples of Chinese merchants who successfully retired with substantial fortunes, challenging the traditional view that such financial preservation was nearly impossible under the Canton System. By detailing their involvement in the porcelain and tea trades, the article offers a more nuanced understanding of the economic diversity, risk management, and social mobility present in the eighteenth-century Pearl River Delta. |
| first_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
| format | Articles |
| genre | Articles |
| genre_facet | Articles |
| hierarchy_browse | Review of Culture{{{_ID_}}}zotero-coll-76L3BRGH |
| hierarchy_parent_id | zotero-coll-76L3BRGH |
| hierarchy_parent_title | Review of Culture |
| hierarchy_sequence | 0000 |
| hierarchy_top_id | zotero-coll-WX87PJHD |
| hierarchy_top_title | News |
| hierarchytype | Default |
| id | zotero-LPZBF3I9 |
| institution | zotero_group |
| issn | 1682-1106 |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-11T02:56:52Z |
| publishDate | January 2005 |
| publishDateRange | 2005 |
| publishDateSort | 2005 |
| publishPlace | Macau |
| publisher | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| publisherStr | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| record_format | zotero |
| spelling | THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) This article examines the commercial activities of five members of the Ye family—Cudgin, Leunqua, Giqua, Tiauqua, and Yanqua—who operated within the Canton trade system between 1720 and 1804. While maritime historiography often focuses on the dominant "large houses" such as the Yan and Pan families, Paul A. Van Dyke argues that the Ye merchants provide a vital counter-narrative, representing the "small merchants" who navigated the trade with distinct strategies. Utilizing a range of European archival sources, including records from the English, Ostend, and Danish East India companies, the study reconstructs the business operations and social trajectories of these figures. The findings reveal that most Ye merchants adopted a cautious, thrifty approach, eschewing the aggressive expansion and heavy foreign debt characteristic of their larger competitors. They typically relied on middlemen rather than direct agents in China’s interior. Significantly, the article highlights Cudgin and Yanqua as rare, documented examples of Chinese merchants who successfully retired with substantial fortunes, challenging the traditional view that such financial preservation was nearly impossible under the Canton System. By detailing their involvement in the porcelain and tea trades, the article offers a more nuanced understanding of the economic diversity, risk management, and social mobility present in the eighteenth-century Pearl River Delta. Instituto Cultural de Macau Macau Review of Culture Articles January 2005 Paul A. Van Dyke |
| spellingShingle | THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) Paul A. Van Dyke |
| title | THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) |
| title_autocomplete | THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) |
| title_full | THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) |
| title_fullStr | THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) |
| title_full_unstemmed | THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) |
| title_short | THE YE MERCHANTS OF CANTON (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) |
| title_sort | the ye merchants of canton (1720-1804)廣東葉氏商人 (1720 - 1804) |
| url | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40013/2300 |
| zotero_collection_key | 76L3BRGH |