This talk is co-sponsored by Rutgers Global. It's open to the public.
Abstract
The transformation of postal stations in the late Qing period saw the complicated confluence of the new and the old, the foreign and the domestic. Transformed postal stations were both a continuation of the traditional courier system and the transplantation of modern Western communication methods. The modernization of the postal system was not only a transportation revolution but also a revolution in time and space. This article focuses on the four provinces of Zhili, Shanxi, Shandong, and Henan during the Qing dynasty. According to compiled information like courier stations data from Daqing Hui Dian (The collected statutes of the Great Qing), an important official legal and administrative compilation of the Qing dynasty, late Qing customs *Postal Yearbooks* (1902–1911), and Qing Postal Maps (1903, 1907), as well as Customs Postal Archives from the Tianjin Municipal Archives, this research establishes databases on the hierarchy, road network structure, types, spatial distribution, and postal delivery time of courier/postal stations. This research then makes kernel density maps of Courier Station and Postal network points in Zhili and travel time maps for the North China using CH-GIS analysis tools. Comparisons are made with the traffic isochrones of the Qing dynasty Courier Stations (Hu Huanyong) and the Travel times of British stagecoaches and trains in the modern period (as detailed in M.J. Daunton's, Progress and Poverty: An Economic and Social History of Britain, 1700—1850). The study makes the following conclusions about the spatiotemporal characteristics of postal transformations in the late Qing period:
1. The static spatial distribution of post roads and offices altered the fixed geographical distances established under the traditional courier system, causing changes in the spatiotemporal pattern. The control points of the modern postal system [i.e., the destination points for the flow of information and resources, a term borrowed from transport geography] differed from those of traditional courier stations. The location and hierarchical classification of post offices and agency points were based on customs convenience, economic benefits, and transportation locations. While the development of postal routes filled gaps in the traditional courier system, the postal network still relied on courier roads. Additionally, postal route expansion was difficult, and since railways, steamships, and roads were limited in late Qing dynasty, inland postal transport continued to rely on traditional methods and routes.
2. The diversification of postal routes and the use of new transportation tools shortened postal delivery times and reduced operating costs. The formation of postal timetables illustrated the process of eliminating local time and advancing standardized industrial time during postal modernization. The speed improvements between sections of modern transportation tools and the reorganization of delivery times maintained a dynamic postal spatial network, where the new spatial relationship was characterized by "time-space compression." The interaction between the static spatial distribution of postal network points and the dynamic time-space network of postal transmission formed the spatiotemporal relationship and basic pattern of the modern postal system.
3. The Applicability of "Postal Data" and a Reflection on the "Skinner Model": The consumption of postal goods and the profits of post offices led to the movement and aggregation of capital, reshaping the spatiotemporal order under the traditional courier system. Economic factors' influence on spatial patterns was the core focus of the "Skinner Model." This theory has a significant impact on interpreting modern Chinese market models, spatial distribution, and regional theories. Skinner primarily used 1915 postal data to retroactively examine the issue of market hierarchy in the Qing period. This study reveals that postal data itself was highly variable, and using 1915 postal data as a substitute indicator for late Qing socio-economic development has limitations. However, it is also important to recognize the developmental disparities between treaty port regions and the vast inland areas, particularly between counties, towns, and villages, and the even larger disparities with remote regions. This significant disparity reflects the spatial differentiation in China's modernization process under capitalist influence. The resulting changes in space and time drove the flow of various social resources and capital, vividly illustrating the new changes in spatiotemporal relationships influenced by the Industrial Revolution and trends of globalization.
Bio
Dr. Hanmei Wang is a lecturer in the School of History and Culture at Central China Normal University in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. She received her Ph.D. from the History Department at Tsinghua University in June 2021. Her research mainly focuses on the Chinese postal history, modern history of Chinese Economy, and historical geography.