Howqua facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Howqua
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Portrait by George Chinnery, 1830
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Wu Bingjian
1769 |
| Died | 4 September 1843 (age 75) Guangzhou, China
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| Known for | Founder of Cohong – Ewo (怡和) |
| Children | Adopted |
| Howqua | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Portrait by Lam Qua
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| Chinese | 伍秉鑑 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese | 浩官 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wu Bingjian (Chinese: 伍秉鑑; 1769 – 4 September 1843) was a very important and wealthy Chinese merchant. He was known in the West as "Howqua". He led a big trading company called the E-wo hong. Howqua was also a leader of the Canton Cohong, a special group of merchants. At one point, he was considered one of the richest people in the world.
Contents
Who Was Howqua?
Wu Bingjian came from a family with roots in Quanzhou, China. His father, Wu Guorong, started their family business, which was called a hong. The name "Howqua" came from the business name "浩官" (pronounced Hō-koaⁿ in his native Hokkien language).
How Howqua Became Rich
Howqua became incredibly rich through trade between China and the British Empire. This happened in the early to mid-1800s. He was perhaps the wealthiest person in China during that time.
He was the most important of the hong merchants in Canton (now Guangzhou). These merchants were the only ones allowed to trade valuable goods like silk and porcelain with foreigners.
In 1822, a big fire destroyed many of the Cohong businesses. It's said that the melted silver from the fire formed a stream almost two miles long!
Howqua's Role in a Big Payment
After the First Opium War, the Qing government had to pay a large sum of money to the British. This was part of the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. Howqua personally contributed one million dollars of this payment. He passed away in Canton the very next year.
His Important Connections
Howqua had close relationships with the founders of famous trading companies. These included James Matheson, William Jardine, Samuel Russell, and Abiel Abbot Low.
Even today, portraits of Howqua, showing him with his traditional pigtail and robes, can be found. They hang in old mansions in places like Salem and Newport, Rhode Island. These homes were built by American merchants who were thankful for Howqua's help and business.
What is Howqua's Legacy?
Howqua's influence continued even after his death.
The Ewo Name Lives On
The 1842 Treaty of Nanking meant the end of the Thirteen Factories, where the Cohong merchants traded. However, the company Jardine Matheson & Co continued to use "Ewo" as their Chinese name. This shows the lasting respect for Howqua's business.
A Town Named After Him
There is a small settlement in Victoria, Australia, named after Howqua. It's on the east bank of Lake Eildon, about 23 kilometers (14 miles) from Mansfield. It was likely named by Chinese miners who traveled through the area during the Victorian gold rush.
See also
In Spanish: Howqua para niños
- Houqua, 1844 clipper ship
