郑海立
历史上的“宁波帮”,是指旧宁波府所属鄞县、奉化、慈溪、镇海、定海、象山六县在外埠经营的商人,以血缘姻亲和地缘乡谊为纽带联结而成的商业群体。他们崛起于明朝天启、万历年间,鼎盛于“五口通商”之后。而现代意义上的“宁波帮”,除旧属六县外,还包括余姚、宁海在外埠的商人及其后裔。据统计,有10多万宁波籍商人分布在世界64个国家和地区,加上他们的后裔,“宁波帮”总人数超过40万。他们中不乏工商巨头和世界级的名流,如包玉刚、董浩云、王宽诚、邵逸夫、陈廷骅、曹光彪、李达三、孙忠利等。“宁波帮”在香港的十大富豪中曾占有三席;在为数不多的“世界船王”中也占有二席。
“宁波帮”素有爱国爱乡、乐善好施的传统美德。历史上“宁波帮”中有同情和支持孙中山民主革命的,有在民族危难中舍身取义的。至于热心公益事业,更是历代不乏其人。如在本世纪初老一代“宁波帮”中,著名的旅日华侨吴锦堂先后出巨资兴修家乡杜、白两湖水利,耗资22万银两。在当代“宁波帮”中,原香港中华总商会会长王宽诚在新中国成立后积极购买爱国债券,在抗美援朝战争中捐献了一架飞机,在二十世纪六十年代还捐赠了两所学校——“东恩中学”和“东恩小学”。
1984年,邓小平同志在作出指示:“把全世界的‘宁波帮’都动员起来,建设宁波。”开启了宁波改革开放的辉煌历程。
“宁波帮”,作为一个富有家国情怀的群体,倾情奉献出了所有的力量。
“宁波帮”与中国近代史
从唐宋浩浩荡荡走过来的那个东南沿海的繁华港口,以良好的地理条件、浓郁的商业氛围孕育了一代代长袖善舞的宁波商人。从明清辗转走出去的那些遍布半个中国的商贸足迹,带着海天一色的豪气,抛却了“走西口”的哀怨与“闯关东”的悲壮,走出“无宁不成市”的“宁波帮”群像,并撼动了中国近代工商史。
康熙年间,镇海十七房郑家在北京开设了“四恒号”钱庄,慈城人乐尊育在北京创办了同仁堂,这些尝试都为日后“宁波帮”的异地经营提供了方向。
“小白菜,嫩艾艾,丈夫出门到上海;十元十元带进来,上海末事加小菜;邻舍隔壁分点开,介好老公阿里来。”这首始于清朝末年的宁波民谣,记录了“宁波帮”通过上海闯进近代经济的起点。
宁波、上海一苇可航。1843年上海开埠,中外贸易的中心逐渐从广州转移到上海,让早期的“宁波帮”商人看到了新的商务契机。迅速的介入让他们在金融、贸易、航运、制造等行业崭露头角,“宁波帮”由此创造了百余个中国第一——第一艘商业轮船、第一家机器轧花厂、第一家商业银行、第一家日用化工厂、第一批保险公司、第一家由华人開设的证交所、第一家信托公司、第一家味精厂、第一家灯泡厂……“宁波帮”新式商人群体,确立了在近代中国的产业主导地位。
从宁波到上海、到香港、再到海外,大时代里,“宁波帮”经历着不衰的辉煌。王宽诚、严信厚、邵逸夫、包玉刚、董浩云、曹光彪……一个个宁波人的名字在世界各地闪耀。宇宙中就有4颗以宁波工商界人士名字、两颗以宁波籍著名科学家名字命名的小行星。
“千朵桃花一树生,是“宁波帮”最朴素的民族观。每一代“宁波帮”人士,总会把自己的前途和祖国的命运紧密联系在一起,竭尽奉献襄助之能力。”“宁波帮”博物馆馆长王辉说,“宁波帮”之所以绵延200年至今依旧旺盛,就在于他们的家国情怀浓郁,赤子丹心有史可鉴。他们在坚守民族大义、投身民主革命、振兴教育实业、致力国家建设、促进香港回归上都作出了巨大贡献。
于是,我们听到了一个个家国故事。
吴锦堂,出资帮助孙中山开展革命活动、秘密协助运送革命军备。孙中山曾亲笔题赠“热心公益”匾额。
陈顺通,在上海开办中威轮船公司。抗日战争时期,为建立海上防御工事自沉全部船舶,破产而赴国难。
严修,先后创办了南开大学、南开女中、南开小学,这些学校培养了以周恩来、陈省身、吴大猷、曹禺等为代表的一大批杰出人才。
王宽诚,抗美援朝时期卖掉了自己的一块地皮,向国家捐献了一架飞机。他还率先两次认购人民胜利折实公债三万六千份,成为“海外购债冠军”。
两次四明公所事件
四明公所成立于1797年,为当时宁波府属七县旅沪商帮集资公建。宁波旅沪同乡会成立于1911年。这两个宁波同乡团体是上海城市发展、商贸繁荣的产物。
在上海历史上,上海市民反抗外国侵略者的最早的两次大规模群众性斗争,正是宁波同乡团体领导的两次四明公所事件。
第一次,是在1874年(清同治13年)。法租界公董局为谋求更大利益以开筑马路为借口,即使在宁波同乡会一再请求公董局将道路稍向北迁移并表示愿意承担筑路费用的情况下,还是强令宁波人迁走四明公所内寄存的棺柩。宁波同乡聚集在公所附近举行抗议,赶走法国巡捕,包围法租界路政负责人住宅,要求取消筑路计划。该负责人开枪,造成一死一伤,愤怒的群众愈集愈多,广大市民支持宁波人的斗争,支持的群众达1500多人,烧毁了数间法国人住宅。群众于傍晚包围了公董局。法国军舰“亚士拉”号武力镇压群众,杀害群众7人,伤者众多。群众坚持斗争的结果,最后迫使法国领事馆宣布取消筑路计划,并允许公所建筑围墙。
第二次,是在1898年(清光绪24年)。法租界公董局借口建造学校和医院,强行征收四明公所地产,遭到拒绝。于是法国领带指使“侦察”号军舰上的水兵登陆,强行拆除四明公所围墙,遭到宁波同乡和广大市民的坚决反对,法军开枪打死2人,打伤多人。当晚,群众反击了法租界,打碎路灯。次日,法侵略者实施报复,开枪打死打伤30余人,逮捕10余人,造成第二次四明公所血案。在沪宁波人以罢市罢工沉重反击侵略者,30多万人参加斗争,并得到了广大市民的支持,结果法租界被迫放弃了强占四明公所的企图。
两次四明公所事件,突出地体现了上海的“宁波帮”人士团结一致、敢于反抗侵略者的顽强斗争精神和热忱爱国精神。这两次群众性的反侵略斗争,不仅在上海,而且在全国产生了巨大影响。
投身抗日战争
1931年“九一八”事变后,国民党政府对日本侵略者采取“不抵抗”政策,全国各地以上海为首掀起抗日救国运动。在此后的“一二八”“八一三”两次淞沪抗战中,上海的“宁波帮”都发挥了积极作用。
“一二八”抗战爆发后,宁波同乡团体大力支援了十九路军的浴血抗战,募捐了大笔款项和物资支援前线,当时各民众团体纷纷组织筹建伤兵医院,而宁波同乡团体组织筹建的伤兵医院最多。“一二八”抗战中,大批难民无家可归,成为严重的社会问题,各同乡团体都组织了收容和运送难民回原籍的工作,而宁波同乡会在其中的努力最为突出。
在“八一三”抗战爆发当天,宁波同乡会就派出了10支救护队,每队卡车一辆,救护员20名,前往战地救护伤兵和难民。还免费运送了20多万同乡返回原籍。
更有不少宁波籍企业家,在致力于提倡国货、实业救国的同时,还热情投身于抗日救亡运动。
方液仙,浙江镇海人,生于1893年。他是中国日用化工业的奠基人,不仅创办企业,卓有建树,还在当时抵制日货、提倡国货运动中成绩显著,被社会各界称为“国货大王”。他是一位热情的爱国者,在上海“一二八”和“八一三”两次淞沪抗战中让出厂房,兴办两期伤兵医院,救护大批抗日战士。他还积极支持中共上海党组织领导的群众性联谊团体“益友社”,并任名誉理事。
方液仙的爱国行动引起日本军部的极端仇视。日本军部多次提出要与他主持的中国日用化学工业社联营,他不为所诱,拒绝联营;日本军部又以没收工厂相威胁,他严词指责,不为所屈。1939年,汪伪傀儡政权派人向他游说,邀他担任伪上海市政府实业部长,又遭拒绝。汪伪见引诱不成,继施恐吓、威胁的手段,恐吓信不断飞来,方液仙仍不为所惧,汪伪见其始终不肯就范,遂萌生杀意。
1940年7月25日,方液仙被汪伪特务绑架,被害时年仅47岁。为了纪念方液仙的爱国精神,上海淞沪抗战纪念馆陈列了他的事迹和照片。
爱国殉职的药业先驱项松茂,浙江鄞县人,1880年出生。他创办的五洲大药房、五洲皂药厂,以精诚为店训,团结店员共同努力,生产人造自来血、固本肥皂等优质产品,与洋商竞争并取得成功,为中国西药业发展作出贡献。
他不仅是一位成功的实业家,更是位大义凛然的爱国主义者。“九一八”事变后,项松茂参加了抗日救国会,抵制日货,并在厂里成立抗战义勇军一营,自任营长,聘请军事教官进厂训练,以为对日宣战之准备。“一二八”抗战爆发后,五洲店员11人为日军拘捕,身为公司总经理的项松茂为营救店员,不顾生命安全,两度深入战乱地带,终于陷入敌手。日军审问:“你为何抵制日货?为何组织义勇军?店内装有军服,谁敢抗日,杀无赦!”项松茂侃侃回答:“中国人爱中国,你我同种(黄种人),不谋共存,为何强占我土地、屠杀我民众?”项抗争不屈,1月31日晨,与店员11人惨遭杀害,时年仅52岁。他的立身格言是“平居宜寡欲养身,临大节则达生委命,治家须量入为出,徇大义当介视千金”。他以生命实践了自己的诺言,令人敬重。
项松茂壮烈牺牲后,章士炎等撰文悼念,蒋介石题赠“精神不死”匾额。鄞县县志记述了项松茂的事迹。他威武不屈的民族气节将永远为后人所崇敬。
积极投入抗日战争的爱国企业家不胜枚举。比如张逸云,浙江镇海籍,1871年出生在上海,后来成为上海酱园业的巨子。他创办的天厨厂生产佛手牌味精,不但击败日本的味之素,而且向英、美、法等国申请了味精专利,成为中国最早在国际上获得专利的化工产品。
“一二八”淞沪战争期间,天厨厂一再捐助财物,为抗日出力。他冒著生命危险向国外购买两架飞机(教练机和战斗机),并在机身写上“天厨”两个大字,曾轰动一时,还受到当时国民政府的嘉奖。著名爱国民主人士杨卫玉致函说:“老哥等慨捐飞机,爱国情切,为天下人瞩目,实可敬可佩。”事后张逸云也深感自己做了一件称心快意的大事。
“宁波帮”,是一群人,但已不单是一个群体的代名词,更是一种地域人文现象,是一种团结互动的家国情怀。
Ningbo Bang: A Beacon of Patriotism
By Zheng Haili
Ningbo Bang, alternatively translated as the Ningbo Merchants Group, the Ningbo Commercial Group or simply the Ningbo Group, refers historically to a group of merchants doing business outside their native place, namely Yinxian, Fenghua, Cixi, Zhenhai and Xiangshan, the six counties under the jurisdiction of the historical Ningbo prefecture. These businessmen, connected by ties of blood, marriage or birth place, formed a loose community, emerged during the Ming (1368-1644) dynasty and became as one of the biggest regional commercial groups in China during the late Qing (1616-1911) period. Ningbo Bang in its modern sense includes not only the traders in the six counties but also those businessmen from Yuyao and Ninghai, as well as their descendants.
Statistics show that there are currently over 100,000 businessmen of Ningbo origin living in 64 countries and regions all cross the globe. With their offspring, the number of Ningbo Bang “members” stands at more than 400,000. Among them are business tycoons and world-renowned celebrities, such as Bao Yugang (1918-1991, aka Yue-Kong Pao, founder of the Worldwide Shipping Group), Dong Haoyun (1912-1982, aka C. Y. Tung, founder of the Orient Overseas Line) and Shao Yifu (1907-2014, aka Run Run Shaw, entertainment mogul and philanthropist. Indeed, three of the ten richest people in Hong Kong were from the Ningbo Bang, in addition to two world shipping magnates.
Known for their entrepreneurship and business acumen, Ningbo Bang is also recognized for their patriotism and charity. For example, some supported the revolutionary causes of Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925). Wang Kuancheng, former president of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, actively bought national bonds after the founding of the People’s Republic China, and apart from funding schools, he also donated an aeroplane in China’s war to resist US aggression and aid Korea.
China’s late leader Deng Xiaoping said in 1984 that “worldwide resources of Ningbo Bang should be fully leveraged for the development of Ningbo”, heralding a four-decade glorious journey for the city’s reform and opening-up.
The development of Ningbo Bang goes a long way back. The Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties witnessed the rise of Ningbo as a prosperous port along the southeast coast. With good geographical conditions and rich commercial atmosphere, generations of traders were born. Then during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the footprints of Ningbo businessmen spread across half of China. The establishment of qianzhuang (money shops or old-style banks) and pharmacies such as Tong Ren Tang in early Qing offered guidance for the future business operation of Ningbo Bang members. In 1843, the opening of Shanghai as a commercial port signaled the shift of Sino-foreign trade from Guangzhou to Shanghai, and attracted businessmen from its close neighbor, Ningbo, who quickly rose to prominence in finance, trade, shipping, manufacturing among other industries.
It is also during this period in Shanghai that two of the earliest and largest mass protests, led by a guild established by Ningbo Bang businessmen, against foreign occupiers took place.
Founded in 1797, Siming Gongsuo, also known as the Ningbo Association, was a native place association predominantly composed of people of Ningbo origin living in Shanghai.
In 1874, the French Council of the French Concession forced Siming Gongsuo to relocate the charitable cemetery inside its premises for a road it plans to build. Native Ningbo people gathered near Siming Gongsuo in protest, drove out the French police and surrounded the house of the Frenchman in charge of the matter, demanding its cancellation. The Frenchman opened fire, killing one and wounding another on the spot, which ignited the anger of the crowd. As an increasing number of people gathered, estimated to be over 1,500 people, and houses were burned down. A French warship was even called in to quell the protest, killing seven people and injuring many. Eventually, the French authority gave in and canceled the road construction plan.
In 1898, the French Council of the French Concession again ordered the confiscation of the land properties of Siming Gongsuo, ostensibly to build schools and hospitals, but the request was firmly rejected. The French authority then asked its naval forces to land and violently demolished the walls of Siming Gongsuo, killing two and injuring many more. Angry crowds stormed the French Concession that night before France retaliated the next day, killing and injuring another 30 and arresting more than a dozen. Led by Siming Gongsuo, over 300,000 went on strike or protested against the French atrocities, and once again, the French attempt to seize Siming Gongsuo was thwarted.
The solidarity of Ningbo Bang and the group’s perseverance and patriotism had a great influence in Shanghai and all over China. When the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out in September 1931, Ningbo Bang played a significant role in the January 28 Incident in 1932 and the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, donating money, materials, medical supplies and helping refugees return to their native places.
During the Japanese invasion, many entrepreneurs of Ningbo origin were devoted to promoting national goods and threw themselves into the fight against the invaders.
Born in Zhejiang’s Zhenhai in 1893, Fang Yexian was known as the “King of Daily Use Chemicals”. A scion of a family of financiers from Ningbo, Fang was an ardent supporter of the National Products Movement. During the January 28 Incident of 1932 and the Battle of Shanghai in 1937, he converted his plants into hospitals and saved a great number of wounded Chinese soldiers. Resented for his resistance efforts, Fang was executed for refusing to collaborate with the Japanese on July 25, 1940.
Xiang Songmao, born in Yinxian in 1880, was another merchant of Ningbo Bang. He was not only the founder of the Great Five Continents Drugstore, contributing to the development of medicine in China, but also organized paramilitary troops in his factory to combat the Japanese invasion. Unfortunately, Xiang was captured during the January 28 Incident of 1932 and, together with 11 members of his drugstore, was killed. He was only 52.
Fang and Xiang are just two of many patriotic Ningbo Bang entrepreneurs who contributed efforts and even sacrificed lives in China’s resistance against Japanese invasion. And that fighting spirit still shines through.