Tong King-sing

Tong King-sing (1832 – 1892; Chinese: 唐景星; pinyin: Táng Jǐngxīng; Wade–Giles: T'ang2 Ching3-hsing1), also known as Tang Tingshu (traditional Chinese: 唐廷樞; simplified Chinese: 唐廷枢; pinyin: Táng Tíngshū; Wade–Giles: T'ang2 T'ing2-shu1), was a Chinese comprador, interpreter, and businessman during the late Qing dynasty. Born in Xiangshan, Guangdong province, he studied in Robert Morrison's missionary schools as a boy and his classmates included Yung Wing. Because of the knowledge of English he obtained employment in the Hong Kong colonial government between 1851–57 and 1857–61, he served the Chinese Maritime Customs Service as interpreter and chief secretary. In 1861, he joined the Jardine Matheson Company, initially as a travelling salesman, visting the various Yangtze River ports. In 1863 he was promoted and appointed Jardine Mathesion's Compradore in Shanghai. He was so successful in developing the company's trade he was soon made Chief Compradore responsible for all the comapany's compradores in other Chinese ports.[1] Tong authored the work The Chinese Instructor, a six-volume series of dialogues, published in 1862.[2]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Tang.
Tong King-sing
唐景星
PronunciationTáng Jǐngxīng
Born(1832-05-19)May 19, 1832
DiedOctober 7, 1892(1892-10-07) (aged 60)
NationalityQing Emptire
Occupationcomprador, interpreter, and businessman

Tong is mainly known for his participation in a number of officially sponsored commercial projects during the last decades of the Qing dynasty, collectively known as enterprises under "official supervision and merchant management" (官督商辦). Between 1873-84 he served as the general manager of China Merchants' Steam Navigation Company (輪船招商局) in Shanghai, after which he worked in the coalmines in Kaiping in Hebei until his death in 1892. In Tangshan near Kaiping he was also a promoter of the Kaiping Tramway.

References
  1. "Tong's Compradore Years" in The Thistle and the Jade-A Celebration of 150 Years of Jardine Matheson & Co." Edited by Maggie Keswick, published London 1982 -ISBN 0-7064-1796-8.

Sources
  • Carlson, Ellsworth C. The Kaiping Mines, 1877-1912. 2d ed. Cambridge, MA: East Asian Research Center, 1971.


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