The Opening of Ports
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Summary
In the sixteenth year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1890), Chongqing was opened as a treaty port. Archibald Little, the first Briton to reach Chongqing, brought the steamship "Lichuan" up the upper Yangtze, founded Little & Co., and Chongqing's shipping and commercial resources became the object of contention among Britain, the United States, Japan, and many other countries. On the road to protecting inviolable sovereignty, Ning Chengzhong displayed noble righteousness, yet found every step difficult.
The decline of national strength and official corruption in the late Qing accelerated the revolutionary process of dynastic change in China. Yang Cangbai, head of the Chongqing branch of the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance; Bian Xiaowu, founder of the Chongqing Daily; Li Yaoting, the richest man in the southwest and first premier of the Chongqing General Chamber of Commerce; and his sons Li Zhanyang and Li Heyang all made significant contributions to the Xinhai Revolution in Chongqing. Amid the tide of reform, Ning Chengzhong underwent an evolution of thought.
The names Ning Chengzhong gave his children and grandchildren—"enrich the country and strengthen the military" and "prosper China"—reveal his devotion to family and country. Ning Chengzhong and his first wife, Wang Xueyao, fell in love at first sight, treated each other with mutual respect, and supported each other through thick and thin, yet Yu Xiaoshuang, the first female Gowned Brother in Chongqing, waited for him for decades.
The story of the Ning family continues.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in Chongqing local history and the transformation of modern Chinese cities
- Lovers of full-length novels that combine family narrative with a grand historical backdrop
- Readers hoping to understand the conflicts of commerce, culture, and ideas during the social transition of the late Qing and early Republic
- Those who appreciate literary works with solid writing, rich detail, and distinctive regional culture
Not a good fit for
- Readers of online literature seeking fast pacing and strong plot conflict
- Readers lacking basic background knowledge of the specific historical period of the late Qing and early Republic who are unwilling to do supplementary reading
Reading tips
- While reading, consult a geographical map of Chongqing to better understand the spatial relationships and historical significance of the novel's wharves, city gates, and streets.
- The book involves a large number of historical events and figures; readers are advised to slow their pace appropriately to savor the atmosphere of the era and the subtle shifts in the characters' psychology.
- The book can be read in comparison with historical and literary materials on other Chinese treaty ports (such as Shanghai and Hankou) to form a more three-dimensional understanding of modernization.
About the publisher
The collaboration between People's Literature Publishing House and Chongqing Publishing House is reflected in the one title held in our database, Opening the Port. Founded in Beijing in 1951, People's Literature Publishing House is known for publishing Chinese and foreign literary works, while Chongqing Publishing House is a local comprehensive publisher based in Chongqing. Together they released this full-length work by Wang Yu, which falls under the category of social fiction. Based on the limited material available in our database, the publishing focus of the two houses for this book leans toward contemporary fiction on social themes, attending to the fate of characters and the social landscape amid historical change. Since only one title is held and public information is limited, it is difficult to offer a full account of each house's complete publishing directions, series, and author resources; the description above is confined to the collaborative features shown by Opening the Port.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 简介
- 第一章 通天祸起
- 第二章 事出意料
- 第三章 祸不单行
- 第四章 弱国无外交
- 第五章 万里之外
- 第六章 提亲
- 第七章 夺妻之恨
- 第八章 重逢
- 第九章 笑霜之危
- 第十章 泓寿庄的秘密
- 第十一章 复活的洋人
- 第十二章 宜昌之行
- 第十三章 命悬一线
- 第十四章 阴险之计
- 第十五章 患难见真情
- 第十六章 情不由己
- 第十七章 遇险
- 第十八章 小辈儿成才
- 第十九章 川江行船
- 第二十章 学友缘分
- 第二十一章 上海之行
- 第二十二章 剿抚乱贼
- 第二十三章 义军
- 第二十四章 洋人生意
- 第二十五章 巧遇
- 第二十六章 命中注定
- 第二十七章 飞来横祸
- 第二十八章 雪瑶之难
- 第二十九章 思想碰撞
- 第三十章 报仇雪恨
- 第三十一章 高参
- 第三十二章 清廉初心
- 第三十三章 同盟会会员
- 第三十四章 缘灭缘至
- 第三十五章 被绑架
- 第三十六章 国轮首航
- 第三十七章 钦差办案
- 第三十八章 痛失小儿
- 第三十九章 不能说的秘密
- 第四十章 惊天大事
- 第四十一章 缘分终至
- 第四十二章 开启近代化
FAQ
Is Kaibu a novel based entirely on historical fact?
Can readers without a background of life in Chongqing understand this book?
How does this book differ from common "business warfare novels" or "political intrigue novels"?
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About the author
Wang Yu is a Chinese author known mainly for his full-length novels. Publicly available information about him is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the sixteen works included in the collection, his writing tends to focus on social history and local life, with a clear sense of regional character and historical depth. Representative works such as Tian Sichuan (Filling Sichuan), Kaibu (Opening the Port), Xiang Si Er Sheng (Living Toward Death), Shibati, and Bei (The Stele) either trace the historical processes of migration and urban opening, or portray the ups and downs of ordinary people amid life, death, and change. His style leans toward realism, using specific characters and scenes to carry a long historical span. His works are often classified as quality fiction and social fiction, indicating sustained engagement with long-form narrative and social themes. It should be noted that public information about Wang Yu's personal experience and creative career remains very limited; the above introduction is based mainly on the themes and categories of his collected works.
