Russian Tea Business in Hankou in the second half of the 19th century: Baikhovi Tea Purchase Transactions

Abstract

The article studies the activities of Russian entrepreneurs in the Chinese port of Hankou as part of the purchase of tea for the Russian market. Baikhovi tea was a product under which Russian pre-revolutionary literature, source base and statistics understood the most expensive varieties of Chinese tea, grown and processed on Chinese plantations and factories and sent for sale to foreigners in the port of Hankou. This aspect is a particular issue of Russian-Chinese trade in the second half of the 19th century, but it seems important for a more in-depth study of this topic and expanding scientific knowledge about Russian-Chinese relations in general. The article discusses the features of the production and transportation of baikhovi tea to the Hankou market, issues of tea pricing, the buying and selling process, factors influencing the trade of baikhovi tea in Hankou, aspects of competition between the tea trade of Hankou and Shanghai and the competition of foreign trading houses for the purchase of this product and shipment it to the Russian market. The conclusions of the work summarize the main results of the study and show the significance of the participation of Russian entrepreneurs in the tea trade for Russian-Chinese relations at the time under review. © 2023 International Network Center for Fundamental and Applied Research. All rights reserved.