Howqua

Wu Bingjian
Born	Template:Birth year and age Quanzhou, China
Died	September 4, 1843(1843-09-04) (aged 73–74) Canton, China
Other names	Howqua, Howqua II, Houqua
Occupation(s)	Hong merchant, trader
Years active	Late 18th century – 1843
Known for	Head of E-wo hong, chief of Canton Cohong, leading Sino-Western trade during Qing dynasty

Wu Bingjian (; 17694 September 1843), widely recognized in Western circles as "Howqua" or "Howqua II," and trading under the name "Houqua," was a leading hong merchant operating within the Thirteen Factories. He headed the E-wo hong and held the position of chief of the Canton Cohong, emerging as one of the most affluent figures of his time. Howqua was instrumental in facilitating Sino-Western commerce throughout the Qing dynasty, utilizing his authority to shape trade and financial activities in Guangzhou. Under his guidance, E-wo hong became a preeminent trading house, playing a vital role in overseeing foreign trade governed by the Canton System.

Biography

Originating from a Hokkien lineage with roots in Quanzhou, Wu was known to Westerners as Howqua, a title also borne by his father Wu Guorong, who established their family’s hong enterprise. The name "Howqua" is a romanization of the Hokkien term "浩官" (). He accumulated substantial wealth through commerce between China and the British Empire during the mid-1800s, particularly around the period of the First Opium War. Regarded as possibly the richest individual in Qing China at that time, Howqua was the senior hong merchant in Canton authorized to engage in silk and porcelain trade with foreign partners. Following a devastating fire in 1822 that destroyed numerous cohongs, molten silver reportedly flowed for almost two miles. When settling the three million dollars owed by the Qing government to Britain under the Treaty of Nanking, Howqua personally contributed one million. He passed away in Canton during that same year.

Following the Opium Wars, both Howqua’s commercial influence and his family’s stature diminished swiftly. By 1891, Russell & Company—the American firm overseeing his overseas investments—had failed. Today, his descendants live as ordinary citizens. The once-impressive Howqua family residence is now unmarked and situated within a deprived district of Honam.

Howqua maintained strong associations with founders of prominent trading companies such as James Matheson, William Jardine, Samuel Russell, and Abiel Abbot Low. Paintings depicting Howqua dressed in traditional attire remain displayed in mansions located in Salem and Newport, properties erected by American merchants who appreciated his patronage.

Legacy

After the conclusion of the Thirteen Factories era by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking, Jardine Matheson & Co continued to use "Ewo" as their Chinese name, signifying its lasting commercial importance.

A locality near Lake Eildon, situated from Mansfield in Victoria, Australia, bears his name, probably designated by Chinese miners during the Victorian gold rush.

See also

• Houqua, clipper ship launched in 1844

External links

• In Chinese – Biography of Howqua on NetEase
• In Chinese – Howqua's biography on Hudong
• In English – The merchant’s story (maintained by tea importer)