Silver Trade

Ever wonder how a peasant farmer in rural Zhangzhou ended up paying his taxes with silver that once sat in a Mexican mine? Sounds far-fetched. But in the second half of the 16th century, that’s exactly what happened. I’m Chuke. Today I want to crack open the Wanli Zhangzhou Prefecture Chronicle and trace how global silver flowed through the valve of Moon Harbor (Yuegang), seeped into every Lijia unit in Southern Fujian, and turned physical tax obligations into cold, hard numbers on a ledger. ...

The Zhenghe Silver Mine Inquiry: A Silver Lifeline Named After an Introduction: From “Guanli” to “Zhenghe”—A Royal Transformation In the rolling mountains of northern Fujian, there lies a county whose name shines with historical prestige: Zhenghe. Unlike most counties named for geography or auspicious meanings, Zhenghe earned its name through its exceptional silver production. In the first year of the Zhenghe era (1111 AD), Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty renamed the original “Guanli County” to “Zhenghe,” bestowing his own reign title upon the land. This change was more than administrative; it revealed a vast imperial silver lifeline anchored by the Guixi Silver Mine. ...