Biographies of Foreign Customs Officers: Qing Pi's Memoir, My Years in China's Customs Service (1874–1921)

This book is the memoir of Qing Pi, a foreign customs officer. Born in London, Qing Pi was the son of a senior clerk at the Court of Chancery. After graduating from Haileybury College, he secured a position in China's Maritime Customs Service through his father's acquaintance with Robert Hart. After arriving in China, he served at the customs offices in Shantou, Jiujiang, Yantai, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Kowloon, Guangzhou, Hankou, Yichang, Xiamen, and Fuzhou, and was sent to work at the London office twice. In vivid prose, Qing Pi recalls the character of these places, the social lives of foreigners in the treaty ports, the inner workings and factions of the Customs Service, and his dealings with local officials. As an eyewitness to major events in the treaty ports of the late Qing, Qing Pi's memoir is a highly valuable historical source.