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The Historical Evolution of Zhonghua Book Company
Zhonghua Book Company was established in Shanghai in June 5438 +0965438 +02 65438+10/October 65438+October, and its founder was Lu Feikui. At the beginning, it was a joint venture with a capital of 25,000 yuan. Its main business was to compile new textbooks for primary and secondary schools. The establishment of Zhonghua Book Company was the product of the Revolution of 1911. 19 1 1 On the eve of the Revolution of 1911, Lu Feikui, Dai Kedun and Chen Yin, the directors of the publishing department in the Commercial Press, invited the editors to secretly compile new textbooks. 19 12 New Year's Day, after the opening of Zhonghua Book Company, it put forward the slogan of "textbook revolution" and "completely Chinese businessmen run their own businesses" to compete with the Commercial Press. First, the newly edited Chinese textbooks were published, which seized most of the textbook market with its national flag pattern. "So we changed our company, increased our capital, set up branches extensively and run our own printing." Later, we joined Civilization Bookstore, CoCo Lee Bookstore and Juzhen Imitation Song Publishing House, and quickly developed into the second largest non-governmental publishing institution in China. When the bookstore was founded, it rented three storefronts east of Fuzhou Road. He also set up a printing factory in Huifuli, Fuzhou Road, and soon moved to Henan Road.

19 13 has an editorial department. Shen Zhifang (Paper Workshop) joined, with Lu Feikui as the director (hereinafter referred to as the manager) and Shen Zhifang as the deputy director. The editorial directors are: Fan Yuanlian, Dayton, Lu Feikui and Shu Xincheng. Subsequently, the head office moved to no. AB29 Broadway East Road (now Daming East Road), and rented a private house next to it, with four offices for editing, affairs, business and printing. Its editorial department later moved to 88 Broadway East Road. The head office (distribution office) was first located in the throwing field (now Henan Road, Nanjing East Road).

19 15 was changed into a company limited by shares, with its own printing house and an additional publishing house; In the following year, the capital increased to 6.5438+0.6 million yuan, and the number of employees exceeded 6.5438+0.6 million. After the Commercial Press, it has become the second publishing enterprise integrating editing, printing and distribution in China.

19 16 moved to a new five-story building on Pan Qi Street (now at the Henan intersection of Fuzhou Road), 10 storefront, adjacent to the Commercial Press. In the same year, a general factory was built at the junction of Jing 'an Temple Road (now Nanjing West Road) and Hatong Road (now Tongren Road). In addition to the printing office, the comprehensive office and the editing office are also located here. The general factory covers an area of more than 40 mu, ranking first among all printing plants in Shanghai at that time. Due to the shortage of funds caused by a large number of land purchases for building houses, coupled with the unsuccessful misappropriation of public funds by Shen Zhifang, the deputy director, and the competition in the same industry, books were sold at a loss, which led to an economic crisis and almost closed down. The bookstore was leased to Xinhua Company, but it was merged with the business negotiation. Since then, the consortium organized by Changzhou capitalist Wu Jingyuan and Hutchison Company organized by director X Limu have given another loan, and the publishing house has been maintained. In the meantime, Lu Feikui once resigned as a director and was appointed as a manager. Shi succeeded him as the factory director. Only two months later, he took it back, and Liu Feikui was still the general manager.

19 17, almost closed down due to poor capital turnover. After many efforts, business has resumed development.

1920 or so, the publishing house undertook the cigarette case printing business of Crowe Advertising Company and Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company, and gained a lot of profits.

1929, China educational appliance factory was established to produce teaching stationery instruments.

1932 to expand the printing plant, 1933 to build a new printing plant in Kowloon.

1933 set up a printing factory in Kowloon, Hong Kong, with new equipment, which is known as the first in the Far East.

1935 A printing factory was built in Macau Road, Shanghai, and advanced printing equipment was purchased, which not only printed books, but also printed maps, stamps, cigarette cases, government securities, paper money and government bonds. Bookstores printed a large number of Kuomintang securities and small banknotes, and the printing business further developed. In the same year, a new factory was built at 469 Macau Road, where the general affairs office and editorial department were also located.

In the spring of 1937, the capital expanded to 4 million yuan, and more than 40 branches were opened all over the country, Hong Kong and Singapore, with an annual turnover of about100000 yuan, which entered its heyday.

After the outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Lu Feikui went to Hong Kong and set up an office in Hong Kong to take charge of all important affairs. In Shanghai, Shu Xincheng, the managing director, presided over the daily affairs, and the printing house in the public concession maintained its business under the name of "Yongning Company of America".

1941July 9, Lu Feikui died in Kowloon. Subsequently, the Pacific War broke out, the core of leadership moved inward, and the general management office was located in Chongqing. During this period, textbooks are still being printed, and various books and magazines are also being edited and published. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the General Political Department Office moved back to Shanghai. Although the business of printing textbooks has recovered rapidly, the publishing business of books and magazines has gradually fallen into trouble. 194 1 After Lu Feikui died in Hong Kong, Li Shuming took over as the general manager and Wu Shutong served as the manager in Shanghai. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the printing department of the old factory of Jing 'an Temple was placed under the Hong Kong branch, and the Macau Road General Factory was renamed as "American Yongning Company", with American businessman A.F. Watson as the manager. After the Japanese invaded the concession, Yongning Company was sealed up and unsealed the following year.

1942 In February, the bookstore set up a general management office in Chongqing and moved back to Shanghai after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War.

1Feb. 949, Li Shuming left Shanghai as the acting general manager of Shuxincheng. In July, Shu Xincheng resigned and Fan Shen succeeded him.

1954 In May, after the establishment of People's Republic of China (PRC), Zhonghua Book Company implemented a public-private partnership, and its head office moved to Beijing on 1954, leaving Zhonghua Book Company's Shanghai office in Shanghai.

1958 was reorganized into Shanghai editorial department of Zhonghua Book Company. In the same year, the planning group for the collation and publication of ancient books in the State Council was established, with Zhonghua Book Company as the office of the group, becoming a professional publishing house for the collation and publication of ancient and modern literature, history, philosophy and language books, related academic works and popular reading materials in China, and undertaking the national basic project for the collation of ancient books.

20 12 The centenary of Zhonghua Book Company was celebrated with a series of activities. The State Post issued 1 special stamps.