Lighthouse Construction and China's Foreign Trade in the late 19th Century

This paper explores the transformative role lighthouses played in shaping China’s 19th-century maritime trade. In the aftermath of the Opium War and the opening of international treaty ports, the Chinese Maritime Customs Service (CMC), under the leadership of Robert Hart, launched a concerted effort to illuminate the nation’s dark and hazardous coastline. By examining annual trade reports alongside the construction dates and locations of new lighthouses, I discovered that ports such as Shanghai, Chinkiang, and Kiukiang saw increases in commercial activity, often doubling or even tripling annual trade volume after the installation of navigational aids. To further support this correlation, this paper draws on qualitative sources, including commissioner reports, lighthouse keeper accounts, and decennial customs records, to provide firsthand insights into how lighthouses functioned not only as safety mechanisms but also as symbols of state authority. They deterred local resistance, reinforced imperial presence, and contributed to a more secure and predictable maritime environment. In doing so, lighthouses helped establish reliable channels for international commerce, reducing the risk of shipwreck or cargo loss and ultimately fostering trust in China’s coastal trade routes.