晚清闽南商人慈善家的兴起:以林瑞岗为中心

The Rise of Merchant Philanthropists of Southern Fujian in the Late Qing Dynasty

文章通过分析文献资料与田野调查相结合,以跨区域视角,考察晚清时期闽南著名慈善家林瑞岗。指出他与旅沪慈善家群体交游密切,曾参与华北义赈活动,并效仿江南模式,在家乡创办综合性善堂,其慈善事业呈现赈灾范围跨地域化、慈善机构自治化、筹募资金网络化、施善主体商人化等近代特征,凸显晚清闽南地方权力结构之转型。林瑞岗热衷慈善,除其个人特殊经历,秉承安海商人尚儒重义之风、深受江南慈善理念的影响外,还得益于官府的鼓励举措。晚清官府治理能力的衰落,海外侨商群体的崛起、交通、信息技术的革新,使林瑞岗实现由商至绅的转变,成为影响颇巨的职业慈善家。

Lin Rui-gang,a famous philanthropist of Southern Fujian in the late Qing Dynasty was studied from a cross-regional perspective.This study pointed out that Lin Rui-gang had a close relationship with the philanthropist groups in Shanghai.He once participated in charity relief in north China and then set up a comprehensive charity organization in his hometown following the example of Jiangnan model.His cross-region philanthropy exposed the characteristics of modernization and the structural transformation of local power of southern Fujian in the late Qing Dynasty,such as encouraging merchandising of oversea Chinese merchant and main benefactors.Lin Rui-gang was keen on charity,in addition to personal special experience and the government initiatives,he was also deeply influenced by Confucianism and righteousness among Anhai merchants and the philanthropic concepts of Jiangnan.The decay of government’s ability,the rise of overseas Chinese and businessmen,and the innovation of transportation and information technology at that time had all paved the way for Lin Rui-gang to become a professional philanthropist with great influence.