河州脚户及脚户文化浅议

A Brief Analysis of Hezhou Jiaohu and Its Culture

河州脚户是明清时期西北地区随着茶马互市的发展而兴起的特殊的商业群体,是通过畜力驮队往来于各地运输货物的商人。河州脚户产生于河州的特殊地理环境,与“茶马互市”和民族贸易的兴起密切相关。脚户一般由民间俗称“掌柜的、揽头和脚户”组成一个驮队,其组成有随机性,规模大小不一。脚户通过长途贩运物资,促进了西北地区和内地的经贸往来,形成了西部物流运输网络,促进了民族交流与融合。“花儿”代表着河州脚户文化,体现着脚户吃苦、冒险、诚信重诺等精神,因而应加强对河州脚户文化的保护。

Jiaohu was a special commercial group that emerged with the development of tea-horse trade in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the northwest of China.They were merchants who transported goods through animal powered caravans to and from various places.The appearance of them is related to the rise of tea-horse trade and ethnic trade and the special geographic location of Hezhou.Generally,Jiaohu was formed into a pack team with three kinds of people including a boss who was in charge of pricing and any emergency in each group of the team,a man who was driving the first animal in the pack team and people who drove and took care of other animals.The pack team was formed at random and varied in size.By trafficking goods over long distances,Jiaohu promoted economic and trade exchanges and formed logistics network in the northwest of China.Besides,it also promoted ethnic exchanges and integration.The folk music known as Hua’er is the representation of the culture of Jiaohu in Hezhou,which embodies the spirit of suffering,risk-taking,honesty and commitment.Therefore,the preservation of its culture should be strengthened.