21 Facts About Puankhequa

Puankhequa, known as Pan Wenyan, or Zhencheng, was a Chinese merchant and member of a cohong family, which traded with the Europeans in Canton during the Qing dynasty.

Puankhequa owned a factory in the Thirteen Factories district where his firm was favored by the English, Swedes, "Imperials" and Danes.

Puankhequa's family originated from a poor fishing village near Zhangzhou, but Puankhequa's father P'u-chai had relocated them to Canton.

Puankhequa had seven sons, two of whom were engaged in trade and providing market intelligence about tea and silk for the Canton firm from other parts of China and Japan.

Puankhequa enjoyed trading and spent most of his waking time doing business.

Puankhequa lived in a mansion, "Jiulong", on the south bank of the Pearl River near Honam Island.

Puankhequa II retained the Swedes as clients until the Swedish East India Company folded in 1813.

Puankhequa was Chief Merchant in Canton between 1760 and 1788.

Puankhequa had made his name in the silk trade, but traded in a number of other goods.

In 1760, Puankhequa established a new firm called the Tongwen Hang, which in the 1810s was renamed Tongfu Hang.

Puankhequa founded the Fujian mai-ch'iao, the Fujianese merchants in temporary residence in Canton, an association for business and social events.

Puankhequa served as a mediator when this was called for; in 1761, he was asked by the captain on one of the Swedish ships to help out in a conflict with some Dutch merchants.

Puankhequa managed to get the mandarins in Huangpu to forbid the selling of alcohol on land while the ships were there.

The cloth was deemed too coarse and nobody wanted to buy it, except for Puankhequa who gave the Swedes a fair price.

Some Swedish supercargos stayed in Canton for several years, one of them was Jean Abraham Grill who became friends with Puankhequa and made several profitable deals with him when buying tea.

In 1806, Puankhequa II was in correspondence with Sir Joseph Banks who thanked him for botanical specimens he had supplied for Kew Gardens.

Puankhequa gave a portrait of himself to Sahlgren, an oil painting on a mirror.

Puankhequa is depicted in a big mural in the museum where he is seen negotiating with Swedish merchants on the shore of the Pearl River.

The mansion where Puankhequa lived in the Haizhu District of Guangzho has been recognised as important.

Puankhequa II was included in an 1807 painting of a joint British and Chinese court, which was set up in October 1807, to try English sailors who had killed a Chinese person.

Puankhequa appears as a character in the novel Trade Winds by Christina Courtenay, under the name "Poan Key-qua" or simply "Key-qua".