Qing Dynasty's Zongli Yamen

Qing Dynasty's Zongli Yamen

A central government agency in late Qing China responsible for foreign affairs, dispatching envoys abroad, as well as overseeing trade, coastal defense, tariffs, mining and railways, postal and telegraph services, military industry, the Tongwen Guan (School of Combined Learning), and sending students overseas. Initially called the Zongli Geguo Tongshang Yamen (Office for the Management of the Business of All Foreign Countries), it was commonly referred to as the Zongli Yamen, the Zongshu, or the Yishu. In the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign (1860), after the Qing government signed the Beijing Treaties with Britain, France, and other countries, diplomatic interactions increased significantly. In January of the following year, Prince Gong Yixin, Grand Secretary Gui Liang, and Vice Minister of Revenue Wenxiang petitioned to establish the Zongli Geguo Shiwu Yamen (Office for Managing the Affairs of All Foreign Countries) in the capital to take over foreign-related duties previously handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Lifan Yuan. Approved by Emperor Xianfeng, it was officially established in the second month of the first year of the Tongzhi reign (March 1862).

Zongli Yamen

The Zongli Yamen was led by prince-regents or grand councilors, and modeled after the structure of the Grand Council, with two levels of officials: ministers and chapter clerks (zhangjing). Positions included chief ministers, acting chief ministers, apprentice chief ministers, and managing ministers. Initially, Yixin, Gui Liang, and Wenxiang served as the three chief ministers. The number of ministers later increased slightly, ranging from seven or eight to over ten, with Yixin serving for as long as 28 years. Under the ministers were chief chapter clerks (two Manchus and two Han Chinese each), assistant chapter clerks (one Manchu and one Han Chinese), chapter clerks (ten Manchus and ten Han Chinese each), and extra chapter clerks (eight Manchus and eight Han Chinese each).

The original site was located at No. 49 Dongtangzi Hutong in Beijing, formerly the residence of Qing Grand Secretary Saišang’a, which was rebuilt in the same year the Yamen was established. The eastern half of the Zongli Yamen housed the Jing Shi Tong Wen Guan (Capital School of Combined Learning), China’s earliest foreign language teaching institution (now the predecessor of Peking University’s School of Foreign Languages), while the western half was used as a venue for diplomatic activities between ministers of various ministries and foreign envoys. In 1901, as part of the Qing government’s reforms, the Zongli Yamen was renamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is also why the street south of Dongtangzi Hutong is called Waijiaojie (Foreign Ministry Street).

Initially tasked with diplomacy and trade, the Zongli Yamen later expanded its management to include overseeing factories, building railways, mining, establishing schools, and sending students abroad. Its authority grew continually, taking charge of all matters related to foreign affairs and associated areas such as finance, military, education, mining, and transportation, making it an important decision-making body within the Qing government.

Attraction Location

No. 49 Dongtangzi Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing