Fifth, the establishment of industry.

Yuan Shikai's predecessor, Li Hongzhang, is a well-known Westernist, and he must be able to write a lot about running business, but compared with Yuan Shikai, I am afraid it is a small thing.

When it comes to Yuan Shikai's industry in Zhili, it should first be China's first self-built railway.

On this point, Zhou Zuitian wrote in his book: "Zhan Tianyou is known as the father of China's railways, and the first paragraph of the text of "Zhan Tianyou" in the primary school textbook reads: 'Praise Tianyou is an outstanding patriotic engineer in my country. The section of the railway from Beijing to Zhangjiakou was first successfully built under his auspices. This is a railway trunk line designed and constructed entirely by China's engineering and technical personnel. ＇

"I think it is correct to say that Zhan Tianyou was an outstanding patriotic engineer in our country and that the section of the railway from Beijing to Zhangjiakou was designed and constructed entirely by China's engineers and technicians, but it is debatable to say that the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was first successfully built under his auspices.

"Responsibly speaking, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway is the first railway designed and built by the Chinese themselves, and Zhan Tianyou, as the chief engineer, is responsible for the design and construction and other technical work, which is indispensable, but it is inaccurate to say that he presided over." The person who presided over the construction of this railway was none other than Yuan Shikai. ”

The Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway has witnessed the difficulties of China's railway industry, and when Zantianyou built this railway, it can be said that he did something that no one had done before, and no one would have done it before.

When the train passes through Qinglongqiao Railway Station, it must stop regardless of whether Qinglongqiao Station needs to stop or not. Because when you get there, the train has to reverse a little bit of backwards before you can continue to move forward.

No one thought that a railroad could be built there at that time, because it was difficult to solve the problem of lowering the height difference and easing the slope, and there was not enough space to spread the line.

But Zhan Tianyou solved this problem, that is, he walked in a zigzag, that is, one advance and one retreat.

At that time, people walked to the next station when they got off the train from Qinglongqiao Railway Station, and people walked before the train.

Of course, we are talking about the construction and technical capabilities at that time, is it still a matter today? It's enough to build the Yueling Tunnel and the extra-large bridge, as long as you are willing to spend money.

Of course, to build a railway, technology alone is not enough. Because first of all, whether to build this railway or not, this is the power to decide. There is a more important thing to do, which is to have investment, which is a big number.

Anyone who builds a new line of railways knows that a gravel on the railway line is more expensive than the dumplings that Northeast people like to eat.

To build this section of the railway, these two problems are definitely not something that Zhan Tianyou can solve.

And Yuan Shikai, who was the governor of Zhili at the time, could solve those two problems, but in fact, these two problems were actually solved by Yuan Shikai.

Yuan Shikai's second business was the establishment of the Silver Dollar Bureau, the official bank account and other financial undertakings.

In 1900, the Mint of the Beiyang Machinery Bureau was destroyed in the war with the Eight-Nation Alliance, so Tianjin was in a tight bank, prices fluctuated, and business was difficult.

In 1902, Yuan Shikai appointed Zhou Xuexi to establish the Silver Dollar Bureau.

The silver dollar and copper dollar were replaced by copper dollars, and silver dollars were used instead of silver taels, and the currency system was reformed.

Later, the official silver account was opened, and two silver bills and copper coin tickets were issued. These measures have played a positive role in the capital turnover of the Tianjin market and in facilitating the carrying of currency.

Another initiative of Yuan Shikai to establish the industry was to advocate the establishment of industry. In October 1903, he appointed Zhou Xuexi to set up the Zhili Craft Bureau in Tianjin, which served as the official organ for the management of industry.

The statute of the General Administration of Technology is very clear, with the purpose of advocating and developing technology, industrial prosperity, and everyone has the skills to stand on their own.

After the establishment of the General Administration of Crafts, it successively set up the Arts and Crafts School (later renamed the Higher Industrial School), the Quangong Exhibition Center, the Educational Products Manufacturing Institute, the Internship Workshop, the Quanye Iron Factory, the Plantation, and the Official Paper Factory. The Industrial and Commercial Research Institute was established to hold instrument lectures and industrial and commercial lectures.

The Industrial Academy is mainly used to train industrial talents, with disciplines such as chemistry, machinery, chemical manufacturing, and drawing, which are taught by foreign instructors from the United Kingdom and Japan.

The exhibition center is mainly to display and display the products of the province, other provinces and foreign countries by category. Compare local products with similar foreign products, study technology, cost, sales, freight and packaging and other issues, explain and experiment at any time, and conduct on-site enlightenment.

Chemical and mineral experiments are carried out on site to promote the manufacturing process. Collect books, specimens, reports, news, and catalogues of industry for business and industry to examine and study.

The Educational Materials Manufacturing Institute displays all kinds of Chinese and foreign educational books, instruments, specimens, models, and charts for schools in need to consult and imitate.

The internship workshop is a place for students of the Industrial Academy to practice and train skilled workers.

The General Administration of Craftsmanship also guides and rewards through various forms and channels, and strives to promote the revitalization of industry and commerce. Published relevant articles, calling on people from all walks of life to "work together, catch up, or set up a factory with sole funding, or set up a company with a contract", "promote industry, and open up a source of profit".

Promise: "All the methods of opening up and protecting the party will be planned on behalf of them, and they will always be based on the principle of helping the establishment." ”

The General Administration of Crafts often sent teachers from industrial schools and industrialists and businessmen to give lectures on the streets, publicize and agitate, dispatch workers to persuade workers, and mobilize officials and gentry to jointly set up factories in various places.

Survey of production and industrial conditions, and holding exhibitions. Set up an industrial sales office on a trial basis to sell the products of its own factories.

Handle consignment business and open up sales channels. Assess and identify factories and mining enterprises, and reward those who are good.

In 1905, 27 model factories were evaluated, and in 1906, 58 were awarded, and 38 gold medals and 47 silver medals were awarded.

He also sent people to lead the apprentices to Hubei Linen Bureau to learn weaving technology, to Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province to learn porcelain, and to Japan to inspect papermaking and weaving technology. ……

Through the active efforts of the General Administration of Craftsmanship of Zhili, Yuan Shikai has played a great role in promoting the industrial development of Tianjin and Zhili, and has also set up a number of enterprises. From 1904 to 1909, 33 factories were set up in the urban area of Tianjin, and in the four years from 1903 to 1907, more than 150 prefectures, prefectures, and counties directly under the central government set up 85 craft bureaus, institutes, and factories, with a total capital of more than 420,000 taels of silver.

Larger enterprises include Machine Mint Co., Ltd., Wanyi Co., Ltd. (weaving felt, etc.), Electric Light Co., Ltd., Ji'an Water Supply Co., Ltd., Beiyang Quanye Iron Works, Industrial Craft Factory, Beiyang Tobacco Co., Ltd., and Tangshan Qixin Ash Company, which was very famous at that time.

With an annual output of more than 200,000 cement yuan, Tangshan Qixin Ash Company was the largest building materials enterprise in the country at that time.

In terms of industry, Yuan Shikai also made a big deal to set up a media mine in Luanzhou.

During Yuan Shikai's tenure, the national industry of Zhili still developed to a certain extent.

Yuan Shikai believes: "Instead of paying attention to geographical advantages, the revitalization of agriculture is not enough to make a living. Therefore, during his tenure as governor of Zhili, he also attached great importance to agriculture, especially afforestation.

Under his auspices, in 1902, the Agricultural Bureau and the Agricultural Trial Field were established in Baoding. Purchased agricultural machinery and hired Japanese Kusuhara Shozo to guide the planting.

The Agricultural Bureau has set up an agricultural school, which mainly teaches sericulture cultivation and sugar and wine production. More than 2 million mulberry seedlings and more than 400 hectares of rice fields in the suburbs of Baoding are also operated by the Agricultural Bureau.

The bureau also conducts agricultural product appraisals to promote the benefits of planting trees. Thanks to their efforts, at that time, the states and counties still attached great importance to afforestation.

Of course, the most worthwhile book is the large-scale establishment of a new type of education.

With the opening of the country, new ideas and new knowledge continue to pour in, and the disadvantages of the old imperial examination system have become more and more apparent.

The abolition of the old imperial examination system has been put on the historical agenda.

In October 1903, Yuan Shikai and Zhang Zhidong jointly asked for a reduction in the middle of the imperial examination, proposing to "focus on the school". He pointed out that "politics must depend on talents, and talents must come from schools", and the imperial examination hinders the establishment of schools, and "if the imperial examination is not eliminated for a day, that is, the school cannot flourish for a day."

It is suggested that the number of successful examinations should be reduced year by year, and the number of subjects in the academic and political examinations should be reduced in two subjects, and the township and general examinations should be reduced in three subjects. In the past, according to different circumstances, students were allowed to enter the new-style school, the Shixue and the normal crash course, or they were given other ways out.

It attracted the attention of the Qing court, and the edict decreed that from the Bingwu Branch (1906), the imperial examination was divided into three sections.

On August 31, 1905, Yuan Shikai once again took the lead, and together with Zhang Zhidong, Zhao Erxun, Zhou Fu, Cen Chunxuan, and Duan Fang, he pointed out that "the critical situation is even worse, and it is actually a thousand catties on the same day", even if "the imperial examination is stopped immediately, and the schools are all over the place, it will be more than ten years later, and talents will begin to flourish", and asked for the immediate cessation of the imperial examination and the promotion of the school.

The Qing court decreed that all township and general examinations and provincial examinations should be stopped. Since then, the imperial examination system has been abolished forever.

The abolition of the imperial examination system cleared the institutional obstacles for a new school education to take root and blossom in China. China's education is gradually integrated into the world.