On 6 January 1878, a fire at Baosheng Porridge Factory, a soup kitchen in Tianjin, Qing China, caused approximately 2,000 deaths.
Background
The Baosheng Porridge Factory was one of the few social relief institutions in Qing China. To avoid social turmoil, every winter the institution would receive funding from local city governments to provide food and shelter for the homeless.
In 1878, China was experiencing the drought-induced Dingwu Famine, which caused widespread starvation in northern China and between nine and thirteen million deaths. Due to the drought, many people fled from the northern provinces to Beijing and Tianjin. To keep up with the influx of homeless people, the number of soup kitchens in Tianjin was increased to twelve, which fed a total of nearly 60,000 drought victims. The Baosheng Porridge Factory specifically catered to women, and at the time of the fire, more than 2,000 were living in the complex.
Fire and aftermath
On the morning of 6 January 1878, a fire broke out near the east gate of Tianjin, and due to strong winds, it quickly spread to the nearby Dabei Monastery, followed by the porridge factory. As people were finishing eating, the northwest corner filled with smoke and fire and quickly engulfed the entire area. Over 2,000 people perished, and 300–400 were rescued.
The high death toll was attributed to the flammable materials the complex was built with (bamboo and reeds) and the narrow passageways, which made it difficult for more than one person to pass through. It was also discovered that as victims were attempting to flee, the gatekeeper locked the only exit, trapping everyone inside, as it was protocol to not allow people to leave the area freely.
After the fire, a total of 1,019 bodies were collected. Under public pressure, Li Hongzhang requested that the committee members responsible for the Baosheng Porridge Factory be dismissed and never re-employed. Additionally, all other porridge factories in Tianjin were shut down to avoid future incidents, and drought victims were released back onto the streets, many of whom died of poverty, illness, freezing, or starvation.
See also
References
- ^ Li, Wenhai (28 September 2010). "光绪3年天津粥厂大火事件:保生粥厂不"保生"" [The Tianjin porridge factory fire incident in the third year of Guangxu: Baosheng porridge factory is not "Baosheng"]. China News Service. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- Edgerton-Tarpley, Kathryn. "The North China Famine of 1876–1879". Visualizing Cultures. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ "Memorial of Li Sung Chang". Office of the Historian. 2 December 1878. Retrieved 27 December 2024.