Abstract:

The group of refugees existed commonly in past Chinese dynasties. Affected by natural and social environments such as wars and disasters, about one million refugees accommodated in Shanghai in 1860s, but most of them left Shanghai at last. The causes for their leave were as follows. The first was their motive of living to Shanghai, which predicted that if they could not make a living in Shanghai, they would leave firmly. Second, Shanghai's living conditions were very terrible in the time of 1860s. Restricted by the then standard of Shanghai economic development and the refugees' qualities, most of the refugees would be unemployed. Thirdly, the Qing Dynasty had taken effective measures to open up its virgin soil and reduce taxes. In most of the refugees opinion, since the soil was permanent, they would be back as soon as they learned the information. In conclusion, people' s notions were changed step by step, and the process of city modernization was also a gradual course. Accordingly, it was reasonable for the refugees to leave Shanghai in 1860s.

Key words: 1860s, Shanghai, refugees, the reason for leaving Shanghai, back to soil