Passport History Qing Dynasty

The term “passport” first appeared in Chinese passport documents during the Qing Dynasty in 1689 when the Sino-Russian Treaty of Nibuchu (also known as the Treaty of Nerchinsk) mentioned that “all individuals from both countries holding passports would be permitted to cross the border and engage in trade.”

During the same year, the Qing Dynasty government issued what was known as the “Letter-type Collective Passport.” This “letter-type collective passport” served as a form of “letter of introduction” to confirm the identity of the passport holder.

Single Person Passports

Following the Opium War in 1840, the Qing government, under the influence of unequal bilateral treaties with Western powers, began authorizing consulates and customs offices outside of China to issue passports in various formats to Chinese nationals.

During this period, the “single-person, single-paper” Chinese passport began to take shape and continued to be used in the People’s Republic of China, including the “exit passport” of the Communist Party of China during the “Soviet Republic of China.”

The Qing Dynasty’s “single-person, single-paper” passport typically featured an upper trapezoidal border and a lower rectangular border. The word “passport” was written in traditional Chinese characters within the upper trapezoid, while the main text of the passport was written from top to bottom in the lower rectangle, from right to left.

Huge Passport Format

The passport’s primary content was inscribed from the top to the bottom of the rectangle, and a government department seal was used as a security measure. Remarkably, the size of the passport was 87cm by 56cm, making it the largest passport in the modern world.

Physical Description and Passport Photo

The font used for Qing Dynasty passports was traditional Chinese calligraphy. Due to technological limitations, passports in the late 19th and early 20th centuries did not include photographs. To accurately identify the holder, Chinese passports primarily described the bearer’s “physical features,” including height and physique.

Photo technology was introduced in Chinese passports during the Republic of China era. However, the 1953 edition of the PRC passport still retained many textual descriptions from Qing Dynasty passports, including “physical features.”

No Centralized Passport System

Given the absence of a centralized passport issuing authority during the Qing Dynasty, passports issued by different authorities generally adhered to the main design described above but exhibited variations in detail.

For instance, during the Guangxu emperor’s reign, some Qing Dynasty passports featured a decorative design with the national emblem. A frame of six five-clawed flying dragons—on the outer border of the passport. These five-clawed flying dragons can be considered a variation of the “yellow dragon flag,” the national flag of the Qing Dynasty.

Source: Congrong Xiao, College of Packaging Design and Art, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou, China

 

The Passport

Printed form, with hand-writing in ink, and stamps, issued to a British merchant G. Whitefield, permitting him to travel from Shanghai to Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui, dated 11/13/1891. 52.5 x 43cm.

 

Chinese Taiping Rebel Pass sold at, USD7000

 

 

ℹ️ Passport History, Collectibles and Travel History explained by Expert, Author & Collector Tom Topol. ➡️ Ask me anything!
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