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Hoa Than was regarded as the 'premier sightseer' of the Qing dynasty. However, the fortune of this official actually stemmed from a secret few knew about.
Hoa Than (1750 - 1799) served as a high-ranking official under Emperor Qianlong, also known as the most famous sightseer in Chinese feudal history.
Hoa Than hailed from a military noble family. Losing his biological mother at the age of 3 and his father at 9, he and his younger brother were cared for by a stepmother and a longtime servant. In the 34th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1769), Hoa Than failed the imperial examination but later entered the palace as a guard. By the age of 23, due to his talent displayed in front of Emperor Qianlong, he began to accompany the emperor.
From then on, Hoa Than's career path was extremely favorable. Not only was he intelligent, but he was also proficient in multiple languages such as Manchu, Han, Mongolian, and Tibetan, often entrusted with drafting decrees for the emperor. Furthermore, he possessed a keen sense of observation regarding the emperor's expressions, habits, preferences, and personality traits, which earned him favor from Emperor Qianlong. He became a grand minister with immense power in the court, participating in crucial areas such as diplomacy and economy.
Hoa Than was also famously affluent, holding a colossal amount of wealth. There were widespread folklore tales about Hoa Than's riches, suggesting that what Emperor Qianlong had, Hoa Than had, and what Emperor Qianlong lacked, Hoa Than might still possess.
According to Historical Records of the Qing Dynasty, after Emperor Qianlong's passing in 1799, Gia Khanh ascended the throne and announced 20 charges against Hoa Than, ordering the confiscation of his assets.
However, according to analysts, although Hoa Than was a prominent court official, his wealth wasn't solely acquired through bribery.
So, where did Hoa Than make his money from?
It turns out that Hoa Than earned a substantial amount of money from various 'specialty' businesses. It could be said that Hoa Than was very shrewd in business knowing how to 'pluck money' from unexpected places. This is also why Hoa Than became so wealthy.
In addition to undertaking many crucial duties in the court, Hoa Than came up with various ways to make money by opening pawn shops, grocery stores, hostels, antique shops, taverns, banks, and more. Specifically, he alone owned 75 pawn shops.
Hoa Than was willing to engage in businesses that officials of the Qing dynasty dared not venture into, such as trading weapons, carriages, coal mines, and horse saddles... At that time, carriages could be considered equivalent to today's cars. Yet, Hoa Than managed to dominate this market right in the capital city.
Leveraging his power, Hoa Than proceeded to monopolize most of the trading shops with various goods in the capital city and several other provinces in Qing dynasty China.
However, according to historical records, those businesses were merely small ventures in Hoa Than's commercial empire. The real source of his immense wealth was land transactions.
Hoa Than could amass wealth even in challenging circumstances.
In ancient China, land was considered a major asset, and most owners were reluctant to sell. So, how did Hoa Than prosper when no one was selling land?
It turns out that during the late years of Emperor Qianlong's reign, the White Lotus Sect uprising against the Qing government caused some social turmoil. To safeguard their lands from being seized by the White Lotus Sect, many wealthy landowners considered exchanging land for money and then fleeing to safety in Beijing.
Therefore, many people advertised land for sale everywhere. Hoa Than seized this opportunity to engage in land transactions. However, the difference was that in these transactions, the renowned Qing official didn't use cash; instead, the land would be mortgaged and sold as pawned property. This way, exchanging money for land ownership within 2 years wouldn't be as straightforward as usual.
During the White Lotus Sect uprising, Hoa Than amassed a vast amount of land. His real estate holdings spanned far and wide, totaling approximately 32 km2.
Indeed, with his sharp wit and leveraging his power, even amidst societal chaos, Hoa Than found ways to accumulate wealth that few could have imagined.
From the analyses above, it's evident that Hoa Than's immense fortune was no simple feat. Despite facing much criticism, Hoa Than's talent and acumen in the business world are undeniable.
Sources: Soha, Baidu, Zhihu
