The illustrations of the Kangxi version of "Confucius' Questions and Answers on Children" in the Qing Dynasty show a push-back rickshaw. Different from horse chariots that require standing on the vehicle, two-wheeled vehicles that can be used by the elderly appeared no later than the Han Dynasty, which are the so-called "Anche Pulun".
The rickshaw was first invented in 1869 by Jonathan Scobee, an American missionary to Japan. It was first used by individuals on the streets of Yokohama, but it soon began to be used on the streets of Yokohama. Locally spread and used, it has become an important means of transportation in Japan's big cities in a few years.
In 1873, a French businessman named Menard arrived in Shanghai from Japan and tried to introduce rickshaws to China in order to make a profit, and obtained the approval of the French Concession Public Board. The public board of directors manages by issuing licenses and collecting taxes.
In 1874, Mira officially established the company. By the end of that year, ten companies had been established in Shanghai, and nearly a thousand rickshaws were in operation. Later, it gradually became popular in various areas of Shanghai. By 1914, there were 9,178 rickshaws in the public concession alone.
Extended information:
In the early years of the Republic of China, the rickshaw companies in Shanghai were mainly operated by rickshaw companies established by foreign countries. They purchased rickshaws, registered with the concession authorities to buy licenses, and then rented them. They were given to Chinese middlemen and then subleased to rickshaw pullers for business. By the beginning of the 20th century, competition among Chinese businessmen for company registration gradually emerged.
Since the cost of building a rickshaw was declining due to advanced technology at that time, the company could recover the cost by renting out a rickshaw for about a month, making it a very profitable industry at the time.
The life of a laboring rickshaw puller is generally hard. In the 1930s, the price of riding a rickshaw was less than 20 cents per mile. It was much cheaper than taking a taxi at that time, and it was affordable for ordinary citizens. In addition, compared with cars, rickshaws can enter many narrower alleys, so they have become the main means of transportation for citizens.
However, rickshaw drivers spend a lot of labor, but their income after deducting the cost of renting a car is very little. It is estimated that in the 1930s, about 80,000 people in Shanghai made a living by pulling rickshaws, most of whom were lower-class poor immigrants from other places.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Rickshaw