洋行,是伴随着各国租界的开辟而出现的。租界建立后,外国商人纷至沓来,他们从天津深入中国内地,采购各种适销的农副土特产品,从天津口岸运销国外; 同时从国外运来各种廉价的机器产品,通过天津推销到中国内地。从此天津有了日益繁忙的进出口业务。外国商人依仗租界和不平等条约的庇护,都从中攫取高额的利润,所以专门经营进出口贸易的外国商行不断出现。有些商行不一定专门经营进出口业务,但是中国人把这些商行都称为洋行。
        清同治六年 (1867年9月16日),英商怡和洋行天津分行在天津永租到英租界维多利亚道(今解放北路东侧)与怡和道(今大连道南侧)拐角处土地8.988亩 (5992.03平方米)。怡和洋行,是外国人在天津设立的最早洋行之一。其总行设在上海。除远洋航运外,还有客、货轮往返中国沿海航运,开辟上海一天津航线,有船3艘,每月对开3次; 广州一天津航线,每月对开2次。同治七年(1868)十二月,怡和洋行轮船 “九苏号” ,自上海开航天津。
        怡和洋行受到租界的庇护,享受子口税的特权(即进口的洋货向海关缴纳一次值2.5%的子口税,便可运销全国,不再缴纳其它税费)。
        怡和洋行买办梁炎卿是粤籍买办中的巨头,被称为广东帮的开创人,也是天津的四大买办(怡和洋行梁炎卿、太古洋行郑翼之、俄商华俄道胜银行王铭槐、英商汇丰银行吴调卿)之一。
        宣统元年(1909),怡和洋行添设出口部,1913年又添设进口部。第一次世界大战前夕和战争期间,怡和洋行自华北为英国采购了大批猪鬃、羊毛、棉花、大豆、油脂等战略物资。怡和进口物资以食糖为大宗,其它有面粉、呢绒、布匹、洋酒、油脂等。每年营业额400万两,其经济实力强。特别是在进出口贸易方面,长时间处于主导地位,是天津早期四大洋行(怡和、太古、新泰兴、仁记)之一。
        此后,怡和在所租土地上建筑新大楼,1921年竣工(今解放北路157号)。新大楼为两层,砖木结构,有45个自然间及地下室3间,院内建有仓库。洋行的进口部、出口部、轮船部、机器部、木材部等,均在楼内办公。此外,在台儿庄路和塘沽于家堡建有仓库3处,在河西区马场道266号建有经理住宅。
        1952年怡和洋行天津分行歇业,其房产由天津市房产公司接管,改为机关所用。今为天津北方人才港股份公司。

        

·初期怡和洋行

        Yanghang,or foreign firms,were emerged with theestablishment of foreign concessions. Foreign businessmencame to Tianjin in a stream. They even went deep into thehinterland,purchasing agricultural products,especiallylocal special ones,and shipping them overseas. They alsoshipped cheap machines from foreign countries and soldthem into China`s inland via Tianjin. Therefore,Tianjin`simport and export business became more and moreprosperous. Foreign businessmen made great fortune withthe protection from concessions and unfair treaties,so moreand more import and export companies came into being.Some companies were not specialized in trade,but Chinesepeople were used to call them as Yanghang.
        On September 16,1867 (the 6th year of EmperorTongzhi),Jardine Matheson & Co.Ltd,rented an areaof 5,992.03 square metres around the corner of VictoriaStreet (east of Jiefangbei Road) and Yihe Street (south ofDalian Road) in Britain`s concession. Yihe Yanghang washeadquartered in Shanghai. Besides of ocean navigation,it had passenger ships and freighters running fromopposite directions along China`s coasts. The Shanghai-Tianjin line had three ships and ran three times a month;the Guangzhou-Tianjin line,twice a month. Its TianjinBranch was the first Yanghang in Tianjin.In December,1868,"Jiusu"Ship of Yihe Yanghang set sail from Shanghaito Tianjin.
        Jardine Matheson & Co.Ltd,with the protectionfrom the concession,was exempted from Zikou Tax,i.e. imported goods could be sold around China withoutadditional taxation after paying 2.5 per cent of Zikou Tax.
        Liang Yanqing was Jardine Matheson & Co.Ltd,comprador. As the initiator of Guangdong CompradorAssociation,he was one of the top four compradors inTianjin. The other three were: Zheng Yizhi of TaiguYanghang; Wang Mingkui of Russo-Asiatic Bank; and WuTiaoqing of Britain HSBC Bank.
        Jardine Matheson & Co.Ltd,set up its exportdepartment in 1909 and import department in 1913. Beforeand during the World War I,Yihe Yanghang bought largequantities of war materials from Northeast China for UK,such as bristle,wool,cotton,soybean,oil,etc. As to importmaterials,besides its focus on sugar,it also imported flour,wollen cloth,cloth,wine,oil,etc. Its yearly turnover was4 million taels of silver. Its business,especially import andexport,dominated in Tianjin for a long time as one of thetop four Yanghangs in Tianjin (Yihe,Taigu,Xintai andRenji).
        In 1921,Jardine Matheson & Co.Ltd,new buildingwas completed on its rented land. The location today isNo. 157,Jiefangbei Road. The two-story building in woodand brick had 45 rooms above the earth and 3 rooms inthe basement. In the courtyard,there was the storage. Allthe import,export,ship,machine and wood departmentsworked in the building with a construction size of 2,861.19square metres. It had the other three storages at Tai`erzhuangRoad and Yujiabao of Tanggu. The General Manager`shouse was built at No. 266,Machang Road,Hexi District.
        In 1952,Jardine Matheson & Co.Ltd,Tianjin Branchwent out of business. Its real properties were confiscatedby Tianjin Real Estate Company and used by thegovernment. Today,it has been changed to Tianjin NorthTalent Harbour Co.,Ltd.

        

·原怡和洋行天津分行及码头