清代晚期,天津已经发展成为中国华北的经济中心,最大的商埠,经济和军事地位不断上升。帝国主义列强出于侵略目的,力图攫取在天津设立电报的特权,一再提出在天津设立电报通信的要求,遭到清廷拒绝。
        光绪年间,直隶总督李鸿章移驻天津,处理军事、外交等事务,书信来往频繁,深感驿递迟缓,耽误事机。从防务紧急需要和阻止外国人染指中国电信主权出发,于光绪三年(1877)五月十七日,由总督衙门 (今金钢桥西)至天津机器局,试设了电报线。接着又于光绪五年闰三月(1879年5月),建成天津至大沽炮台、北塘炮台的电报线,试通军事电报。这是继台湾电报线之后,中国大陆的第一条电报线。成为其后建设津沪、南北洋两大电报干线的发端。
        光绪六年八月十二日 (1880年9月16日),李鸿章上奏,请设南北洋电报,两天后奏准,即速筹办。光绪七年三月 (1881年4月),津沪电报线从天津、上海两端同时动工,由丹麦大北电报公司承办。历时8个月,十一月四日天津、上海间陆路电报线建设竣工,全长3075里,跨越黄河、长江以水线连接。十一月八日 (12月28日),对外开放营业。
        津沪电报向公众开放的第一个月,免收费用。当时使用的收发电报机,是莫尔斯人工电报机,每分钟可拍发汉字电码20～25个。计费方法参照 “万国公例” ,每3码按1字计算; 每份电报至少以7字起算; 凡是零数凑不足3码者,亦按1字计算; 收报人姓名、地址都按字收费。如天津至济宁,每个字0.10银元; 天津至清江浦 (今淮阴市),每个字0.11银元; 天津至上海,每个字0.15银元。紧急电报于报尾自加“急”字,此字也算1字; 私事紧急电报3倍收费; 电报需由收报局照原码传回校对的,资费另加一半。洋文按华文加倍收费,10个洋文字母以内算作1字,超过的加算。
        光绪六年 (1880)九月,在建设电报线的同时,经李鸿章奏准,在天津东门内问津行馆 (又称杨家花园,今东门里大街),设立津沪电报总局,这是中国第一家电报局,也是中国第一个负责线路工程和组织电报通信的管理机构。李鸿章亲任总裁,天津海关道郑藻如、直隶候补道盛宣怀、刘含芳为总办。并在津沪电报线沿线的紫竹林、大沽口、临清、济宁、清江浦 (今淮阴市) 、镇江、苏州、上海等8处,设立分局; 沿线还分设了78处巡房。全部经费共用湘平银21万余两,先以北洋军饷垫支,然后再由电报总局仿照轮船招商局章程,募集商股,最后归还官款。这是中国对公众开放收发官商电报的第一批电报局。
        津沪电报总局建立后,清政府又先后建设了苏、浙、闽、粤沿海陆线,以及津京线、长江线、广 (州)龙 (州)线、北 (塘)山 (海关)线、山 (海关)奉 (天)线、津保 (定)线等等,都由津沪电报总局承建。
        光绪八年 (1882),津沪电报总局改官办为官督商办,后改设为中国电报总局。光绪十年三月 (1884年4月),总局由天津迁往上海。
        In the late Qing Dynasty,Tianjin became the economiccenter and the biggest business seaport in NorthChina. Its economic and military power ascended. Theimperialist countries strived to monopolize the telegraphbusiness in Tianjin for the sake of their invasion. Theirrequests to set up telegraph communication weredeclined by Qing Dynasty.
        During Emperor Guangxu`s regime,Li Hongzhang,Governor-General of Zhili,was dispatched to Tianjin,dealing with military and foreign affairs. There were toomany important letters to be delivered each day. Li wasworried about their delay. To meet the needs of defenseand prevent foreigners from involving China`s tele-business,a telegraph line was tested from the governor`syamen (west of Jingang Bridge) to Tianjin MachineryBureau in 1877. In May,1879,a military telegraphy linewas set up from Tianjin to Dagu and Beitang Seaports.After the Taiwan line,this was the first line opened inChinese Mainland,which later became the initiator ofthe two major lines: one from Tianjin to Shanghai,theother from North to South China.
        On September 16,1880,Li Hongzhang reported thecourt to set up a telegraph line from north to south. Twodays later,the application was approved by the emperor,who urged a quick implementation of the telegraph. InApril 1881,Denmark North Telegraph Co. began tolay the telegraph line simultaneously from Tianjin andShanghai. On November 4,the construction of the line,which ranged 3,075 kilometres,was completed. Theparts covering Yellow River and Yangtze River wereunder-water lines. On December 28,the line commencedbusiness to public.
        In the first month after the telegraph business wasopened to the public,no fee was charged. The manualMorris telegraph could send 20-25 Chinese charactersper minute.
        In September 1880,the Jinhu (Tianjin-Shanghai)Telegraph Bureau was set-up at Mr Yang`s Garden atDongmen Street with the approval from Governor-General Li Hongzhang. This was the first telegraphbureau in charge of telegraph construction and servicesin China. Li Hongzhang appointed himself as thepresident. Its vice-presidents included Zheng Zaoru,Head of Tianjin Customers,and Sheng Xuanhuaiand Liu Hanfang,Intendants of Zhili. Eight branchesand 78 patrol offices were set up at Zizhulin,DaguEmplacement,Linqing,Jining,Qingjiangpu,Zhenjiang,Suzhou and Shanghai. Total cost was 210,000 taels,paidby military expenditure in advance. By imitating thecharter of Ship Bureau,the telegraph collected businessshares to return the military fund. It was also the firsttelegraph bureau providing services for government andbusiness.
        After the setup of the Jinhu Telegraph Bureau,Qing Dynasty also built the telegraph line along Jiangsu,Zhejiang,Fujian and Guangdong provinces; and theline from Beijing to Tianjin,the line of Yangtze River,the line from Guangzhou to Longzhou,the line fromBeitang to Shanhaiguan,the line from Shanghaiguan toFengtian,the line from Tianjin to Baoding,etc. All werebuilt by Jinhu Telegraph Bureau.
        In 1882,the Jinhu Telegraph Bureau was runin a business way under the supervision from thegovernment. Later,it was renamed as China TelegraphBureau. In 1884,the bureau was moved from Tianjin to Shanghai.

        

·1880年建于东门内的电报总局