Pillars of the Rice Trade: The Central Role of Overseas Chinese and the "Five Great Rice Mills" in Vietnam
The Golden Grain of Indochina
Introduction
During the French colonial period in the early 20th century, Vietnam emerged as one of the world's leading rice exporters. This economic miracle was not driven by French capital alone but was fundamentally underpinned by the entrepreneurial spirit and organizational prowess of the Overseas Chinese. As recorded in Chen Tianjie’s memoirs, the Chinese community in Cholon (Ti'an) established a near-monopoly on the collection, processing, and exportation of Vietnamese rice, centered around the legendary "Five Great Rice Mills."
The Strategic Hub: Cholon and the Rice Network
Cholon served as the beating heart of the Vietnamese rice trade. Chinese merchants leveraged their deep connections with local Vietnamese farmers in the Mekong Delta to create a sophisticated supply chain.
Collection: Chinese "paddy brokers" traveled into the interior to purchase raw grain from farmers.
Transportation: A fleet of small boats and barges owned by Chinese merchants transported the paddy via the intricate canal system to the mills in Cholon.
Processing: This is where the "Fire Rice Mills" (steam-powered mills) played a decisive role, turning raw paddy into polished export-grade rice.
The "Five Great Rice Mills" (Fire Rice Mills)
The term "Fire Rice Mill" (火米機) referred to the large-scale steam-powered milling facilities that revolutionized production. The industry was dominated by five major mills, all owned by prominent Chinese figures, representing the pinnacle of Chinese industrial investment in Nanyang at the time:
Ban Hap (萬合): Owned by the famous merchant Zhao Shanyuan (also known as the "Rice King").
Ban Seng (萬成): Another pillar of the Zhao family's industrial empire.
Kien Seng (建成): A major facility contributing to the massive daily output of Cholon.
Chung Hap (松合): Known for its high-efficiency processing capabilities.
Ban An (萬安): Part of the interconnected web of the "Five Greats" that dictated market prices.
These mills were not just factories; they were symbols of economic sovereignty. Their combined output was so vast that they controlled the price of rice across Southeast Asia, often out-competing French-owned mills through superior management and lower overhead costs.
Quotable Quotes on the Rice Industry
"The lifeblood of Vietnam’s economy was in the hands of the Chinese rice merchants... without the 'Five Great Rice Mills,' the export of Annam’s grain would have ground to a halt."
"The smoke from the 'Fire Rice Mills' in Cholon was the smoke of prosperity for the entire Chinese community in Indochina."
Conclusion
The dominance of the Overseas Chinese in the rice industry demonstrated their indispensable role in the modernization of Vietnam’s economy. The "Five Great Rice Mills" remain a testament to a time when Chinese capital and labor transformed Vietnam into the "Rice Bowl of Asia."
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