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 Early
Travel Services |
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In spring
1923 Chen Guangfu, General Manager of the Shanghai Commercial
Savings Bank Ltd., was cold-shouldered scoffingly when
booking his passage at a British-run travel agency. In
order to win credit for the Chinese, Chen made up his
mind on returning to Shanghai to set up a travel service
department within his bank so as to compete with the foreign
travel agencies. He gave the task to Vice-manager Zhu
Chengzhang, a return student and one-time Acting Director
of the Railways Bureau. When the preparations were completed,
the Shanghai Commercial Saving Bank Ltd. submitted a proposal
to the Ministry of Communications under the Northern Warlords
Government (1912-1927), asking for permission to establish
a travel service department and to sell train tickets
on a commission basis. At that time, as a good number
of Chinese railways had been constructed on foreign loans,
many of the important positions were occupied by foreigners.
They went all out against the proposal at the National
Railway Through Transport Conference. However, thanks
to the support of General Director of Communications Ye
Gongche and others, the proposal was finally adopted.
On August 1, 1923, the Travel Service Department of the
Shanghai Commercial, the first of its kind run by Chinese
compatriots, was born in the Banks Building on Ningbo
road. It moved to No.420 Sichuan Road the next year.
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Head Office of C.T.S. located on Sichuan Zhong Road
in 1927 |
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By then
there were already several foreign travel agencies in
Shanghai, but they served foreign nationals only. Their
practices did not suit China's actual conditions. In view
of this, the Travel service Department worked out rules
and regulations of their own. To attract customers to
buy tickets, they made novel ticket holders to be given
free with the tickets. Attendants wearing uniforms and
caps bearing a five-star insignia showing the red Chinese
character lu(travel) stood at the railway station or wharf
to meet or see travelers off, Zhu Chengzhang in uniform
himself once appeared in the meet-and-see-off attendant
group. Shortly after the Travel Service department began
doing business, two overseas Chinese came to book tickets
from Shanghai to New York via London. since business like
this had not been set up yet, Zhu personally drove to
Thomas Cook & Son, a British travel agency, to purchase
the tickets. Consequently, the reputation of the Travel
Service Department grew rapidly with its business being
extended day by day to cover sales of tickets for railway
lines, steamers and ocean liners throughout the country.
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The
former director Zhu Chengzhang of C.T.S 
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branch departments were established in more than ten cities.
Travel Service Department organized spring and autumn
tourist parties or sightseeing tours of various famous
places of historic interest and scenic beauty. In 1926
they arranged group tours of Japan to enjoy Japanese cherry
blossoms. Thus, the Travel Service Department blazed a
trail in running group tourism in China. Of all its tasks,
the most noticeable the Travel Department took on was
the one which provided those going abroad with services
such as getting visas and passports, booking berths, purchasing
foreign currency, and supplying information that would
guide them in their life abroad. Among them, students
going to the United States constituted the great majority.
Every summer, as a rule, the Travel Service Department
chartered for them several large ships that were to sail
across the Pacific Ocean. There were several thousand
students altogether. |
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