만청(晩淸) 시대에 유행한 국수주의(國粹主義) 사조는 장타이옌(章太炎)을 대표로 하는 국수파(國粹派)가 제창한 보종(保種), 애국(愛國), 존학(存學)이라는 이념에서 발 원하였다. 그 핵심 취지는 서학(西學) 유입 이후 자국의 전통문화를 어떻게 수용하고 처리할 것인가 하는 문제에 대응하는 데 있었다. 본고는 1900년대부터 1910년대에 이르는 문화 및 교육 분야의 국수 담론에 주목하여, 사료 연구를 통해 만청 국수주 의 사조가 문화·교육 분야에 투영된 양상과 그 영향 및 의의를 고찰하였다. 문화 분 야에서의 국수 담론은 중국 고유의 ‘유교적 도덕’ 논의와 언어 문자를 매개로 한 경· 사·자·집(經·史·子·集) 등의 고전 저작으로 요약될 수 있다. 교육 분야에서는 ‘경학(經 學)’, ‘문학’, ‘국문’ 등의 국수 파생 개념을 통해 국수 보존론으로 귀결되는 경향을 보 였다. 국수주의 사조는 ‘보종존학(保種存學)’과 ‘민지개몽(民智開蒙)’이라는 이중적 요 구 속에서 근대 중국 고유의 문화 발전 궤적을 형성하는 데 기여하였다.

Salt, as a commodity, holds significant importance in national economy and people’s livelihood, From ancient times to the present, the state has commonly regulated this specific substance, with salt tax revenue being one of the most important sources of national fiscal income.Those ,engaged in the salt trade are known as “salt merchants”. However, during the state monopoly on salt and iron, the state controlled all production and sales of salt, so true “salt merchants” did not exist.The term “salt merchant” first appeared during the Tang Xuanzong period with the reforms of Liu Yan, the Salt and Iron Commissioner of Yangzhou,Subsequently, through the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, they became representative of the wealthiest groups,even Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty remarked, “The wealth of the salt merchants is immense, surpassing even mine!” The Qing dynasty novel “The Scholars” and the notes “Yangzhou Boat Records” record also described many scenes about the rich salt merchants. During their wealth accumulation process, salt merchants became synonymous with terms like “cunning”, “greedy”, “reeking of money”, and “profit-driven”, which have solidified our perception of their image. During their wealth accumulation process, salt merchants became synonymous with terms like “cunning”, “greedy”, “reeking of money”, and “profit-driven”, which have solidified our perception of their image.For a long time, according to the traditional Chinese social hierarchy of “scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants”, salt merchants did not have a high social status. Therefore, they used their wealth to improve their social standing. This is why they actively participated in national and local affairs, and their active involvement positively influenced local political, economic, and cultural development. As a group that operated in regions beyond the reach of central authority, who exactly were they? Currently, scholarly research on salt merchants mainly focuses on the Jiangnan region in the lower Yangtze River, a prosperous area where salt merchants exhibit more common characteristics for study.This article studies the salt merchants of Zigong in the late Qing period, analyzing their historical image and characteristics from both common and individual perspectives, in order to provide readers with a reinterpretation of this group.