How much does a bottle of Changyu wine from 100 years ago cost?
On weekdays, friends often ask me backstage:
Yanzu, help me see how much this bottle of wine costs?
Kind like me
I have always been happy to answer these questions
And two days ago, a friend asked again:
That was 100 years ago
How much does Changyu wine cost?
Fortunately, Yanzu has many years of experience in digging history
Otherwise, I really can't hold it!
Let's take a look at a set of materials:
The portrait of Changyu wine in the 1927 Jingzhao Mechanism Liquor Taxation Office Mechanism Liquor Names
In the 1924 issue of the Oriental Magazine (Volume 21, No. 12), an article titled "Yantai Investigation" was published, which wrote about the Zhangyu Grape Brewery Company and described the types and prices of Zhangyu's products at that time: "The wine produced by the company is divided into two types: white and red. There are seven types of white wine, and brandy is the best (strictly speaking, brandy is not white wine, but a strong liquor made from white grapes), priced at 25 yuan per mark;"; Red wine is also divided into seven types, with Pinnacle being the most expensive, priced at 15 yuan each; The lowest price for white and red wine is 9 yuan per dozen
The "yuan" mentioned earlier refers to
The common unit of currency in the Republic of China is the silver dollar
"A dozen" refers to 12 bottles
Calculate the price of Changyu wine from this
Each bottle is approximately between 0.8 and 2 silver coins
Among them, each bottle of Changyu brandy costs about 2 silver dollars
Zhang Yupin Li Zhu, each bottle is approximately 1.25 silver yuan
The universal currency of the 1920s - silver yuan, commonly known as "Yuan Datou"
How much does 1 silver dollar in the Republican era roughly equal to today's money? Considering the chaos of war and the significant fluctuations in prices during the Republic of China period, we will use rice as an analogy:
According to the famous scholar Chen Mingyuan's research on the purchasing power of silver coins in history, from 1920 to 1925, 1 silver coin could buy 18 kilograms of rice or 7 kilograms of pork in Shanghai.
Our current rice price is approximately 3 yuan/pound
In 1920-1925:
1 silver yuan=18 pounds of rice
In 2017:
1 kilogram of rice=3 yuan
That is to say:
1 silver dollar is approximately 60 yuan
Therefore, it can be concluded that:
The price range of Changyu wine is approximately
Between 50-120 RMB
1 bottle of Changyu brandy
Approximately equal to the current 120 yuan
It doesn't sound very expensive, it's similar to now. Let's take a look at the income situation of ordinary people at that time:
The monthly salary of ordinary factory workers in big cities is about 20 silver dollars. Approximately equal to 10 bottles of Changyu brandy;
The income of female and child workers in the factory is lower, about 10 silver yuan, which is equivalent to 5 bottles of Changyu brandy;
The income of servants is even lower, with regular nannies earning around 2 silver dollars per month, which is equivalent to 1 bottle of Changyu brandy;
On May 1, 1920, New Youth launched the Labor Day commemorative account, which detailed the investigation of workers in various industries and regions. The following is a list of the income situation of workers in industries related to people's daily lives in major cities: 1. Silk Factory: The maximum daily wage for workers in Wuxi Silk Factory is 0.35 points, and the minimum daily wage is 8 points; Shanghai silk factory workers can reach a maximum of 36 to 45 minutes, with a minimum of approximately 1.5 minutes (The original text is too long, only a partial excerpt here)
From the above examples, it can be seen that at that time, the income level was relatively low, and ordinary people were unlikely to often taste drinks like Changyu wine and Changyu brandy.
On the other hand, knowledgeable individuals with excessively high levels of education generally have higher income levels. Taking professors from Peking University as an example, their income is generally between 200 to 300 silver dollars per month, which allows them to live a relatively comfortable life.
Due to the well-educated middle class, who had good material living conditions and were enthusiastic about Western cuisine, wine gradually became the most fashionable beverage during the Republic of China period.
A hundred years ago, the "Zhangyu Branch" was located on Nanjing East Road. At that time, the storefront was very exquisite, the counter furniture was exquisitely processed, and the inner walls were mostly fashionable glass mirrors. The personnel were dressed on par with the respectable people in Shanghai.
Shanghai was the "fashion capital" of China during the Republic of China era and a barometer of Chinese fashion trends. At that time, the fashionable elites in Shanghai loved to linger in dance halls and dance modern "national standard dances"; In terms of clothing, Chinese cheongsam and Western evening gown compete for excellence, while in terms of beverages, Changyu brandy and Changyu wine are the most "fashionable" drinks in their glasses. Here are a few advertisements from the Republic of China era, to give you an experience:
In the 1919 advertisement for Zhang Yulao in the Oriental Magazine, the elegant lady held a glass of wine in her hand, feeling contented.
Zhang Yu around 1915, Old advertisements, girlfriends drinking and chatting happily, chatting and laughing happily.
A lady from a wealthy family, drinking alone in the afternoon, will enjoy life!
According to Zhang Xuge's "Chaotic Times - Memories of Shanghai Life and Entertainment in the 1940s", there is a storefront opposite the Jing'an Temple Road Racecourse, between the New World and Wufang Studio, owned by Yantai Zhangyu Brewery Company, specializing in the sale of Zhangyu Gold Award Brandy, Port Red Wine, and White Wine. The company's brandy, which won a gold medal at the Panama World Expo, is of good quality. Usually, when dining at home or having a small drink with close friends, one would drink Changyu Company's liquor... "