旗後新泰記葉家之研究

Historical Study of Sintaiji Yeh- Familly at Cihou

打狗旗後葉姓家族是一個具有傳奇性色彩的家族。清未民初葉姓兄弟自廈門移居旗後，當時家族集居旗後天后宮廟前右側大片土地，經營店舖，開設洋行、貿易行、米店，接著開創金融事業，時間前後不過二十年的光景。日治時期可以說是旗後葉家的鼎盛時期，尤其開創高雄二信金融機構更是廣為人知。二戰未期，葉家快速的分家，陸續離旗後地區，現今族人散居台南至屏東一帶。本文除了整理出葉家在旗後、高雄地區的發展之外，也發現廈門葉家從清代興家之後，兄弟二人各在旗、廈兩地發展出極為相似的發展模式，順應時勢而起，也因時勢而落的買辦家族性格，對於政治環境充滿著高度的敏感特性。旗後葉家選擇跱伏南台灣，等待下一次的躍起。

The Yeh family at Cihou is legendary. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Yeh brothers emigrated from Xiamen to Chihou and set up a bank facilitating business and trade between the two places. During the Japanese colonial era the Yeh families had accumulated great wealth and owned a tract of land near Tien-Hou temple. With skillful management, their business had expanded extensively to the establishment of a XinTaiJi shop, a trading company and grain store. In twenty years, the Yeh family became one of the most influential families in Kaohsiung area. The Yeh family settled not only in the KaoHsiung area but a branch of the Yeh was also located in Xiamen and studied in this report. Both branches experienced similar histories. The high political sensitivity and existing environment, we have demonstrated similar pattern in terms of business development/management in Yeh’s branch family.