「客長」一詞應該是指從外地來到本地，客居於本地的商工群體之領袖，即「客商之長」。「客」係指由外地流寓本地之意，外來商工群體因從事商工等行業，必須行商貿易有無，或是隨勞務需要而游動不羈，離開本籍流寓他方。本文首先試圖從清代史料中盡量爬梳，找出「客長」的詞彙及其所涵括的概念，以作為全面性認識「客長」的初步課題；其次，對於目前尚缺乏詳細研究的在涉外貿易層面上的「客長」角色加以補足，藉以考察「客長」在中國整體的商業結構、商人管理等領域上的功能。

Assistant Professor, Department of History, National Chengchi University “Ke-zhang” is a word that refers to leaders of guilds of merchants and craftsmen who travelled from region to region looking for work. This article firstly aims to illustrate the meaning of “Ke-zhang” with respect to Qing dynasty literature, and then secondly attempts to compensate for the lack of theory on “Ke-zhang” in foreign trading cultures by reviewing their functions in terms of the structure of commerce and management of merchants.