太平军起义,上海地方曾一度混乱,土地所有权的文据几乎丧失或销毁殆尽。咸丰皇帝为此下了一道谕旨,宣布原有地契一律作废无效,同时命地方官府在经过重新普遍测量土地后,发一种叫做“方单”的证书来代替已丧失或销毁的地契。由于这种证书形状方正,所以俗称“方单”,但证书的正式名称是“执业田单”(亦称“执业方单”),上面开列详细情况,如持有人之姓 Taiping uprising, the Shanghai area was once chaos, almost completely lost or destroyed the land ownership documents. The Emperor Xianfeng ordered an edict in this regard to declare the original title deed null and void, and at the same time ordered the local government to send a certificate called “party list” instead of the title deed that had been lost or destroyed after a general re-measurement of the land. Because of the shape of this certificate Founder, it is commonly known as “party list”, but the official name of the certificate is “practicing field” (also known as “practitioners list”), the details listed above, such as the holder’s last name