Hoppo or Administrator of the Canton Customs (simplified Chinese: 粤海关部; traditional Chinese: 粵海關部; pinyin: Yuèhǎi Guānbù), was the Qing dynasty official at Guangzhou (Canton) given responsibility by the emperor for controlling shipping, collecting tariffs, and maintaining order among traders in and around the Pearl River Delta from 1685 to 1904. The word "Hoppo" is Chinese Pidgin English. Some have speculated that it derived from Hu Bu ("Board of Revenue", simplified Chinese: 户部; traditional Chinese: 戶部). But the Hoppo had no connection to the Board, leaving the origin of the word uncertain.