Journey back in time. We are standing before the Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum. This museum isn’t just a building. It is a portal to a pivotal era in China’s history.
The Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum stands on the original site of the old trading zone. This was during the Qing Dynasty. Now it is Guangzhou Cultural Park. It was created in 2016. The museum covers 4,700 square meters.
From 1757 to 1842, Guangzhou was the sole Chinese port for trade with the West. Emperor Qianlong made this decision. He was cautious of foreign political and commercial threats. Guangzhou became a frontier for political, economic and cultural communication.
Thirteen Hongs refers to trade houses, hong merchants, and the trading system. The word ‘hong’ means merchant houses in Cantonese. The number thirteen is a generic term. It does not refer to the actual number of merchant houses.
Inside the Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum are treasures. These treasures reflect Guangzhou’s prosperous trade with the world. The museum has two permanent exhibitions. One is about the history of Guangzhou’s Thirteen Hongs. The other displays artifacts donated by Wang Heng and his wife, Feng Jie. They are well-known Cantonese collectors. They donated over 1,500 antiques purchased abroad.
The first exhibition hall covers 2,450 square meters. It has six parts. It shows the history and prosperity of the Thirteen Hongs. This includes foreign trade and historical trade events.
Upstairs, you will find the Wang Heng and Feng Jie donation display. You’ll see Guangcai porcelain and pith paintings. Also Cantonese embroidery and carved ivory. Other items include fans, furniture, silverware, enamel pieces, reverse glass paintings, watercolors, oil paintings, and lacquer ware.
These were the main handicrafts made in Guangzhou for export. Tea, silk, and porcelain were popular in Europe and the United States. The antiques include over 100 pieces of mahogany furniture. There are also over 600 Guangcai porcelain pieces from the Kangxi and Qianlong periods.
One notable item is a big bowl. It is glazed using a unique technique of Guangzhou. It was the first cultural relic collected after the museum’s establishment. A foreign merchant ship ordered it as a souvenir. It commemorates its voyage to Guangzhou. The bowl’s inside is printed with the reign tile of 1757.
A replica of the Goteborg is on display. The Goteborg was a Swedish ship. It visited Guangzhou three times. On its final voyage it sank. It struck a coral reef on its way home.
The Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum embodies the spirit of credibility. Also practicality, adventure, and tolerance. These values continue to inspire Cantonese businesses. It serves as a platform to study the history of the Thirteen Hongs. The museum showcases the evolution of the Thirteen Hongs. It holds historical documents and cultural relics. These are from both home and abroad.