Fujian Guild Hall in Gaizhou

Fujian Guild Hall in Gaizhou

The Fujian Guild Hall in Gaizhou is a cultural relic protection unit of Liaoning Province.

The Fujian Guild Hall is located at No. 11-1, North Shengli Road, Minhe Community, Gulou Subdistrict Office, Gaizhou City. It sits immediately west of Pujisi Temple and is collectively known as one of the Four Great Guild Halls of Gaizhou, along with the Sanjiang Guild Hall, Shandong Guild Hall, and Shanxi Guild Hall.

The Fujian Guild Hall was first built during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty as a meeting and assembly venue for the business community formed by merchants from Fujian. The hall once housed the Tianhou Palace, also known as the Temple of the Sea God. Currently, the main hall, east side hall, and theater stage of the guild hall no longer exist, and the original structures have been replaced by residential areas. Only the west side hall remains, which is five bays wide, stretching 17.3 meters from north to south and 8.7 meters from east to west, with a floor area of 150.51 square meters. The building features a traditional Chinese structure with six rafters, a front-eave corridor, and a flush-gable roof. Its foundation is built with strip stones, the walls with blue bricks, and the roof topped with gray tiles.

As early as the Ming Dynasty, Gaizhou became the first trading port in Northeast China. At that time, merchants from inland areas and the southern regions flocked to Gaizhou to conduct business. Merchant ships traveled up the Daqing River from Xihekou, reaching all the way to the southern outskirts of Gaizhou. By the Qing Dynasty, economic trade had seen significant development. Back then, Gaizhou city was packed with shops and bustling with merchants. Goods from all over the country converged here, with fixed markets trading items such as silkworm cocoons, chickens and ducks, fish, and firewood. Merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanxi, and Fujian built luxurious guild halls in the city. Gaizhou had become a renowned trade hub at the time, described by people as: “Although a small town, its fame spread far and wide, echoing across the Three Rivers.”

The Fujian Guild Hall stands as evidence of Gaizhou’s opening as a port and as a witness to the city’s economic and historical development. Its architecture represents an integration of northern and southern Chinese styles and holds high historical and artistic research value.

In 2014, the People's Government of Liaoning Province (Document No. Liao Zheng Fa [2014] No. 27) designated the Fujian Guild Hall as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.

Source: Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Broadcasting, Television, and Tourism; Contributor: Dong Wenjie

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