Former Site of the Suzhou Customs Office

Former Site of the Suzhou Customs Office

The Former Site of the Suzhou Customs Office is located in the Japanese Concession at Qīngdì on the bank of Mídù Bridge on Nánmén Road in Suzhou, commonly known as the "Foreign Customs." It now houses the Suzhou Youth Activity Center.

Established in August 1896 during the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty, the customs office was set up at Mídù Bridge, a key transportation hub outside the city, following Suzhou’s designation as a treaty port under the Treaty of Shimonoseki. The Suzhou Customs had jurisdiction north to Jiaxing, south to Danyang, and west to Kunshan, with a tax superintendent overseeing operations. The first tax superintendent was British national Ernest Satow. Three surviving Western-style villa buildings face south, all featuring red-tiled pointed roofs and red brick exteriors. Covering an area of 2,436 square meters with a total floor space of 1,774 square meters, the complex includes a two-story building on the east with a near-curved rectangular layout, a three-story building on the west, and a single-story structure in the middle. The interiors are equipped with fireplaces, and the buildings are crowned with tall chimneys. The facades of the east and west buildings feature dynamic variations in their north and south elevations, representing typical British-style modern architecture. It is said that these buildings once served as high-end residences for senior customs officials.

The Suzhou Customs Office is one of China’s earlier modern customs facilities and stands as a significant testament to the country’s suffering under Western aggression and the loss of sovereignty during that era. Located by the ancient canal, it is an important cultural relic along the Grand Canal and holds considerable historical commemorative value. The surviving structures—red-tiled pointed roofs, towering chimneys, and varied façades—epitomize representative British architectural style and possess notable artistic merit.

In July 2009, the Former Site of the Suzhou Customs Office was listed by the municipal government as part of the sixth group of Suzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units. In December 2011, it was designated by the provincial government as part of the seventh group of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units