Site of the Former Hangzhou Silk Guild Hall

Site of the Former Hangzhou Silk Guild Hall

The Site of the Former Hangzhou Silk Guild Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Hangzhou City.

Hangzhou has long been known as the “Home of Silk.” With the development of the silk industry in Hangzhou, guilds—organizations formed to meet the needs of industry discussions and dispute resolution—and their associated buildings—guild halls—emerged. The earliest silk guild in Hangzhou was established in the 22nd year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1817), and it built Guancheng Hall in Zhongqing Lane as its meeting place.

In the 30th year of the Guangxu reign (1904), due to limited space that could no longer accommodate the needs of silk industry practitioners for gatherings and discussions, Song Xijiu and others proposed a plan to “relocate and rebuild elsewhere,” which was approved by the fellow guild members. Subsequently, prominent silk merchants such as Wang Dafu, Jiang Yanguang, Xu Jisheng, and Ding Lizhong pooled funds to rebuild Guancheng Hall within Baoxin Lane (now Zhidafangbo). Construction of the new building began in the early year of the Xuantong reign (1911) and was completed in September of the third year of the Republic of China (1914), at a cost of 58,000 silver dollars. The entire complex covered an area of 20 mu, featuring multi-storied buildings and a majestic presence. Key structures included the Temple of Emperor Wu, Guancheng Hall, Tianzhang Pavilion, and Xingwusu Zhai. It was the largest guild hall of its kind in Hangzhou at the time. After the new building was completed, it was officially named the “Silk Guild Hall,” and for a time, it served as a hub where silk merchants from across the country gathered to discuss business, exchange market information, distribute silk products, and refine their crafts—all of which played a significant role in advancing Hangzhou’s silk industry.

The current address of the former site of the Silk Guild Hall is “No. 92, Zhidafangbo.” Today, only the main structure of Guancheng Hall, the rear wing corridors, and a stone stele from the third year of the Republic of China (1914) inscribed with “Record of the Reconstruction of Guancheng Hall in Hangzhou” remain. Guancheng Hall faces south with a gable-and-hip roof, spanning five bays in width and six bays in depth.

The Silk Guild Hall is the only surviving silk industry guild hall in Hangzhou. As an important historical relic of the development of Hangzhou’s silk industry, it holds significant historical value for the study of the city’s modern silk industry.

Protected area: extends east to the west red line of Zhidafangbo Road, south approximately 10 meters beyond the heritage structure itself, west and north approximately 5 meters beyond the heritage structure, covering a total area of 1,355 square meters.

Construction control zone: extends east to the west red line of Zhidafangbo Road, south to the south red line of Qingyin Street (connecting with the construction control zone of the Huzhou Guild Hall), west to a three-story residential building on the left, north approximately 30 meters beyond the protected area, covering a total area of 12,449 square meters.