Fuyi Granary

Fuyi Granary

Fuyi Granary is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Covering an area of 8,000 square meters with a total floor space of 3,000 square meters, Fuyi Granary consists of three courtyards and three rows of granary buildings. Supervised by Tan Zhonglin, then Governor of Zhejiang, its construction began in the sixth year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1880) and was completed in the tenth year (1884). It is one of the well-preserved ancient grain storage facilities along the Grand Canal and, together with Beijing’s “Nanxin Granary,” is known as one of the “Granaries of the World.” The granary’s name carries the meaning of “achieving prosperity through benevolence and attaining righteousness through harmony.” It is now a Zhejiang Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Fuyi Granary Audio Guide

As the tour boat passes the Imperial Wharf, you’ll see a branch of the canal called Shengli River. Look over there — the bridge spanning it is Huaguang Bridge, which was rebuilt in 2006. Right next to Huaguang Bridge at the confluence of the Grand Canal and Shengli River, nestled between both banks, lies this ancient architectural complex — the renowned Fuyi Granary site, famous throughout the north and south of the Yangtze River.

Fuyi Granary is situated on a feng shui treasure land in the southern part of Gongshu District, Hangzhou. It was built during the Qing Dynasty when water transport was still highly developed. Particularly for tribute grain being shipped from the Jiangnan region to the capital, most was transported via the Grand Canal. Therefore, there were many large and small grain storage facilities at both ends of the canal — in Beijing and Hangzhou alike. For example, near Tongzhou, close to the inner city of Beijing near Dongzhimen, there were state-run granaries such as Beixin Granary, Nanxin Granary, Xintai Granary, and Lumigranary. To this day, many hutongs in that area are still named after these granaries. Hangzhou was no different, with granaries like Yongji Granary, Yanyi Granary, Fuyi Granary, and Renhe Granary distributed along both sides of the canal. As a historical distribution hub at the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Hushu area had numerous warehouses. Many local place names in Hangzhou also originate from former granaries, such as Renhecang North Alley and Renhecang South Alley.

Fuyi Granary is the last surviving ancient warehouse, boasting a history of over 100 years. It holds significant historical importance within the culture of canal grain transport, and it is often said that “to the north there is Nanxin Granary, and to the south there is Fuyi Granary.”

In the sixth year of the Guangxu reign (1880), with a grain shortage in Hangzhou, Tan Zhonglin, then Governor of Zhejiang, purchased land in Xiawan Lane to build a granary. After four years of construction, it was completed and named Fuyi Granary. At that time, the granary had fifty to sixty storage rooms, each about 20 square meters, capable of storing 40,000 to 50,000 dan of grain, making it the primary grain supply source for the people of Hangzhou. With an annual throughput of hundreds of thousands of dan, it played an extremely important role in supplying daily grain needs and reserving tribute grain. Gongshu District served as the goods distribution hub at the southern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the starting point for goods transport from Jiangnan. Transportation was very busy in those days. As advanced grain storage mechanisms were established, the old grain warehouses became “laid-off workers,” with most being rebuilt into modern residential or office buildings. However, Fuyi Granary alone has stood firmly in its dilapidated courtyards, stone foundations, wooden planks, earthen walls, and blue-tiled roofs. Preserved in its authentic form through weathered years, it retains the glory of its past. On one door panel that no longer opens or closes, the former name “Socialist United Compound” can still be clearly seen — a product of the communal dining system of the 1950s, which can also be considered a cultural relic.

One of the most appealing sights is in the southeast corner of the granary. On the mandatory path for visitors crossing Huaguang Bridge to tour Fuyi Granary, two old, twisted locust trees grow along the riverbank, flanking a straight, young locust tree — as if they are warmly greeting visitors. Their aged forms stretch out, warmly welcoming us. These three trees together are called “Two Elders with Child Greeting Locust Trees.” Friends, with such a warm welcome from this “family,” why not plan a visit to see them soon?

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units