Former Site of Shengshun Tea House

Former Site of Shengshun Tea House

The former site of Shengshun Tea House is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The former site of Shengshun Tea House is located at No. 238 Xiadian Road, Taijiang District. Originally the property of the Ouyang family from Changle, leaders of the Shuanghang tea trade during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, it integrated a tea factory, raw tea purchasing station, finished tea warehouse, tea farmers' inn, and the residence of the tea magnate. Five members of the Ouyang family joined the underground Communist Party organization, and until 1949, the site served as an operational base and communication hub for the underground party. In January 2013, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site as part of the “Shangxia Hang Commercial Building Complex.”

The exact date of its establishment is unknown. In the 11th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1885), the Ouyang family relocated their business here from Changle and established the “Shengshun Tea House” under the “Hengyuan Hall” of the Mao Tea Trade.

In the 11th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1885), the Ouyang family moved their business to Xiadian Street in Fuzhou (the western end of Xiadian Road) from Changle and established the “Shengshun Tea House” under the “Hengyuan Hall” of the Mao Tea Trade.

In the early 20th century, countries such as India, Indonesia, and Japan established their own tea markets, taking away some of Fuzhou’s overseas tea market share. However, the “Shengshun” business managed to maintain balanced development. In the early stages of the War of Resistance against Japan, due to the disruption of the Northeast market, “Shengshun” rerouted its exports through Hong Kong, which remained profitable. After the outbreak of World War II, with the fall of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, along with the Kuomintang bureaucracy’s control and market monopoly, the Fuzhou private tea trade was severely impacted. Exports from “Shengshun” nearly halted, and sales declined significantly.

In 1942, Ouyang Kang passed away amid declining business and illness. With the loss of its leader, the Ouyang family members went their separate ways in search of livelihoods, leading to a sharp decline in the enterprise, which eventually fell into a state of closure.

After the victory of the War of Resistance, some family members resumed the tea business, inheriting the traditional production methods of “Shengshun” Tea House. They opened tea shops such as “Yizhi Chun,” “Di Yi Feng,” and “Fuxing Chun” on Zhongting Street and Xiadian Street.

The building faces south and has three courtyards, covering an area of over 2,000 square meters.

The main structure of the first courtyard is three bays wide, with two-story side rooms that originally served as lodging for tea farmers delivering raw tea. The rear hall is also two stories, with a corridor on the second floor, originally used as offices.

The main structure of the second courtyard is a two-story building, three bays wide and five pillars deep, with two-story side wings. This section served as the residence of the Ouyang family.

The third courtyard consists of a two-story warehouse that originally stored finished tea. A door on the left leads to the tea processing factory. The factory covers approximately 1,000 square meters and also has three courtyards, each with a central courtyard.

Houzhou Subdistrict: Houzhou Subdistrict, Taijiang District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province; Area: 1.02 km²; Population: 35,800 (2004); Code: 350103002

After the merger of Houzhou Subdistrict and Shuanghang Subdistrict in April 2004: Bordered by Wuyi South Road and the centerline of Yingzhou River to the east; from Tongtai Bridge southward along Baima River to Baima Bridge to the west; bounded by the main channel of the Min River to the south; and by Nanchanqiao Road and Nanxiang Bridge to the north. It governs 13 communities: ~001_Jiangbin Community, ~004_Anping Community, ~006_Dajiang Community, ~011_Datong Community, ~00... For more details about Houzhou Subdistrict, see++.