Site of the Former Gutan Customs in Jiujiang

Site of the Former Gutan Customs in Jiujiang

The Site of the Former Gutan Customs in Jiujiang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The modern Jiujiang Customs was established in 1861 and officially began collecting duties on December 21, 1862. It was one of the earlier Chinese customs in the modern era to adopt the system of inspectorate general. The Site of the Former Gutan Customs in Jiujiang bears witness to the evolution of China’s tariff system—from traditional customs to modern customs. It is currently the only known cultural heritage site of its kind related to customs in China. The Site is located on the Gutan Peninsula in Gutan Town, Lianxi District, Jiujiang City. From the mid-18th century to the early 20th century, the ancient town of Gutan here served as the only golden waterway trade port and commodity distribution hub at the point where Poyang Lake flows into the Yangtze River. The former Gutan Customs was an important checkpoint where merchant ships from the north and south, loaded with tea, rice, timber, porcelain, salt, summer cloth, tobacco leaves, paper, general merchandise, daily necessities, and more, docked and paid tariffs. It was the first pass along the historic Tea Road between China and Russia that spanned the Eurasian continent. Due to its strategic location at the intersection where the Poyang Lake water system meets the Yangtze River, it played a vital role in the Tea Road and holds irreplaceable heritage value as a key spatial node.

The Site of the Former Gutan Customs in Jiujiang is the only relatively well-preserved modern customs site in Jiangxi Province. It holds significant historical, cultural, and architectural value, serving as a specimen for the study of modern Western-style customs architecture. At the same time, it is also a historical testament bearing the heritage value of China’s modern port opening and the China-Russia Tea Road.

Gutan Town: Gutan Town is situated at the eastern foot of Mount Lu and on the shores of Poyang Lake, 13 kilometers from downtown Jiujiang. The town is surrounded by water on three sides and backed by mountains on one side, with Jiuxing Highway running through it. To the east, it borders Poyang Lake, facing Hukou across the lake; to the south, it is bounded by Gushan Lake, connecting with Huihui Town across the landscape; to the west, it links with Weijia Town, adjacent to Zhujiao and Xinhua Villages; to the north, it connects with Niangchi River, sharing a river boundary with Kaitian Village in Yujiahe Township. The town enjoys a mild climate year-round, covers an area of 50 square kilometers, governs eight village committees and two neighborhood committees, and has a population of 35,800.

Gutan Town is one of the four major ancient towns in Jiangxi, taking shape during the Three Kingdoms and Western Jin periods... More information about Gutan Town++

Further reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units