Former Site of the Hutouya Chamber of Commerce Guild Hall

Former Site of the Hutouya Chamber of Commerce Guild Hall

The former site of the Hutouya Chamber of Commerce Guild Hall is a cultural heritage site protected at the municipal level in Laizhou City.

The former site of the Hutouya Chamber of Commerce Guild Hall is located on the west coast of Hutouya Village, Hutouya Town, Laizhou City. The surviving guild hall includes 11 northern rooms, featuring a single round-arched gate facing north, 4.2 meters wide. To the west of the gate are 7 main rooms spanning 17 meters in width, and to the east are 4 main rooms spanning 12 meters. The total east-west length of the guild hall along the street is 33.2 meters, with a depth of 5.8 meters. There are 10 eastern wing rooms spanning 21.6 meters in width and 4.9 meters in depth, as well as 4 southern rooms spanning 16.2 meters in width and 5.8 meters in depth. The courtyard has a total north-south length of 29.5 meters. According to the *Continuation of Yexian Annals (Volume IV)*, “The Hutouya Chamber of Commerce was established in the second year of the Republic of China (1913), initially named the Hutouya Chamber of Commerce Sub-Office. In the fifth year of the Republic (1916), it was officially approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce and renamed the Yexian Hutouya Chamber of Commerce. Sun Zailian served as president for multiple terms until 1925, when Zhao Wanjian was elected and served until 1932, after which Wang Shushen became chairman. Major exports included straw braids and cowhide. From 1928 onward, trade gradually declined, almost ceasing entirely, except for fish, which remained in high demand. Other exports such as grapes and apples were minimal. Imports mainly consisted of cedar poles, red grains, corn, millet, beans, and sugar.” This guild hall holds significant value for researching the foreign trade history of Laizhou during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period.

In 2012, it was designated as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit in Laizhou City.

Source: Laizhou City Museum

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