Former Site of the British Consulate in Shantou

Former Site of the British Consulate in Shantou

The former site of the British Consulate in Shantou is a cultural heritage protection unit of Guangdong Province.

The former site of the British Consulate is located at No. 5 Haipang Road, Haojiang District, Shantou City, Guangdong Province (i.e., the front section of the main entrance of present-day Koktokay Scenic Area), and was built in the 12th year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1862).

In 2005, it was designated as part of the third batch of municipal-level cultural heritage protection units by the Shantou Municipal People's Government.

Before the Opium War, imperialist forces began to invade Koktokay. Under the unequal Treaty of Tianjin, Shantou was opened as a trading port in 1861 and established as a commercial harbor. Since then, imperialist powers successively occupied land to build churches, schools, hospitals, and consulates. The original British Consulate was one of the earliest British consulates in Shantou (China). In 1962, the Chinese government repurchased the consulate through diplomatic channels.

The building features a ground floor with stone slab flooring elevated above ground level, brick and stone walls, and a hip-and-gable roof covered with tiles and wood. The main building is a two-story structure, with each floor covering an area of approximately 360 square meters; the annex is a single-story building with an area of about 140 square meters; and the workers' quarters are also single-story, covering around 150 square meters. The main building and annex are surrounded by interior corridors with Baroque-style arches, floor-to-ceiling double wooden windows, and fireplaces inside. Both the interior and exterior decorations reflect a typical Western architectural style.

Haokeng Subdistrict: Located in the northwest of Shantou City, Haokeng Subdistrict borders Haocheng to the east and faces Shantou Port to the north. It was formed from the merger of the former Haokeng Subdistrict and Zhuyuan Subdistrict, covering an area of 35.9 square kilometers. It administers 17 community neighborhood committees including Zhupu, Gechen, Gezhu, Maonan, Maobei, Toucun, Zhongcun, Weicun, Haokuju, Hongguang, Hongqi, Hongxing, Leikou, Mianhua, Songshan, Wotou, and Xunhui, with a total population of 55,670.

Industry is beginning to take shape. Based on the original Haokeng and Zhuyuan subdistricts, the new Haokeng Subdistrict has initially developed industries such as pharmaceuticals, plastic products, and stone materials... More details about Haokeng Subdistrict ++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units