Former Site of the Beihai Branch of the Great Qing Post Office

Former Site of the Beihai Branch of the Great Qing Post Office

National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit: The Beihai Branch of the Great Qing Post Office is located on Zhongshan East Road in Beihai.

In 1877, Britain established a consulate in Beihai, and in the same year, the Qing government set up a customs office there. To handle the correspondence and parcels of foreign diplomatic officials and their families, the Beihai Customs established an affiliated “Customs Letter Office.” In 1896, the Qing government founded the “Great Qing Post Office.” The following year, the Beihai “Customs Letter Office” was converted into a state-run “Beihai Branch of the Great Qing Post Office,” becoming one of the earliest postal branches established in China.