Former Site of the French Consulate in Beihai

Former Site of the French Consulate in Beihai

The French Consulate was the longest-operating foreign consulate in Beihai, functioning from its establishment in 1887 until its closure in 1950 — a total of 64 years. For a period, it also handled consular affairs on behalf of Portugal and served as an acting consulate for the Dongxing border area between China and Vietnam.

The former site of the consulate is now located within the city’s Guesthouse. The main building originally had one floor, with a floor plan in the shape of a concave character (“凹”), measuring 34.5 meters in length and 20.7 meters in width, with a construction area of 636 square meters. It is surrounded by ancient trees and lush flowers. It serves as the VIP building of the city’s Guesthouse and has hosted foreign guests from dozens of countries. Party and state leaders such as — Bang, Jiang Zemin, —, and Li Peng have stayed here. This site is a historical witness to France’s diplomatic presence in Beihai. (The office building was built in 1890 with one floor and a veranda. A second floor was added in 1973.)

This former site was designated as a National Cultural Heritage Protection Unit in 2001.