Former Site of Qiong Customs

Former Site of Qiong Customs

The Former Site of Qiong Customs is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Former Site of Qiong Customs, 1934, No. 4 Deshengsha Road, Longhua District, Haikou

The unassuming appearance of Haikou Customs conceals an extraordinary history.

During the Qiandao era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1165–1173), the Song government established the Qiongzhou Maritime Trade Office in Hainan, under the jurisdiction of the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Office. This marked the prototype of Qiong Customs. In the 24th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1685), the Qing government abolished the maritime trade office system and established four customs offices in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong. The Guangdong Customs had seven main ports, one of which was the Haikou Main Port.

In 1934, Qiong Customs purchased a plot of land measuring 5,227.76 square meters for 35,319.37 yuan and began constructing the building at its current location. The Qiong Customs Building was completed and officially put into use in 1937.

The Former Site of Qiong Customs was a landmark building in Haikou at the time. It witnessed the tumultuous development of Haikou Customs and reflected the humiliating history of Hainan’s maritime trade and economic development under a semi-feudal and semi-colonial system. At the same time, it also stands as a testament to the aggression of Western powers against China and their exploitation of the country's resources.

In May 2013, the Former Site of Qiong Customs was announced as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units