Bolou

Bolou

Bolou is a protected cultural heritage site of Guangzhou City.

Bolou is located at No. 3, Bolou, Haitiansiwang Street, Hongde Road, Haizhu District.

Bolou was formerly officially known as the “Canton Customs Club,” located on Zhouzui Street, Nanhua West Street, Haizhu District. Next to the building was a watchtower that displayed typhoon signal balls, and locals in Guangzhou commonly called it “Bolou” after the English transliteration (BALL) of the word “ball.” A century ago, this grand structure was a landmark on the southern bank of the Pearl River, yet it also bore the painful history of China’s loss of customs sovereignty in modern times.

After the Opium Wars, control of the Canton Customs was taken over by the British, who established their customs office here. They built a Western-style building and an iron tower. The complex covered a total area of 4,815 square meters and was divided into four parts:

(1) Signal Tower. Originally built before 1885, it was located at the northeast corner of the compound and constructed from timber. It was damaged by a typhoon in 1908 and subsequently rebuilt with a steel frame at the southwest corner of the compound in 1910. This tower covered an area of over 30 square meters, stood 33 meters tall, and cost 8,000 silver dollars. It was equipped with wind-measuring instruments, and when a typhoon approached, signal balls (commonly called “balls”) were hoisted, which is why people referred to it as the “Ball Tower.” From the tower, one could see the ships coming and going in the Bai’etan area, and reportedly, with a high-powered telescope, even Humen could be spotted, hence the place was known as “Sea and Sky View.” (Excerpted from A Treasure of Natural and Cultural Heritage – Historical and Cultural Relics of Haizhu District, published by the Haizhu District Environmental Protection Bureau.) In August 1954, according to a notice forwarded by the General Administration of Customs to the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the signal tower along with a small adjacent room was handed over to the Guangzhou Port Authority for management.

(2) Warehouse. Located in the southeast part of the compound, it was built before 1889. It was once used as a warehouse for opium and smuggled goods. The warehouse covered an area of 812 square meters, was a single-story flat-roofed structure made of double-brick and wood, with thickened exterior walls and a height of 4–5 meters, and featured particularly tall windows. It suffered a fire in 1948, but due to its tall walls and thick structure, along with prompt rescue efforts, it did not sustain major damage. It was demolished in 1974 and rebuilt as dormitories. In 1975, one six-story and one five-story building were completed. In 1981, four additional dormitory units were built between the two buildings to connect them, providing reinforcement. These two buildings have a total floor area of 4,267 square meters.

(3) Building No. 3, the British-style structure. Located in the central part of the compound, it was built in 1910 as a single-story mixed-structure building. With a floor area of 3,857 square meters, it was one of the most magnificent buildings on the southern bank of the Pearl River at the time. Internally, it was divided into seven sections from east to west: No. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14. Among these, No. 2 had the largest area, accounting for over one-fifth of the total space. The ground floor served as a cargo inspection plant and was once used as a club, while the other sections (No. 4 to 14) were all designed as dormitories, initially housing single foreign officers. In 1915, all cargo inspection work was moved to the West Dyke Inspection Plant, and the building was gradually converted into dormitories for customs officials and staff. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it underwent multiple renovations, with its external appearance largely unchanged, and it continued to serve as housing for customs personnel.

(4) Building No. 1. Located at the northernmost part of the compound, it was originally an open space by the river north of Building No. 3. At the end of 1979, construction began on a parallel seven-story, single-story building with a frame structure, covering a floor area of 3,856 square meters. It was completed in 1982 and used as housing for officials and staff.

In July 2002, it was designated as part of the sixth batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Guangzhou City by the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Guangzhou City