Former Site of Baosheng Pawnshop

Former Site of Baosheng Pawnshop

The former site of Baosheng Pawnshop is a protected cultural heritage site of Guangzhou Municipality.

The former site of Baosheng Pawnshop is located at the rear building at No. 22, Zhongshan 7th Road, Liwan District.

The Baosheng Pawnshop is located near the west gate of the ancient city of Guangzhou. Standing 22.2 meters tall, it was built in the early years of the Republic of China as a three-story watchtower-style building. At the time, it was the third-largest pawnshop in Guangzhou and the tallest building in the surrounding area. In 1938, when Japanese forces heavily bombed Guangzhou, buildings in the Ximenkou area were leveled, yet the Baosheng Pawnshop remained completely undamaged. It was also one of the six major pawnshops in Guangzhou during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period.

According to the Guangzhou cultural relics authorities, the Baosheng Pawnshop is unlikely to open to the public in the near future due to property ownership issues. Since the property is privately owned rather than government-controlled, the authorities have limited power to intervene or mandate its opening unless the safety of the cultural relic is at risk. They can only communicate and negotiate with the owner. The Baosheng Pawnshop was designated as a municipal cultural relic as early as July 1999, yet has remained closed to the public ever since.

In July 1999, it was listed as part of the fifth batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Guangzhou Municipality.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Guangzhou Municipality