White Swan Pond

White Swan Pond

White Swan Pond not only boasts beautiful legends and riverside views, but also witnessed a dramatic historical episode — when Chen Jiongming betrayed Sun Yat-sen and shelled the area. Sun returned to the Yongfeng warship, ready to fight the rebels to the end.

Built during the Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, Shamian Island features a collection of European-style modern buildings covering an area of 330 acres. In ancient times, this was a sandbank called Shicui Zhou. It was connected to Shaji (now Liuer’er San Road) to the north and was a gathering place for fishermen’s small boats. After the Second Opium War, in 1857, this prime piece of land caught the eye of American and French invaders. On September 3, 1861, Bao Lu, the Viceroy of Liangguang representing the Qing government, signed a lease agreement with foreign powers. From then on, Shamian became one of China’s earliest “concessions” and the only “concession island” in the country. Later, 19 other countries successively established consulates here, along with a number of churches, foreign firms, post offices, telegraph offices, trading companies, hospitals, hotels, and residences. The residents at the time were mostly personnel from various consulates, banks, and foreign firms, as well as foreign tax officials and missionaries.

The main architectural styles of the buildings on Shamian include Neoclassical, Neo-Baroque, arcade, and Gothic Revival, as well as categories such as Romanticism, Eclecticism, and Modernism. There are now over 150 surviving European-style buildings and 158 ancient trees. It has been designated by the State Council as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and one of Guangzhou’s first batches of Historical and Cultural Preservation Districts, earning the reputation of being the “Ninth Scenic Spot of Guangzhou.”