Tianyi Bureau

　　Walking into Liuchuan Village in Jiaomei Town, Longhai City, you can see a nearly century-old two-story quadrangle courtyard building of “Nanyang” style that blends Chinese and Western architectural elements. A plaque reading “Tianyi Bureau” on the top of the gate is particularly eye-catching. This building is not only a testament to the history of the overseas Chinese hometown but also a valuable resource for studying the history of China's postal finance and the development of the overseas Chinese community. It has increasingly drawn the interest of relevant departments and experts.

　　The full name of “Tianyi Bureau” is “Guo Youpin Tianyi Remittance and Letter Bureau.” It was founded in 1880 (the sixth year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty) by Guo Youpin, an overseas Chinese residing in the Philippines, in his hometown (then known as Liuchuan She, Longxi County, now Liuchuan Village, Jiaomei Town, Longhai City). Initially, it was called “Tianyi First Dispatch.” In 1892 (the eighteenth year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty), it expanded to four bureaus, with the headquarters established in Liuchuan She and branches set up in Xiamen, Anhai (Jinjiang), and Luzon (Philippines). In 1896, it was registered as Guo Youpin Tianyi Letter Bureau, and in 1902, it was renamed Guo Youpin’s “Tianyi Consolidated Silver Letter Bureau.” The Tianyi Bureau was specifically established to provide letter delivery and remittance services for overseas Chinese and their families both at home and abroad.

　　The name “Tianyi” of the “Tianyi Bureau” is derived from the phrase “heaven and man as one” in Dong Zhongshu’s Confucian classic *Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals · In-depth Examination of Names*, which means the unity of natural law and human ethics, or the oneness of heaven and humanity. Using “Tian” (Heaven) as its emblem symbolizes the idea of the world as one family, reflecting Guo Youpin’s benevolent intention in founding the overseas remittance bureau and bridging the vast distance between overseas Chinese and their loved ones back home.

　　The “Yuannan Building,” part of the old site of the Tianyi Bureau, was first built in 1911 (the third year of the Xuantong reign in the Qing Dynasty). Later, through land acquisition and expansion, the North Building and “Tao Garden” (garden) were completed in 1921. The North Building served as the office and operational headquarters of the Tianyi Bureau. The Tianyi Bureau had a total construction area of 4,495 m². The entire building features a distinctive “Nanyang” style and is a typical example of Chinese-Western fusion architecture, with an elegant and graceful structure, ornate carvings, and a classic antique charm. To the west of the North Building are three-courtyard traditional houses, flanked by double eaves on both sides, and connected to the Yuannan Building behind. A reinforced concrete skybridge links the North Building and the Yuannan Building. The original Tao Garden covered an area of more than 3,000 m² and included pavilions, terraces, artificial hills, monkey caves, fishponds, flower beds, and meandering stone-paved paths. It was filled with blooming flowers and lush greenery. At the time, it stood out among rural buildings like a unique flower among ordinary plants.

　　As time passes and eras change, although the site of the Tianyi Bureau no longer looks the same after a century, as a historical relic, its historical value remains immeasurable.