SäaMín / 沙面
Jul 24th, '11, 14:28
SäaMín / 沙面
Shamian Island (simplified Chinese: 沙面岛; traditional Chinese: 沙面島; Mandarin Pinyin: Shāmiàn dǎo; Jyutping: saa1min6 dou2), formerly known as Shameen Island or Shamin Island, from its Cantonese pronunciation, is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China. The island's name literally means "sandy surface" in Chinese.
The territory was divided into two concessions given to France and the United Kingdom by the Qing Dynasty government in the 19th century. The island is a gazetted historical area that serves as a tranquil reminder of the colonial European period, with quiet pedestrian avenues flanked by trees and lined by historical buildings in various states of upkeep. The island is the location of several hotels, a youth hostel, restaurants and tourist shops selling curios and souvenirs.
Contents
[hide]
1 Geography
2 History
3 Features
4 Miscellaneous
5 Transportation
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit] Geography
The island covers an area of 0.3 km²,[1] 900 m from east to west, and 300 m from north to south.[2] It is bordered in the south by the Pearl River, and it is separated from the mainland by a canal.
[edit] History
Shamian Island was an important port for Guangzhou's foreign trade from the Song to the Qing Dynasty.[1] From the 18th to the mid 19th century, the foreigners lived and did business in a row of houses known as the Thirteen Factories, near the present Shamian,[3] which was then an anchorage for thousands of boat people.[4][5] Shamian became a strategic point for city defense during the period of the First and Second Opium Wars. In 1859,[1] the territory was divided in two concessions given to France and the United Kingdom (of which 3/5 belonged to the British and 2/5 to the French) [6]. It was connected to the mainland by two bridges, which were closed at 10pm as a security measure.[3][7] The English bridge to the north was guarded by Sikhs, and the French bridge to the east was guarded by Annamite French troops.[4]
Trading companies from Britain, the United States, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Japan built stone mansions along the waterfront.[3] The construction on the island was characterized by climate-adapted but Western-plan detached houses with hipped roofs and large verandahs.[8]
The island was the scene of fighting during the "June 23 incident" in 1925.[9][10]
After 1949, the mansions of Shamian became government offices or apartment houses and the churches were turned into factories.[3]
White Swan Hotel.
Waterfall inside the White Swan Hotel.
A public garden on Shamian Island.
[edit] Features
The French Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes (露德圣母堂), has been restored and stands on the main boulevard.[2] Located at the French end of the island, it was completed in 1892.[11]
The British Protestant church, Christ Church Shamian (沙面堂, pinyin: Shamian Tang) was built in 1865.[12]
Various bronze statues are scattered around the island which depict life as it was during earlier periods on the island, as well as from more recent times. For example, one statue entitled "A gentleman, a lady and a darn woman" shows a Western couple watching a Chinese woman darning cloth. Another depicts the changing appearances and stature of Chinese women, with a woman from colonial times in traditional clothing, a slightly taller woman from the early or mid 20th century wearing a cheongsam, and a relatively tall and slender young Chinese woman wearing shorts and talking on a mobile phone.
[edit] Miscellaneous
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010)
Since the early 2000s, Shamian Island has become well known for the many Western couples who reside there while seeking to adopt Chinese babies and young children, most of whom are orphaned and female. The White Swan Hotel is perhaps the best-known hotel in Guangzhou, having been in operation for many years, and is usually the hotel of choice for these couples. One reason for this popularity is that the hotel is adjacent to the United States consulate, making it convenient to file paperwork and handle bureaucratic matters. The consular section has since moved to the other side of the city (the whole consulate will move in 2013 as well), but the hotel is still the most popular destination for adopting couples. Beginning in 2007, the Chinese government slowed the rate of adoptions, and as a result the percentage of tourists to Shamian Island who are Westerners has decreased as well.
[edit] Transportation
The three east-west streets of the island, formerly named "Canal Street", "Central Avenue" (a tree-lined boulevard), and "Front Avenue" (originally lined on the riverside by parks) were renamed "Shamian North Road" (Shamian Beijie), "Shamian Main Street" (Shamian Dajie), and "Shamian South Road" (Shamian Nanjie).[13] The five north-south streets are names Shamian 1 Street to Shamian 5 Street.
Huangsha Station of Guangzhou Metro is located within a short walk from the island, via an overpass crossing the busy Huanshi West Road. There is also a ferry running from Huangsha Pier to Fangcun Pier, which runs every 5–10 minutes carrying foot-passengers and bicycles. Fares are from 0.5RMB for a foot passenger and 1RMB for a passenger with a bike. There are no public buses on the island itself, although there are several nearby bus stops.
Statues on Shamian Island.
[edit] See also
The Bund
Gulangyu Island, in Xiamen
Treaty ports
List of French possessions and colonies
[edit] References
^ a b c "Guangzhou government page about Shamian Island". Guangzhou.gov.cn. 2010-06-23. http://www.guangzhou.gov.cn/node_420/no ... 5457.shtml. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ a b "''China Daily'' article on Shamian island". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2004-01-17. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/do ... 299805.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ a b c d "''Fodor's''". Fodors.com. 2010-11-01. http://www.fodors.com/world/asia/china/ ... 10466.html. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ a b "Eight things you might not know about Guangzhou". Thousandyearegg.com. http://thousandyearegg.com/index.php?vi ... &Itemid=64. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ "Book review of ''Everything in Style: Harriet Low's Macau''". Asianreviewofbooks.com. http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/a ... rticle=715. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ Connexions. Le Magazine de La Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Française en Chine (CCIFC) (29): 52-53. Sept. 2005. http://www.connexions.ccifc.org/.
^ An Official Guide to Eastern Asia, Trans Continental Connections Between Europe and Asia. Vol IV China.. Tokyo: Imperial Japanese Government Railways. 1915. p. 344. http://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?co ... ize=medium. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
^ Jonathan A. Farris Insular living and its exceptions (.pdf document)
^ Jonathan Fenby (2004). Chiang Kai Shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost. ISBN 0786714840. http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B000T9V ... eader-link.
^ Alfred H. Holt (1925-08-10). "Shameen Shooting". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... -1,00.html.
^ "Shamian Photos, Captioned Pictures Photo 20". Greatmirror.com. http://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?co ... ize=medium. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ "Christ Church of Shamian Main Street". Zhongwenweb.com. http://www.zhongwenweb.com/cgi-bin/dopi ... church.JPG. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ "Shamian Photos, Captioned Pictures Photo 11". Greatmirror.com. http://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?co ... ize=medium. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shamian Island
Map of Shamian island
Pictures of Shamian Island, with detailed captions
An American in China: 1936-39 A Memoir
Shameen: A Colonial Heritage
Layout of the Main Streets of Shameen Island (.pdf document)
Hilary du Cros Issue For Developing National Heritage Protection Areas For Tourism: A Case Study From China (.pdf document)
--------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamian_Island
Shamian Island (simplified Chinese: 沙面岛; traditional Chinese: 沙面島; Mandarin Pinyin: Shāmiàn dǎo; Jyutping: saa1min6 dou2), formerly known as Shameen Island or Shamin Island, from its Cantonese pronunciation, is a sandbank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China. The island's name literally means "sandy surface" in Chinese.
The territory was divided into two concessions given to France and the United Kingdom by the Qing Dynasty government in the 19th century. The island is a gazetted historical area that serves as a tranquil reminder of the colonial European period, with quiet pedestrian avenues flanked by trees and lined by historical buildings in various states of upkeep. The island is the location of several hotels, a youth hostel, restaurants and tourist shops selling curios and souvenirs.
Contents
[hide]
1 Geography
2 History
3 Features
4 Miscellaneous
5 Transportation
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
[edit] Geography
The island covers an area of 0.3 km²,[1] 900 m from east to west, and 300 m from north to south.[2] It is bordered in the south by the Pearl River, and it is separated from the mainland by a canal.
[edit] History
Shamian Island was an important port for Guangzhou's foreign trade from the Song to the Qing Dynasty.[1] From the 18th to the mid 19th century, the foreigners lived and did business in a row of houses known as the Thirteen Factories, near the present Shamian,[3] which was then an anchorage for thousands of boat people.[4][5] Shamian became a strategic point for city defense during the period of the First and Second Opium Wars. In 1859,[1] the territory was divided in two concessions given to France and the United Kingdom (of which 3/5 belonged to the British and 2/5 to the French) [6]. It was connected to the mainland by two bridges, which were closed at 10pm as a security measure.[3][7] The English bridge to the north was guarded by Sikhs, and the French bridge to the east was guarded by Annamite French troops.[4]
Trading companies from Britain, the United States, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, Portugal, and Japan built stone mansions along the waterfront.[3] The construction on the island was characterized by climate-adapted but Western-plan detached houses with hipped roofs and large verandahs.[8]
The island was the scene of fighting during the "June 23 incident" in 1925.[9][10]
After 1949, the mansions of Shamian became government offices or apartment houses and the churches were turned into factories.[3]
White Swan Hotel.
Waterfall inside the White Swan Hotel.
A public garden on Shamian Island.
[edit] Features
The French Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes (露德圣母堂), has been restored and stands on the main boulevard.[2] Located at the French end of the island, it was completed in 1892.[11]
The British Protestant church, Christ Church Shamian (沙面堂, pinyin: Shamian Tang) was built in 1865.[12]
Various bronze statues are scattered around the island which depict life as it was during earlier periods on the island, as well as from more recent times. For example, one statue entitled "A gentleman, a lady and a darn woman" shows a Western couple watching a Chinese woman darning cloth. Another depicts the changing appearances and stature of Chinese women, with a woman from colonial times in traditional clothing, a slightly taller woman from the early or mid 20th century wearing a cheongsam, and a relatively tall and slender young Chinese woman wearing shorts and talking on a mobile phone.
[edit] Miscellaneous
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010)
Since the early 2000s, Shamian Island has become well known for the many Western couples who reside there while seeking to adopt Chinese babies and young children, most of whom are orphaned and female. The White Swan Hotel is perhaps the best-known hotel in Guangzhou, having been in operation for many years, and is usually the hotel of choice for these couples. One reason for this popularity is that the hotel is adjacent to the United States consulate, making it convenient to file paperwork and handle bureaucratic matters. The consular section has since moved to the other side of the city (the whole consulate will move in 2013 as well), but the hotel is still the most popular destination for adopting couples. Beginning in 2007, the Chinese government slowed the rate of adoptions, and as a result the percentage of tourists to Shamian Island who are Westerners has decreased as well.
[edit] Transportation
The three east-west streets of the island, formerly named "Canal Street", "Central Avenue" (a tree-lined boulevard), and "Front Avenue" (originally lined on the riverside by parks) were renamed "Shamian North Road" (Shamian Beijie), "Shamian Main Street" (Shamian Dajie), and "Shamian South Road" (Shamian Nanjie).[13] The five north-south streets are names Shamian 1 Street to Shamian 5 Street.
Huangsha Station of Guangzhou Metro is located within a short walk from the island, via an overpass crossing the busy Huanshi West Road. There is also a ferry running from Huangsha Pier to Fangcun Pier, which runs every 5–10 minutes carrying foot-passengers and bicycles. Fares are from 0.5RMB for a foot passenger and 1RMB for a passenger with a bike. There are no public buses on the island itself, although there are several nearby bus stops.
Statues on Shamian Island.
[edit] See also
The Bund
Gulangyu Island, in Xiamen
Treaty ports
List of French possessions and colonies
[edit] References
^ a b c "Guangzhou government page about Shamian Island". Guangzhou.gov.cn. 2010-06-23. http://www.guangzhou.gov.cn/node_420/no ... 5457.shtml. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ a b "''China Daily'' article on Shamian island". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2004-01-17. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/do ... 299805.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ a b c d "''Fodor's''". Fodors.com. 2010-11-01. http://www.fodors.com/world/asia/china/ ... 10466.html. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ a b "Eight things you might not know about Guangzhou". Thousandyearegg.com. http://thousandyearegg.com/index.php?vi ... &Itemid=64. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ "Book review of ''Everything in Style: Harriet Low's Macau''". Asianreviewofbooks.com. http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/a ... rticle=715. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ Connexions. Le Magazine de La Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie Française en Chine (CCIFC) (29): 52-53. Sept. 2005. http://www.connexions.ccifc.org/.
^ An Official Guide to Eastern Asia, Trans Continental Connections Between Europe and Asia. Vol IV China.. Tokyo: Imperial Japanese Government Railways. 1915. p. 344. http://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?co ... ize=medium. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
^ Jonathan A. Farris Insular living and its exceptions (.pdf document)
^ Jonathan Fenby (2004). Chiang Kai Shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost. ISBN 0786714840. http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/B000T9V ... eader-link.
^ Alfred H. Holt (1925-08-10). "Shameen Shooting". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... -1,00.html.
^ "Shamian Photos, Captioned Pictures Photo 20". Greatmirror.com. http://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?co ... ize=medium. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ "Christ Church of Shamian Main Street". Zhongwenweb.com. http://www.zhongwenweb.com/cgi-bin/dopi ... church.JPG. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
^ "Shamian Photos, Captioned Pictures Photo 11". Greatmirror.com. http://www.greatmirror.com/index.cfm?co ... ize=medium. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shamian Island
Map of Shamian island
Pictures of Shamian Island, with detailed captions
An American in China: 1936-39 A Memoir
Shameen: A Colonial Heritage
Layout of the Main Streets of Shameen Island (.pdf document)
Hilary du Cros Issue For Developing National Heritage Protection Areas For Tourism: A Case Study From China (.pdf document)
--------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamian_Island
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