Kon Lan Hee Pang … a Market

Helen Deng    LYING near Guanlan River in Bao’an, Guanlan Laojie was one of the four most prosperous markets in Shenzhen a century ago, together with Dongmen, Qingping in Shajing, and Shatoujiao.    Archaeologists say that Guanlan Laojie, or Guanlan Old Street in English, is the best preserved of all the ancient markets. Although it has long since declined as Guanlan River no longer serves as a transportation link, you can still picture its past glory through the ancient shops, houses, and military watchtowers that stand densely together along the paved lanes.    Formed in the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), Guanlan Laojie reached its prime in the late-Qing Dynasty, when the trade between Guangdong and Hong Kong, which had become a British colony, expanded. The market used to sell all kinds of goods and was once a trading center for Huiyang, Dongguan and Bao’an (the old name of Shenzhen), according to archaeologists.    The prosperity of the market has long since faded. Now Guanlan Laojie is a rare quiet place in the hustle and bustle of Guanlan, after the Bao’an District Government bought the ancient houses and evacuated most of its residents to preserve the ancient market. Only a 150-year-old India rubber fig tree on the riverbank still draws worshippers who believe the tree could bring them good luck.    The 26,000-square-meter market is a matrix of more than 10 narrow streets lined by shops and residences, including a whole street selling cloth. The street is aptly named Maibu Street, or Cloth-selling Street in English. The 90-meter-long Maibu Street used to house more than 30 textile shops, which sold not only locally produced cloth, but also cloth imported from Hong Kong.    Buildings in the market are a combination of Hakka and Western styles, a complete reflection of the architectural styles in southern China between the mid-Qing Dynasty and the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.    Many of the old shops are arcade-houses, a style which originated in Greece thousands of years ago and was imported to southern China during the Qing Dynasty. Most of the buildings are three- or four-storied, with a balcony, or arcade, over the sidewalk, forming a shaded corridor to keep pedestrians safe from the scorching sun and rain.    Unlike the arcade-houses in Guangzhou, which are linked together by the side of the street, the arcades in buildings of Guanlan are separate. Sun Min, an archaeologist based in Bao’an, said arcade-houses in Guanlan have a longer history than those in Guangzhou.    The most conspicuous buildings in Guanlan Laojie are the military watchtowers, an important part of Hakka residences. One of them, Chengchang Tower, has eight floors and is nearly 30 meters tall. In fact, it is the tallest watchtower in Shenzhen. The tower was built by Chen Guisen and Chen Lusen — two brothers from Guanlan’s richest family — to defend the market against bandits in the Qing Dynasty. There are altogether 15 watchtowers in Guanlan Laojie. Some of them were built to defend against invaders, while others are simply status symbols.    Guanlan Laojie also has many European-style buildings, and the best-known is Gongyi Hotel, a red Baroque-style mansion with Roman pillars and arcades. The four-story hotel, built in 1923 by overseas Chinese Wan Qinian, was the most luxurious place to stay at the time.    The Bao’an District Government, which realized the historic value of the old market in 2004 after a citywide relics survey, has put the market on its architectural protection list.    Helen Deng    LYING near Guanlan River in Bao’an, Guanlan Laojie was one of the four most prosperous markets in Shenzhen a century ago, together with Dongmen, Qingping in Shajing, and Shatoujiao.    Archaeologists say that Guanlan Laojie, or Guanlan Old Street in English, is the best preserved of all the ancient markets. Although it has long since declined as Guanlan River no longer serves as a transportation link, you can still picture its past glory through the ancient shops, houses, and military watchtowers that stand densely together along the paved lanes.    Formed in the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), Guanlan Laojie reached its prime in the late-Qing Dynasty, when the trade between Guangdong and Hong Kong, which had become a British colony, expanded. The market used to sell all kinds of goods and was once a trading center for Huiyang, Dongguan and Bao’an (the old name of Shenzhen), according to archaeologists.    The prosperity of the market has long since faded. Now Guanlan Laojie is a rare quiet place in the hustle and bustle of Guanlan, after the Bao’an District Government bought the ancient houses and evacuated most of its residents to preserve the ancient market. Only a 150-year-old India rubber fig tree on the riverbank still draws worshippers who believe the tree could bring them good luck.    The 26,000-square-meter market is a matrix of more than 10 narrow streets lined by shops and residences, including a whole street selling cloth. The street is aptly named Maibu Street, or Cloth-selling Street in English. The 90-meter-long Maibu Street used to house more than 30 textile shops, which sold not only locally produced cloth, but also cloth imported from Hong Kong.    Buildings in the market are a combination of Hakka and Western styles, a complete reflection of the architectural styles in southern China between the mid-Qing Dynasty and the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.    Many of the old shops are arcade-houses, a style which originated in Greece thousands of years ago and was imported to southern China during the Qing Dynasty. Most of the buildings are three- or four-storied, with a balcony, or arcade, over the sidewalk, forming a shaded corridor to keep pedestrians safe from the scorching sun and rain.    Unlike the arcade-houses in Guangzhou, which are linked together by the side of the street, the arcades in buildings of Guanlan are separate. Sun Min, an archaeologist based in Bao’an, said arcade-houses in Guanlan have a longer history than those in Guangzhou.    The most conspicuous buildings in Guanlan Laojie are the military watchtowers, an important part of Hakka residences. One of them, Chengchang Tower, has eight floors and is nearly 30 meters tall. In fact, it is the tallest watchtower in Shenzhen. The tower was built by Chen Guisen and Chen Lusen — two brothers from Guanlan’s richest family — to defend the market against bandits in the Qing Dynasty. There are altogether 15 watchtowers in Guanlan Laojie. Some of them were built to defend against invaders, while others are simply status symbols.    Guanlan Laojie also has many European-style buildings, and the best-known is Gongyi Hotel, a red Baroque-style mansion with Roman pillars and arcades. The four-story hotel, built in 1923 by overseas Chinese Wan Qinian, was the most luxurious place to stay at the time.

The Bao’an District Government, which realized the historic value of the old market in 2004 after a citywide relics survey, has put the market on its architectural protection list.