History of Shantou Small Park

Cities, like people, have memories because they have a complete life history. "The small park historical and cultural block is a symbol of the economic prosperity of the old Shantou in the 1930s and a historical witness of the" century-old commercial port ".

The unique and rare ring-shaped radial road network structure, the arcade building with a combination of Chinese and western styles, and the reasonable layout of "four permanence and one leveling" in cities all over the country have the memories of many Shantou people born and raised in Sri Lanka. Chaoshan culture, marine culture, overseas Chinese culture, commercial culture and architectural culture meet and complement each other here, radiating dazzling light like a colorful landscape.

The only radial arcade in China.

All roads lead to the wharf, which is both the end point and the starting point to the ocean. The radial road network pattern of small parks symbolizes the open and inclusive marine cultural characteristics.

Many people don't know that this is the only arcade street in China with a radial pattern, and it is also the largest arcade group in Chinese mainland, with a scale far exceeding that of "Shangxiajiu" and other places in Guangzhou. In the scientific planning of arcade architecture, a spider-web arcade extends around a small park, forming a radiation pattern, with the main street vertical and the secondary street horizontal, criss-crossing to form a grid. Shen Lucheng's article "Traditional Features of Shantou Small Park Historic District" points out that "this rigorous layout, which is famous for its radial design, is rare in cities at home and abroad, and it is the result of the gradual evolution and transformation of Shantou to the southwest coast."

The arcade architecture combines Chinese and western styles.

Walking around a small park, people's eyes are often attracted by arcades: most of these arcades are three or four floors, most of them are vacant, and only one floor is inhabited or operated as a shop. Although the surface is mottled, it still can't cover up the exquisite decoration and rich design under the old surface. Smooth lines seem to outline the glory of the past ... the combination of Chinese and western is another feature of arcade architecture. Cai, a visiting researcher at the Tide Research Institute of Hanshan Normal University and a photographer who has been tracking and photographing the old buildings in Shantou for more than 30 years, told the reporter that the modern arcade buildings in Shantou were built as nests according to the local climate characteristics of high temperature and rainy summer, and then developed into eaves gallery buildings such as diaojiao buildings, drawing on the western colonnade buildings introduced after the opening of the port, and integrating with the local architectural characteristics. Through the three stages of architectural culture transformation, self-adjustment, rational choice, integration and innovation, paying attention to the overall design of commercial pedestrian street and pedestrian space can not only protect the sun from rain, but also effectively use the space to form a harmonious, unified and colorful street view.

In terms of architectural details, the arcade building has given full play to the traditional style of Chaoshan craftsmen, and has carefully scrutinized the scale, proportion and form in terms of mountain flowers, arcades, window frames and door covers. , and skillfully combine various traditional patterns with exotic "Rococo" patterns to form a charming decorative art, which brings freshness to people and better displays the modern architecture in Shantou. "As a model of the combination of Chinese and Western architectural arts, it recorded the history of Shantou's" opening port "and left an indelible memory for people." Cai said.

There are more than 2000 overseas Chinese-funded overseas Chinese residences.

Cai pointed out that after the establishment of 192 1 Shantou, especially from 1929 to 1939 before the Japanese occupation, it was the peak of modern Shantou construction. At that time, the municipal authorities put forward the municipal transformation plan and implemented it with overseas Chinese capital. Driven by the advocacy of "saving the country through industry", patriotic overseas Chinese and people of insight have invested in construction.

During this period, the Jerry Lee family in Chenghai bought a lot of land in Shantou and immediately began to build new buildings, and built more than 400 new buildings in Siyong-Shengping, Pinghai Road, Fuhe City and other places. Rongfayuan family, whose ancestral home is Chaoan, is an overseas Chinese family with considerable wealth in modern Singapore. They also actively invested in Shantou's real estate industry, owning a number of new buildings, among which many new buildings in Ronglong Street, Chaoan Street and Jintong Street were built by Rongfayuan family. Wu Chaochuan's overseas Chinese family also built many buildings in Yonghe and Yongxing Street. These three overseas Chinese families and other overseas Chinese built a large number of buildings in modern Shantou, which played an important role in the construction of Shantou city at that time.

The article "Traditional Style of Shantou Small Park Historic District" also points out that the small park can be completely built from the end of 1920s to the eve of the Anti-Japanese War. The background factor is Shantou's relatively stable political environment and rapid economic development, and overseas Chinese capital plays a leading role in the construction, accounting for about 2/3 of the total investment. More than 2000 overseas Chinese houses are built in the streets, which ensures that the small park can be planned with a high starting point and high standard under the specific historical background at that time.

White Gonglang Old Industry

Engraving "Overseas Chinese Culture"

In front of the reporter, there is more than 100 of the old arcade contract in the area of the small park. These deeds are mottled or yellowed, witnessing the history of the small park for hundreds of years and the inseparable connection between the small park and marine culture and overseas Chinese culture. ...

The owner of these old deeds is a young man born after 1980s in Shantou named Ding Shuo, whose pen name is "Frog Adventure". China News Agency reporter, youth member of Shantou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. Since ten years ago, Ding Shuo has devoted himself to the collection of Chaoshan cultural relics and materials, and has collected hundreds of Chaoshan antiques so far. His book Impression of Chaoshan, Chaoshan cultural works, are exported to dozens of countries at home and abroad and have a certain popularity in academic circles. On June 5438+065438+ 10 last year, Ding Shuo held the "Ke Fan Laobu Cultural Collection Exhibition", which showed the public more than 400 Chaoshan antiques he collected for free. These old deeds are one of the exhibits.

The reporter saw that the time span of these deeds was from the second year of Xuantong (19 10) to the thirty-eighth year of the Republic of China (1949), and there were more than 80 deeds, with a total area of more than 30,000 square meters. These houses involve British Shao Changyang Company, Shantou General Chamber of Commerce, Li Huali Overseas Chinese Examination and Approval Bureau, Shantou Jinshan Middle School, South China Company, Wanfa Company, Jiarong Company, Changyuan Company, Ji Shu Company, Yuetai Company and other units, as well as the properties of dozens of families. Some of Shao Changyang's "sales contracts" are also stamped with the blue seal of the British Consulate. These houses were eventually bought by a Li family, including Li Huali, Li, Li Kengqu and other family members. "The Li Huali family with 80 arcades can be described as' Uncle Fang of the Republic of China'." Ding Shuo joked. "It turns out that Li Huali's office has a big business in tobacco leaves, and later it opened the Li Huali Overseas Chinese Examination and Approval Bureau."

"This is the title deed of the Overseas Chinese Approval Bureau, which is very rare." Ding Shuo showed one of the deeds named "Overseas Chinese Examination and Approval Bureau of Xinchaoxing Street, Shantou City". "The archives of Shantou Overseas Chinese Examination and Approval Association show that during the Republic of China, the Li family set up the Overseas Chinese Examination and Approval Bureau at No.94 Xinchaoxing Street in Shantou, with Li Runchu as the manager. Rooms 92, 94, 96 and 98 on the deed belong to Li Huali's first wife, Li Zhoujinfu.

Ding Shuo told reporters that there are thousands of arcade buildings in Shantou Small Park, most of which are overseas Chinese residences. In the past, when many overseas Chinese went abroad, they often kept their deeds in the homes of trusted relatives and friends for too long, so that future generations might unknowingly sell them as waste paper and enter the market. According to the address and map on the deed, Ding Shuo also went to look for the old house and found that most of the old houses on other deeds were still there, but they were not demolished, and most of them were uninhabited. The story behind this old house is therefore unknown. However, they silently witnessed the hundred-year history of Shantou's port opening, and they also had special significance because of the word "overseas Chinese" engraved on their bodies.

"Shantou Small Park is a landmark building of Shantou port opening culture. These old houses have their own legends and need to be sorted out. " After carefully watching these old stories, Lin, a scholar of Chaoshan folk culture, said that most of the thousands of arcades in the old city of Shantou have settled overseas. At present, less than 5% of the stories of houses can be found, but only old overseas Chinese can know the stories of these old houses. Therefore, it is necessary to rescue the oral history of overseas Chinese and let the stories of these old houses be excavated, preserved and circulated.

The department store has taken the lead.

Shantou implements joint-stock system

Walking around the small park, both the old and some local young people will invariably tell the same memory: the most striking building in the small park is the department store, with colorful floor tiles with floral patterns, and the elevator is full of mystery.

The department store was built in 1932, which is the most important building in the core area of Shantou Old Town. It is understood that Nansheng Department Store was founded by Meizhou overseas Chinese Li Baiheng in 19 1 1 year. 1932, overseas Chinese from Meizhou, such as Li Bohuan, Li Yaozong, Li Jingquan, etc., raised 500,000 yuan to build a 7-story building at the head of Anping Road on the west side of this small park. The name of the enterprise is Nansheng Company. Among them, the first to second floors operate Suzhou groceries, the third to fourth floors are central restaurants, and the fifth to seventh floors are central hotels. More than 300 employees flourished for a while, but due to poor management, they closed down after only 10 months.

1935, manager Li Baihuan "compensated" Nansheng to his cousin Li Hailie who lived in Indonesia and left the Central Hostel to run his own business. Li Hailie reorganized Li Jinyuan, Li Hong, Li Jingquan, etc. 10 fellow villagers as shareholders, reorganized their operations and became the leading department store in Shantou at that time. Li Baihuan, who used to do business in Nanyang, is very business-minded. At that time, Nansheng Trading Company took the lead in implementing the "shareholding system" and "contract system" business models in Shantou.

It is worth mentioning that in 1930s, there were elevators in Shantou Port. This "Shantou First Ladder" belongs to the oldest Nansheng Company, which has been used for 60 years. 1956, Nansheng Trading Co., Ltd. and Shantou State-owned Department Store were jointly established and renamed as it Department Store. On May 29th, 1958, Shantou Department Store was grandly opened on the basis of Nansheng Company. When it opened that year, more than 20,000 citizens poured in one after another, witnessing the important moment of Shantou's commercial development.

Today, the department store has been abandoned for many years and is surrounded by blue iron walls. Nevertheless, we can still feel the prosperity from its old appearance.