Page 105 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Spatial evolution of Fuzhou and Xiamen ports

(formerly known as Amoy) and Gulangyu (Kulangsu), Island catalyzed the gradual southward expansion of
have become focal points for cross-border trade practices the port (Onda, 2003). The Xiamen British Concession,
and pioneers in China’s modern economic development. established in 1852 at the inner harbor, was primarily
Industrialization and technological innovation intended for commercial use and developed with respect
continuously challenge traditional urban port landscapes. to traditional business and urban networks (Yu, 2008).
Ports have expanded spatially outward, extending into the In the early 20 century, municipal reforms accelerated
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sea through the construction of docks, ship channels, and urban development. In the early 1930s, Xiamen’s Bureau of
navigational aids, and inland along highways and railway Public Works and The Office of Dike Construction initiated
lines. The Industrial Revolution, which transformed global road and dock construction, including land reclamation at
trade and maritime trade, prompted the opening of the Yundang and Songyu. Songyu underwent grid-patterned
Suez Canal in 1869, thereby significantly shortening the street planning focused on zoning and the construction of
route to Europe. Since the mid-19 century, ships have
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increasingly favored liquid petroleum over coal, reflecting a ports and transportation facilities. Simultaneously, parks
global plan of technological advancement intertwined with were built, enhancing the city’s adaptability to meet the
growing demand of overseas Chinese communities.
trade. Consequently, port spaces and infrastructure have
had to evolve in real-time. This article focuses on actively Previous studies have revised the “Impact-Response
categorizing various stages of port facility evolution in Model,” contending that Fujian’s modern urban
response to technological changes. development resulted from a combination of internal
Due to the shallows of the Min River, oceangoing vessels and external forces. Policies implemented following
were unable to reach Nantai Island directly, necessitating treaty signings directly facilitated urban modernization
anchorage at Pagoda Anchorage in Mawei Port, an early (Lin, 2004). The urban development process, marked
base for shipbuilding. Lighter vessels transported goods by both conflicts and compromises, underscored the
from Pagoda Anchorage to the upper reaches of the Min strong influence of Chinese authorities. This study draws
River, where international merchants residing on Nantai inspiration from Henri Lefebvre’s (1901 – 1991) triad of
Island engaged in trade. In 1879, siltation and riverbed the production of space, interpreting treaty ports as global
degradation made the waterway impassable for small hubs for the movement of goods and people. It examines
steamships, prompting the proposal of the Min River how different economic forces shaped port spaces across
Dredging Project in 1918. By the end of the 20 century, spatial and temporal scales (Hein, 2019). Reimagining
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modern motorized oil tankers posed a threat to this historical process connects local imaginaries with the
traditional sailing ship transportation, gradually replacing port’s historical context, providing valuable insights for
conventional transportation methods (Cartier, 1991). contemporary urban waterfront planning and industrial
heritage revitalization.
Yamu Island, situated across from Fanchuanpu Port
on Nantai Island, served as a commercial port during 2. Planning and implementation:
the Song dynasty (960 – 1279) and expanded gradually Developing global perspectives in port
during the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644) (Lin, 2008). In the spaces
19 century, George Tradescant Lay (c. 1800 – 1845), the
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inaugural British consul and missionary in Fuzhou, resided 2.1. Modern Xiamen port spatial planning
and worked on Yamu Island, describing it as a “dilapidated From the mid-16 century to the mid-19 century, sailing
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house built on muddy shores” (Nield, 2015, p. 86). At that ships dominated international trade and naval warfare. The
time, Yamu Island was still largely a sandbar. In the early subsequent emergence of steamships reduced voyage times
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20 century, sawmills and oil depots were established on for long-distance transportation. In the 1840s, treaties
the island (Tie Dao Bu Ye Wu Si Diao Cha Ke, 1933), and between China and Britain, as well as China and the United
in the 1920s, the Japanese Consulate in Fuzhou proposed States, led to the successive opening of ports in Xiamen
establishing a commercial port area there. and Fuzhou, where consular affairs related to commercial
In the late 16 century, the British East India Company ports fell under the jurisdiction of consuls. In 1846, Britain
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established a trading post in Xiamen to facilitate foreign abolished the Corn Laws, implementing free trade, and in
trade. Initially, the Fuzhou Customs Xiamen branch office 1851, the successful laying of a submarine cable across the
was situated south of the city, near inland areas, but it later English Channel connected financial markets worldwide
relocated to the inner harbor during the Daoguang period (O’Rourke & Williamson, 2001). During this period, new
(1782 – 1850). Between 1766 and 1832, the construction ideas began to flow into East Asia, gradually influencing
of the Longquan Palace ferry terminal in southern Xiamen architectural forms and urban planning concepts.

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3495