Page 111 - JCAU-7-1

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

development highlighted issues in national finance and the construction of a 540-ft-long embankment, officially
personnel management, closely tied to diplomacy and declaring the reclaimed beach as state-owned land in
national defense. Local capital’s direct involvement in China, managed by various foreign merchants. The
Xiamen’s shipyard development represented a strategic Tianzhu Haitan Zhangcheng (Regulations on Reclaiming
adjustment to capitalism and reinforced national strength. the Beach) adhered to the provisions of the Daqing Lvli
(大清律例; The Great Qing Code), affirming principles
3.2. The Steamship era (1871 – 1894) of state control and tax obligations. The reclaimed beach
After the rise of the steamship manufacturing industry, was allocated exclusively to subsequent leaseholders,
Western residents on Nantai Island in Fuzhou and within with other leases valued based on the principles of fair
2
the British Concession in Xiamen had completed initial British pricing . However, capitalist influences continued
land leases and housing construction, which spurred to expand, as companies such as Tait and Malcampo
continued urban development in both locations. In 1870, repeatedly constructed embankments. All construction
the Suez Canal became navigable, facilitating global costs for these embankments were borne by the hangs,
trade. From 1884 onward, Zheng Guanying’s (1842 – and occupied land required corresponding land rent
1922) Shengshi Weiyan (盛世危言; Words of Warning to payments based on the area remitted to the local
a Prosperous Age) systematically expounded the ideology government.
of business warfare, proposing that the “chief objective of In 1880, port engineering gradually expanded into
commerce lies in revitalizing the silk and tea industries.” deepwater areas. The China Navigation Company
This ideology evolved internally, sparking an awakening constructed a floating dock at Daomei Road, featuring
within China’s national industrial and commercial sectors. a bridge approximately 53 m long and three warehouses
The gradual replacement of sailing ships with steamships onshore, covering an area of 567 sqyd. Multinational
in transportation facilitated the prosperity of tea and companies emerged as powerful forces in this capitalist
foreign yarn trade across two treaty ports. Fuzhou Port era, leveraging substantial capital to introduce advanced
emerged as the largest tea export hub in China, while engineering technologies and disseminate practical
Xiamen became a primary hub for distributing cotton yarn engineering methods. During the same period, foreign
and thread (Xiamen Gang Shizhi Biancuan Weiyuanhui, firms along the Fuzhou riverbanks established docks,
1993). Commercial activity reached unprecedented securing a dominant position in the riverine trade.
levels, leading to an increased urgent demand for harbor In 1918, the longstanding issues of colonialism and
space by various trading firms. This demand prompted local political influence in the contestation of port space
successive projects that involved beach reclamation and became apparent in the Haihou Tan Shijian (Beach
dock construction. Ground Incident). During the Zhangzhou-Xiamen

With the rise of the shipping industry, the China conflict, the British blockaded the Beach Ground under
Merchants’ Company became the primary shipping the pre-text of defense, implementing measures such
enterprise in Xiamen Port. Operating under a model as constructing brick walls, obstructing official roads,
of official supervision and commercial management, installing iron gates, displaying slogans, such as “British
it competed with hangs such as the China Navigation Concession Area, unauthorized persons not allowed to
Company and Douglas Lapraik Company. The China enter,” and hoisting the British flag to protect and expand
Merchants’ Company’s office was located adjacent to the their commercial interests. Xiamen residents actively
north side of the British Concession, featuring a 50-sqm resisted, asserting their sovereignty in response (Xiamen
warehouse capable of holding around 2,500 tons of cargo Shi Weiyuanhui Wenshi Ziliao Yanjiu Weiyuanhui,
(Taiwan Warehouse Co., 1917). In 1876, the company 1990). In 1922, following this incident, the government
also established an office in Fuzhou. Maritime usage made concerted efforts to construct Lujiang Road and
rights evolved into trade privileges, gradually extending promulgated the Haihou Tan Shanhou Banfa Hetong
commercial activities from land to shallow coastal areas. Santiao (Contracts for the Aftermath of Xiamen Beach
Ground) as well as the 1937 Revised Draft of Xiamen
In 1877, the Boyd Company undertook beach Public Wharf General Plan, asserting official political
reclamation, extending over 100 ft, but faced opposition authority in the management and planning of port space
from Chinese local authorities. In the same year, Brown (Figure 6).
and Company (水陸洋行; shuilu yanghang). Exceeded its
authority by reclaiming an additional 10 ft of beach, which 2 In the 53 year of Qianlong’s reign (1788), the edition was
rd
the local government later funded to transform into a established. Refer to Aigui’s Daqing Lvli (大清律例; The
public road. By 1884, the Qing government invested in Great Qing Code).

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 8 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3495