Page 141 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Development of the Thirteen Factories

Figure 8. Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou, 1788 – 1822. Source: Maritime Museum of Denmark

Figure 9. Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou, 1822 – 1843. Source: Swedish National Maritime and Transport Museum

architectural elements into Guangzhou. This architectural The fifth hall functioned as a logistical area, including the
evolution illustrates the global mobility of architectural kitchen. Factories were organized and numbered according
forms during the era of economic globalization. To meet to jin (进), a term denoting a specific section of the factory
functional needs, Western merchants not only modified and serving as the spatial orientation for the work and daily
the façades of the factories but also restructured their lives of the staff in the factory (Figure 12). For example, in
interior spaces. The “Fan Kwae” at Canton Before Treaty Days, 1825 – 1844,
Hunter (1882) recorded that he worked and lived in No. 2
4.2. Renovation of the interior spaces of the Thirteen of the Sweden Factory, referring to its second jin or hall
Factories in Guangzhou (Hunter, 1882).
The spatial transformation of the Guangzhou factories is Within the factories, the middle halls on the 1 floor
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exemplified by the Spanish Factory, which was established in were transformed into a spacious arched corridor
1788 by the Royal Philippines Company. The company rented running from front to back, serving as the core space for
a hang, the layout of which was documented by Manuel de transportation and factory operations. This core space
Agote in his diary (Figure 10). The factory featured a three- echoed Mediterranean prototypes, such as the funduq and
bay frontage and a depth of five halls. The first three halls were the fondaco, as well as the inner courts of other factories
combined into a single zone for personnel to handle trading along global shipping routes. While both the arched
matters. The 2 floor was designed as a single hall connecting corridors in Guangzhou factories and the inner courts in
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the front and back (rooms Nos. 35 and 37), serving as a venue other factories served as centers for cargo organization and
for banquets and public activities. In the fourth hall, rooms transportation, the arched corridors were adapted to the
on the 1 floor (rooms Nos. 18 and 19) were arranged with constrained sites of native hangs, which were characterized
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a courtyard at the front, forming a garden suite. The 2 and by narrow widths and long depths. Therefore, the spacious
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3 floors served as accommodations for the general staff. inner courts of Western factories were compressed into
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Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 8 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3676