Page 49 - JCAU-7-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Shan-Shaan Guild Hall on Great Tea Route

(城关镇) , just outside the west gate of Jia County’s The Great Tea Route stretches across eight Provinces
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historical town in Pingdingshan city, Henan Province, in China, covering over 14,000 km. Henan Province,
China. Positioned near the Qinglong River (青龙河) to located in the central section, plays a crucial role in transit
the west and the Yinrujicheng River (引汝济城河) to the transportation along the route. Within Henan, the route
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south, it enjoys a geographically advantageous location with spans more than 700 km and over 200 immovable cultural
convenient transportation. In 1693, during the 32 year of relics related to the route have been identified (Zhang,
nd
the Kangxi era (康熙年间; 1661 – 1722) in the Qing dynasty 2022). The Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall not only serves as
(1644 – 1911), 21 merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi a physical representation of the tea merchant culture of
donated funds to build the Shanxi-Shaanxi Association Shanxi and Shaanxi but also reflects the diverse ethnic and
Hall in Jia County. The Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall features local cultures encountered along the route (Li, 2021).
a three-entry courtyard, consisting of a theater, a bell
tower, a drum tower that forms the main gate, the Guandi As both a witness to and participant in this historic
Temple (关帝庙) , and the Spring and Autumn Building ( trade route, the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall in Jia County
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春秋楼). During the Jiaqing era (嘉庆年间; 1796 – 1821), provided accommodations for traders, facilitated
it underwent reconstruction to expand its scale. However, networking, supported information exchange, and
it suffered significant damage during the Republic of China contributed to the transmission of cultural traditions
era (1912 ‒ 1949) due to wartime destruction. After the (Zhao et al., 2019). Today, Jia County is seeking to preserve
establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, its historical town, with the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall and
it was repurposed as a warehouse for the Food Bureau. In Xiguan Street forming the core of its historical district.
2013, the State Council designated it as part of the seventh This initiative aims to develop tourism, create economic
batch of national key cultural relic protection units (Henan opportunities, and reinforce the cultural identity of the
Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, 2024). region. However, current conservation plans for the
Today, the guild hall remains closed to the public to ensure Shanxi-Shaanxi Hall and the Xiguan historical district are
the preservation of its cultural heritage. In 2019, it was fragmented and rely on conventional approaches, lacking
officially recognized as a key heritage along the Great Tea multidimensional and integrative strategies. This article
Route (万里茶道) (Henan Daily, 2019). aims to uncover the cultural connotations of the Shanxi-
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Shaanxi Guild Hall and Xiguan Street by examining
3 The term “Chengguan (城关)” refers to the main traffic their relationship with the Great Tea Route. Through
route located at the edge of a city’s center (Hu, 2005). this analysis, the study seeks to provide references for
4 The term “Yinrujicheng (引汝济城)” translates to “build conservation planning.
an aqueduct to bring water from the Ru river (汝河) to the
town.” This system was designed to irrigate farmland outside 2. Literature review
the town and to satisfy the water consumption needs within The concept of a “cultural route” was first articulated
the town. According to the Jia County Annals, in the 45th
year of the Wanli era (万历年间; 1573–1620), the Wanghou in 1993 with the nomination of the “Routes of Saint
Canal (王侯渠) was constructed to divert water from the James” (Camino de Santiago) on the World Heritage List
Yijian river (邑涧水). The canal followed the city trench, (Genovese, 2016). It was subsequently formalized by the
flowing from the town’s west gate to the east gate (Guo & International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
Jiang, 1975). in 1998 through the establishment of the International
5 Guan Yu (关羽), a famous general from the late Eastern Scientific Committee on Cultural Routes (CIIC). In 2003,
Han dynasty (25–220), was renowned for his loyalty and the category of “cultural route” was officially added to the
righteousness. Posthumously, he was honored with the Operational Guidelines for Heritage Convention. During
title “Guan Gong (关公)”. Guan Gong originated from a meeting of experts, the concept was defined as follows:
Yuncheng, Shanxi province, China, where he changed his
family name. This connection to Shaaxi province has led to A cultural route is a land, water, mixed, or other types
Guan Gong being deeply revered by merchants from Shanxi of route, which is physically determined and characterized
and Shaanxi. by having its own specific and historic dynamics and
6 The Great Tea Route, also known as the “Ten Thousand Li functionality, showing interactive movements of people
(5,000 km) of Tea Road,” was an essential trade route from as well as multi-dimensional, continuous and reciprocal
the 17th to the early 20th century. Pioneered by merchants
from Shanxi, the route linked Wuyi Mountain (武夷山) in exchanges of goods, ideas, knowledge, and values within
Fujian province, China, to Russia, Central Asia, and even or between countries and regions over significant periods;
Europe. In 2014, China, Mongolia, and Russia initiated a and thereby generating a cross-fertilization of the cultures
joint project to seek World Heritage status for The Great Tea in space and time, which is reflected both in its tangible
Route (Xinhua, 2014). and intangible heritage (ICOMOS, 2008).

Volume 7 Issue 2 (2025) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.4582