Hangs and trading posts: The global development of the Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou
The Thirteen Factories in Guangzhou were a product of economic globalization and China’s foreign trade policies in the 18th century. Previous studies have discussed the Westernization of their building façades but overlooked their global and local origins. This article examines the Western origins of the Guangzhou factories, their local prototypes, and how they integrated Western and local architectural elements. The origins of the Thirteen Factories trace back to funduqs or fondacos, Mediterranean commercial establishments from the late Middle Ages, which spread globally with Portuguese overseas trade after the Age of Discovery. Built along the Pearl River, the Thirteen Factories were modeled on local hangs, characterized by narrow frontages, large depths, storage on the 1st floor, and accommodation above. Western merchants, leasing these hangs, transformed them into factories by adding Western architectural elements, such as columns, arches, colonnades, and triangular pediments while reorganizing interiors with arched corridors. This integration demonstrates the global mobility of architectural forms driven by economic globalization. The Qing dynasty’s (1644 – 1912) strict regulation confined foreign factories to a designated area along the Pearl River, forming the Thirteen Factories quarter. Continuous planning by Western merchants introduced early elements of “modernity,” making the quarter a site of architectural and functional innovation. Globalization and modernization were central to the Thirteen Factories’ development, blending architectural traditions and influencing Guangzhou’s evolution. These forces profoundly impacted the site’s transformation and contributed to the globalization of Guangzhou today.
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