Guangzhou, as the birthplace of the Maritime Silk Road, has got a well-known Huangpu Ancient Port, which has witnessed the prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road with a history of nearly one thousand years.
As one of the ten most beautiful ancient villages in Guangdong, Huangpu Village, where Huangpu Ancient Port is located, was born approximately around 1056 to 1063.
There is a Fengpu Archway in the village. Actually, Huangpu is called Fengpu in the past. A long time ago, there is a legend that a pair of phoenixes flew here for drinking water. Cantonese natives call the land by the water "Pu". As a result, Huangpu village was originally well known as Fengpu village. As time went by, many foreign businessmen pronounced this place as "Huangpu" instead of "Fengpu", therefore people nowadays are keen on calling it "Huangpu village".
There are many attractions in Huangpu village, such as Huangpu Anchorage Museum, Ancient Huangpu Port, East Indiaman Gotheborg Memorial Sculpture Park and so on. In the Huangpu Anchorage Museum, where we can know more about the history of the Guangzhou Maritime Silk Road, the Thirteen Hongsand and the Huangpu Ancient Port.
As early as the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), the Huangpu Ancient Port was well known for gathering merchant ships from around the world. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911), Guangzhou gradually became the unique foreign trade port, when the Huangpu Ancient Port entered its most glorious period.
At that time, all foreign merchant ships must declare the goods at Huangpu Ancient Port before they were allowed to enter and trade in China. It's recorded that during the period when Guangzhou was the only city that allowed foreign trade, there were more than 5000 foreign merchant ships moored at Huangpu Ancient Port. One of the most famous Swedish merchant ships "East Indiaman Gotheborg" had visited Huangpu Ancient Port three times, with silks, tea, porcelains and other goods loaded back every time.
Nowadays, walking in the streets of Ancient Huangpu Village, you can still feel the glory of the past. Not far away, Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center (Pazhou Complex) inherited the prosperity and openness of the ancient port. During the Canton Fair, Chinese and foreign merchants gathered here, continuing the glory of the Maritime Silk Road.
Source: Yangcheng Evening News
