1890 Photographs of Temple of the Six Banyan Trees and Shamian Canal, Canton (Guangzhou), China

Canton in the Late Qing Period.

This is an extraordinary set of c. 1890 photographs of Canton (Guangzhou), China, including the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees and the canal between Canton and Shamian Island. Together, the provide a rare photographic glimpse into the life of the city in the late Qing period.

The Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

The top photograph depicts the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees (Liurong Temple 六榕寺), one of the most iconic historic landmarks in Guangzhou, China. The Buddhist temple was first established in 537 CE during the Liang Dynasty by the Governor of Guangzhou to enshrine sacred Buddhist relics brought from Cambodia (or, in some accounts, India). The photograph depicts not the entire temple grounds but its most noticeable feature, the Flower Pagoda (花塔), first built in 1097 CE. Over the centuries, the pagoda has survived numerous fires and other disasters, with major reconstructions occurring during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In 1856, the pagoda was badly damaged by a typhoon and was only repaired beginning in the mid-1870s, meaning this photograph represents an early depiction of its reconstruction (in fact, the presence of trees and plants on the pagoda's various levels suggests that it might still have been under repair as similar photographs from later in the 19th century do not contain such shrubbery).

Shamian Island

The bottom photograph takes in a lively scene along the canal separating Shamian Island from Canton (Guangzhou). It is oriented towards the west with the Canton side at right and Shamian at left. This canal historically served as a dividing line between two cultures, economic systems, and political worlds, with the Qing Dynasty on the Canton side and the factories (warehouses) and mansions of foreign traders on the other. For much of the Qing period, foreign traders were restricted to residing and conducting business on Shamian, being forced to operate through designated Chinese trading houses (hongs/ hang 行) who then sent a tax on the trade to the Qing government. However, the narrow width of the canal belies the reality that the divisions between these worlds were not as strict as they might appear at first glance. In any event, following the First Opium War (1839 - 1842), Canton was opened to foreign trade and the earlier restrictions were dropped. The British and French divided the island into two foreign concessions in 1859, within which traders of other foreign nations (especially the U.S. and Japan) also operated. Soon afterwards, two bridges were built between Shamian and the mainland. Still, as can be seen here, the canal marked a stark division between the world of the cramped Chinese city and the spacious colonial verandas and gardens of Shamian.

Publication History and Census

These images were taken by an unknown photographer, who was likely French given the captions. The top photograph is undated while the bottom photograph is dated 1880. We have identified no other examples of either photograph.

Condition

Very good. Image represents recto (front) and verso (back) of single card.