CHINA DAILY THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013 lifetravel 19 Uncovering a city’s past Guangzhouwan, a former treaty port in Guangdong province, features early 20th-century French architecture that tells of its storied past. Li Wenfang takes a closer look. esearching wan’s hospital built in 1922, as Guizhou Jiangxi the history of Fujian well as its first power plant, Guangzhouwan Guangdong constructed in 1927. Guangxi during its French Guangzhou “A city without history is occupation can pitiable. Buildings record the Reasily provide material for a Zhanjiang history of a city, show histori- hundred doctorate degrees. cal development and witness Hainan At least this is what He Jie, a social development,” he wrote. local journalist and head of “Through buildings, the 200 km the society being built on such CHINA DAILY elderly recollect past lives, research, believes. while the young get to know Guangzhouwan once 160 million francs in 1916, history to better steer the referred to an area made up of as a French general put it in future.” a few villages on Guangdong his memoir — is only the tip Many books and papers province’s Nansan Island. It is of Guangzhouwan history’s on Guangzhouwan can be now part of the city of Zhan- iceberg. found in libraries in France, jiang, located in the south- A? er the War of Resistance but translating them will be a western part of the province. against Japanese Aggression mammoth task, Ye says. % e name Guangzhouwan, broke out in 1937, it remained A visitor to Zhanjiang, how- also spelled Kwangchowan, the only free port connect- ever, can still see traces of its was adopted when 518 sq km ing China with the rest of the colonial past. of land and some of its sur- world, and its business thrived. The administrative offices rounding sea, was leased by Wen Yiduo, a contempo- of Guangzhouwan’s former the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) rary Chinese poet, included French rulers, on Haibin Road, to France in 1899. In 1943, it Guangzhouwan in his famous is one of only seven remain- was occupied by Japan, and poem Songs of Seven Sons. ing French colonial structures two years later returned to Written in 1925, the poetry in urban Zhanjiang due to China, after which it was talked about the seven places the city’ rapid infrastructure renamed Zhanjiang. along the Chinese coast ceded development, Ye says. Guangzhouwan’s colonial to foreign powers and how Designed in the French history has been largely “cov- the Chinese longed for their neoclassical style, the build- ered in dust” and deserves return to the motherland. ing was constructed in 1903. attention from Chinese schol- But at the same time, people It became a provincial cultur- ars, He says. realized foreign occupation also ally protected relic in 2002 ZOU ZHONGPIN / CHINA DAILY Previous Chinese studies brought new ideas into China. and now regularly serves as a A Catholic church, built in 1902, remains in use in Zhanjiang, as an example of the city’s colonial-era architecture. on Guangzhouwan merely “% e French leasing Guang- venue for art exhibitions. focused on the Chinese resis- zhouwan was indeed an act of In the 1980s, Zhu almost Lyuyin Road and remains in time in western Guangdong. now one of only two crystal- resolved to protect and reno- tance to French invaders, invasion, which deserved the lost his government post when use. It consisted of 30 industrial mirror lighthouses still in use vate the former French conces- says Ye Caiping, former dep- resistance of our nationals. But he advocated for the building’s % e former Bank of Indo- chambers, such as those for around the world. sion’s architecture. uty curator of the Zhanjiang they also brought in Western protection. china, the E rst contemporary department stores, shipping The 1920s and 1940s saw And to boost tourism, it Museum. culture, which deeply influ- Three minutes away on bank in Guangzhouwan, and textiles. the construction of many pub- plans to turn the area with Guangzhouwan became a enced the lives of people living foot, along Yan’an Road, is the built in 1926, has been used Its building, in the French lic, industrial, commercial and many French buildings into a duty-free port in 1912. The in the leased area,” Zhu Yu, a building that used to house by the Zhanjiang branch of classical style, was completed residential buildings that com- “French street”. French designed it to counter former director of Zhanjiang’s the French police department. the Industrial and Com- in 1925 and is located on Min- bined Chinese and Western % e E rst phase of the proj- the growing power of neigh- bureau of culture, wrote in his Also built in 1903, it is now a mercial Bank of China since zhu Road. architectural elements. ect is scheduled to wrap up in boring Hong Kong, then preface to a book on contem- district sub-station of the pub- 1984. A lighthouse was built on Some can still be seen September. under British rule, He says. porary buildings in Zhanjiang, lic security bureau. % e Chamber of Commerce Naozhou Island in 1900 to around Zhanjiang, especially Its once vibrant foreign published last year. % e Catholic church, com- of Guangzhouwan was the guide French military ships in Chikan district. Contact the writer at trade — reaching a peak of Zhu mentioned Guangzhou- pleted in 1902, still stands on largest business chamber of its and commercial vessels. It’s % e city government is now [email protected]. companyspecial Zhanjiang seafood haven Dove men’s body wash By ZHANG YUCHEN in Zhanjiang, Guangdong [email protected] is making a big splash You may not E nd the name of the city in the latest edition of Lonely Planet China, but there By ZHUAN TI is no question what the main [email protected] attraction in Zhanjiang is — its seafood. The first body care prod- Fringed by the sea on three ucts designed for men from sides and with E ve islands just Dove — the world’s largest oG shore, Zhanjiang has many bath product brand — has fishing ports which supply been widely welcomed since fresh and plentiful seafood that its debut in China on a major is cheap but of high quality. online retailer website earlier Among the many oG erings this month. are all manner of E sh, shrimps Dove, the famous Unilever and crabs, and exotic shellE sh, brand for body care, exclusively sandworms, seaweed, abalones launched its E rst series of men and sea cucumbers. care products in China using Fortunate locals love their e-commerce platform 360buy. seafood lightly cooked, usually % ese are o? en cooked in soup com on April 15. quickly boiled to retain all the or porridge. The first week after it was natural sweetness. Sandworms, which look available online, the new prod- As a famous prawn-E shing like fat earthworms, are hard uct line Dove Men+Care saw PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY area, the annual production of to catch as they dig deep into its sales top all products in the Only a week after its launch, sales of the Dove Men+Care prawns in Zhanjiang is about the sand, and that makes them same category at 360buy.com, topped all products in the same category at 360buy.com. 2,000 metric tons. relatively more expensive. one of the largest e-commerce Most Zhanjiang chefs dry- % ey taste delicious. As you websites in China, making the shoulder more responsibili- products can quickly clean boil the prawns, turning them chew on the meat, the natural famous brand for body care ties for caring the family and their skin, completely freeing bright red while retaining their sweetness of the juices H oods tap into a larger market. others in the society, but they it from oily and E lthy residues H avorful taste and texture. the mouth. % e body wash was the E rst are reluctant to voice their and sweaty odor. Dry-boiling is simply cook- Other favorite food for the batch of Dove men’s care prod- own need for care. % ey also hope the products ing the food over medium heat locals includes crabs, both the ucts to arrive in China. But they had their own can help make their skin com- without adding any water, but green mud crabs and the spot- % e series oG ers one of top choice when Dove launched fortable, keeping more mois- only condiments such as garlic. ted sea crabs. % e better quality products recommended jointly its E rst product for men’s body ture even in a dry environment. The city’s famous prawns mud crabs are also known as PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY by dermatologists from North care in April in China. The Dove Men+Care is are well-known at home and roe crabs, famous for its thin Fresh seafood is one of the best o erings of Zhanjiang. America and China. % e line- Comparing to female skin, exactly designed and devel- abroad and have won it a huge shell, yellow cream, delicate up also includes skin care, hair males are quite diG erent. oped to solve these problems. reputation. Some believe that H esh and delectable taste. charcoal burners in street side just out of the sea. care and body lotions, which For instance, male skin has The Dove men care series out of every eight prawns eat- Compared to the green mud shanties for midnight snacks. Apart from seafood, Zhan- may come later. a lower PH value, larger pores has adopted the new micro en in the country, at least one crab, spotted sea crab is less The secret behind the jiang sliced boiled chicken In modern society, men and more active sebaceous moisture technology clini- comes from Zhanjiang.