Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, is alias Jiangcheng. Since the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, it has been a military and commercial center in southern China.
Hankou, one of the three towns in Wuhan, is a typical commercial town, which was formed in the middle of the Ming Dynasty and developed rapidly in the Qing Dynasty, and is known as the "first prosperous place in Chuzhong".
In 1842, the Sino-British Treaty of Tianjin was signed, and Hankou was opened as an open port. With the continuous influx of foreign investors, the largest town in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River has also stepped into the fast lane of modern development, showing a deformed prosperity scene.
This set of pictures, taken between 1900 and 1911, records the real scene of the ancient town of Hankou in the late Qing Dynasty.
The old city gate of Hankou
Hankou Tongji Gate in 1900. Among the three towns in Wuhan, Hankou was the latest to build a city. Because there is a natural barrier of Han Water in the south, only the city wall was built in the north, and no complete siege was formed.
Silhouette of Tongji Gate
At that time, there were eight gates in Hankou from west to east, namely Tongji Gate, Dazhi Gate, Xunli Gate, Youyi Gate, Juren Gate, Jade Belt Gate and two convenient gates. It can be seen that Hankou Fort was quite intact at that time, and it was demolished in 1907 shortly after, which is a pity.
Look out over the Han River
Standing on a high vantage point to the Han River, the nearby houses and various buildings are lined up, and the warehouses of foreign companies along the river are clearly visible.
The Bund of Hankou
In 1909, the Hankou Bund scene, Binjiang Avenue is wide, flat and clean, with a neat row of green trees on the side of the road, and pedestrians, vehicles and porters on the road are constantly coming and going.
The Bund in 1911
Depressed Hankou Bund. The photographer called the photo an "abandoned Bund." Because it was during the Xinhai Revolution, the pedestrians on the riverside avenue and the boats on the river were significantly reduced, which was very deserted.
Crowds poured in
The following photographs were taken in 1900 and survive in the form of stereoscopic photographs. This is the scene seen from the outside of the municipal council building at that time, where many people with various tools are gathered downstairs waiting to find a job, and in the distant streets, porters carrying goods back and forth.
Busy people
The street to the north of the city hall building, which is a gathering area for Europeans. In the middle of the street, which is lined with western-style buildings, there are many wooden boxes filled with tea leaves.
Marina view
At that time, Hankou was the largest tea market in Chinese mainland, and tea from all over the country gathered here. The picture shows unloaders at the dock carrying tea leaves.
Eating coolies
A food stall on the edge of the Han River, a bamboo basket and two wooden barrels, the conditions are very simple. Several dock workers sat on small benches between labors and rested while eating. On the wooden trestle next to it stood a man, staring at the camera.
Orthodox Church
St. Aleksander's Church, also known as Alexander's Church, is located in Poyang Street, Jiang'an District, Wuhan. Built in 1893 by Russian tea merchants in Hankou at the time, the church is figuratively known as the Onion Head Church because of its circular decoration on top. The building still exists, but the "onion head" at the top is gone.
Taiping Street, Hankou
Street view of Taiping Street in 1908. Originally a narrow dirt road called Guangli Lane, after the British forcibly opened the concession in the eleventh year of Xianfeng (1861), the dirt road near the concession area was widened and the gravel pavement was paved.
Roadside medical stalls
A folk doctor guards his stall on the side of the road, which is lined with various medicine bottles. On the wall behind him hung a white cloth with the words "Efficacy Huatuo", which is equivalent to a pennant for patients to express their gratitude now.
Bamboo workshop
It's a world of bamboo, houses made of bamboo, and a man stands on a pile of moso bamboo on the ground, next to which stands a tower-like building that is used to make bamboo ropes.
Big
A group photo of a Western man and a Chinese giant. The giant, from northern China, is 7.5 feet tall, or about 2.28 meters, a little taller than Yao Ming.
A railway station in Hankou
A railway station in Hankou, at that time, the Beijing-Hankou Railway had three railway stations in Hankou, namely Yudaimen, Jiang'an and Chenjiaji, of which Jiang'an Railway Station was the largest central station.
Western woman
A Western woman with a parasol stands in front of the carriage and will take a train from Hankou to Beijing. A railway policeman stood behind her, next to a young boy carrying a bamboo basket peddling goods.