Speaking of Guanlan in Shenzhen, most Hong Kong people would think of golfing. Indeed, the Guanlan Old Market is not so far away from the Guanlan Lake, which is the golfing area. Therefore, if you are going to golf in Guanlan, the Guanlan Old Market could be a nice cultural digression for you.

Guanlan Old Market: Days of Glory

The Guanlan Old Market was established in 1766, with 260 years of history. Founded by the ever-migrating Hakka people, Guanlan Old Market thrived during the late Qing dynasty to the early Republican period. With the Guanlan River in its vicinity, the Guanlan Old Market had ready access to a waterway and it was favorable to trade. The waterways led conveniently to Huizhou, Dongguan and Baoan. Merchants began coming here for trade.

At its inception, the Old Market positioned itself as a center for business. It is one of Shenzhen’s “four great old markets,” along with Laojie in Dongmen, the Qingping Old Market, and the Sha Tau Kok Old Market. During its heyday, goods traded here were international, with both imports and exports. People called it “Little Hong Kong” then.

Most of the buildings in Guanlan Old Market were built in the mid to late Qing dynasty. There are 12 Diaolou’s (or, as the Hakka people called it, Paolou, meaning cannon towers). The tall towers are meant to serve defensive / security functions. After the Old Market met its eventual decline, different authorities did indeed use these towers for defense purposes.

The buildings are mostly made of rammed earth. The former residential houses are built in the Lingnan vernacular style, with typical gabled roof lined with Chinese glazed tiles.

Lan Ge / Hong Lou (The Red Building)

At the southern entrance of Guanlan Old Market, you won’t miss the heritage building of Lan Ge / Hong Lou. Meaning the Red Building, this structure had a glorious past as the most upscale restaurant at the time, named Gongyi Restaurant. The paint having paled, but the building still shows the red paint that earned it the moniker of Red Building.

It features two Romanesque columns that extends throughout the four stories of the structure. From the front, the upper three floors are in a uniform layout with three identical balconies in the front, surrounded on three sides by railings showing intricate geometric details.

Perhaps that this is the closest to the Diaolou’s that I saw in Kaiping. You can’t miss the defining features of Chinese eclectic architecture in this building. On the very top of the building stands an adornment that features short column stumps and a pediment-like top. The sides of the building show more variation, as the rows of windows show different styles of western adornment atop the heads of the windows.

It is said that many of the merchants that operated in the Guanlan Old Market were overseas Chinese, and that explains why there is a clear western influence in the architectural styles of the buildings. They were also the ones that drove the import and export trade in the market.

Photo: The Huasheng Trader was the largest, most significant merchant in Guanlan. It was mainly a trader in fabrics

Photo: The People’s Telegraph Office, of the New China era

Photo: The Western Gate

Leisurely Stroll in the Guanlan Old Market

I liked the Guanlan Old Market very much. The walk was easy, it was not as crowded as the Gankeng Hakka Townlet, and the vibe was clearly that of the “new literati” that has been the latest motif that China’s revived historic places have strived for. My friend and I sat down for coffee here. We chatted the afternoon away.

There are many spots for instagrammable pictures in the Old Market.

And you will be right in thinking that this is a movie set. The show Gu Xu 1938 (Old Market 1938), with a plot based on the Communists’ struggles to take down South China in the 1930s, was set in Guanlan Old Market.

How to Get There

If you are in Hong Kong and look to visit Shenzhen for an easy day trip, Guanlan Old Market is a good choice. Shenzhen Metro Line 4 will take you from the Futian Boundary Crossing to the Guanlan Station. Then walk about 10 minutes from the Metro station to arrive at the Guanlan Old Market.

Sources

Baike.badidu.com, Guanlan Old Market (Chin).

Power Up, Mingpao.com, Good Spot for the New Literati (Chin).