Former Residences of Deputy Commissioner of Amoy Customs

Overview of Heritage Site

Level of Protection of Immovable Cultural Heritage	[Major National-level Protected Historical and Cultural Sites] Batch No.7

Level of Protection of Historic Building	[Major Protected Historic Buildings] B3-12、13

Category	Significant Modern and Contemporary Site and Representative Architecture

Address	9、11 Zhangzhou Road

Time	1860s

Conservation Area of Immovable Cultural Heritage	Extend 20 meters outward from the heritage itself in the southeast; extend 5 meters outward in the southwest; extend to Zhangzhou Road in the northeast; extend to the pond in the northwest.

Introduction to Heritage Site

The residence of Amoy Customs Deputy Commissioner consists in fact of two buildings. Between 1865 and 1870, the Amoy Customs purchased a villa from Tait & Company. It was destroyed in a typhoon in September in 1917, and in 1923/24, two new buildings were built on the site. The building at No.9 Zhangzhou Road was named "Hill Crest" and No.11 Zhangzhou Road was named "Hill View". With a simple and concise outlook, these two buildings are very similar in style. Architecturally, they are clearly influenced by the then current design trends, and reminiscent of the American Prairie School of architecture.
The two buildings comprising the residence of the Amoy Customs Deputy Commissioner and other senior staff are well preserved. Built by the former Amoy Customs, they show that senior staff from companies and institutions in Xiamen were attracted to reside on Kulangsu in view of its exceptional living environment. They are also indicative of the important role that Kulangsu played in trade exchanges between China and foreign countries.