Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum
Located in Guangzhou’s Cultural Park, the Thirteen Hongs Museum exhibits artifacts from the Qing Dynasty’s sole trading port, highlighting the city’s role in the Maritime Silk Road.
Planning your visit
For most of the eighteenth century Guangzhou was the only Chinese port where foreigners could trade, and all of it ran through thirteen licensed merchant houses — the Hongs — under the Canton System. Tea, silk and porcelain went out; silver came in, until the British substituted opium and the resulting war ended the arrangement in 1842.
The museum in the Cultural Park holds around a thousand objects from that trade: export porcelain painted for Western tables, silverware, lacquer, fans, furniture and the Chinese export paintings made for foreign buyers, plus documents and models of the factory quarter that stood on the riverbank.
Admission is free.
Shamian Island, the sandbank the foreign concessions later occupied, is a short walk away and preserves its colonial streets and trees.
Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options combine the museum with Shamian. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum?
Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum is in Guangzhou, China. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum?
Allow ninety minutes. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
