Local Cultures – Global Spaces

Abstract

The paper aims to show how Amoy’s early urban construction sprouted in this unequal exchange environment, as one of China’s first forced treaty ports. Taking the British Concession of Amoy (1852-1930) as the research object, this paper analyses the construction and struggle of Beach Ground in the process of land enclosure through documentation and map analysis. It provided a dynamic perspective on how concessions shaped prestige and power through cultural, economic, and architectural forms. At the same time, governments and masses began to explore overseas opportunities and modernization in resistance. After the establishment of the British Concession, the introduction of port facilities and Western-style buildings made the environment out of touch with the dilapidated urban area. However, the area included the city’s important port, known locally as Lutou. The British Concession intertwined with the old town to form an in-between position in terms of geography, commercial transactions and mass struggles. The construction process of the British Concession reflected the introduction of Western-style construction styles and techniques before the renovation of the old city in the 1920s. The construction of ports and embankments replaced the manually stacked Lutou, and improvements in shipping infrastructure also promoted Amoy’s foreign trade and overseas migration. Its expansion also led to the construction of surrounding streets and buildings. The planning of the concession area laid the urban pattern of the old town, which continues to this day.