A Cultural Study of Guangzhou’s Thirteen Hongs Historic District

The districts shaped by the activities of the Thirteen Factories were once an important part of the area where "China's foremost trading port" stood. As an economic "growth pole" for Guangzhou under the Qing Empire, they played a positive role in the city's long-term development. Today, the historic district of the Thirteen Factories and its associated historic areas are not only an important physical embodiment of Guangzhou, a thousand-year-old commercial hub and world-renowned city, but also an immense resource of space and environment for cultural and commercial heritage tourism with an international focus.