Haikou Qilou Old Street: A Cultural Microcosm of Overseas Chinese Memories and Urban Development

Haikou Qilou Old Street (Haikou Qilou Architectural Historical and Cultural Block) is the largest and most well preserved group of Qilou buildings in China today. The existing arcade buildings are mainly concentrated on 12 streets, with a total length of 3919 meters and a total area of 121.3 hectares. The Qilou Old Street in Haikou was built by returning overseas Chinese in the early 20th century on the basis of the original Ming Dynasty city of Haikou.

The arcade building will have one floor partially transformed into a colonnade or pedestrian walkway for shelter from rain, sun, and traffic, while the second and higher floors will be ridden on the pedestrian walkway, just like riding a horse. This type of building is very suitable for the climate characteristics of strong sunshine and heavy rainfall in the southern coastal areas of China. At the same time, its architectural form of "front store, back factory, lower store, upper house" is very convenient for business and trade. Since modern times, arcade buildings have been widely distributed in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan and other places along the southeast coast of China.

Arcade architecture was first introduced to Spain from England and then to Southeast Asia. In modern times, overseas Chinese from Hainan who were active in Southeast Asia brought architectural styles and styles such as Eurasian Renaissance, Eurasian Baroque, and Nanyang to Haikou, and combined them with traditional residential buildings in northern Hainan. The single arcade buildings are connected to each other, and the single arcade on both sides of the road is connected to form a long corridor, connecting the entire commercial street together and forming a unique combination of Chinese and Western mixed use building form. As a result, modern Haikou has formed a unique Eurasian mixed urban style, as well as a spirit and temperament of "openness and inclusiveness", and has become a window for modern China's opening up and exchanges with the outside world. At the beginning of the 20th century, Haikou Qilou Old Street had consulates (consuls) from more than ten countries including the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Austria Hungary, Belgium, Norway, etc.

As the cultural essence accumulated in the long historical development process of Haikou, Qilou Old Street condenses many cultural connotations such as urban culture, architectural art culture, Nanyang culture, Confucianism culture, Buddhism culture, red culture, ocean culture, etc. Various traditional delicacies and folk arts such as Qiong Opera have taken root and grown here. There have been many touching revolutionary stories, Southeast Asian stories, and so on here. Haikou Qilou Old Street is also a place of "nostalgia" for overseas Qiong Chinese, and is a must visit place when returning home to visit relatives.

Until now, the Qilou Old Street in Haikou still plays the main commercial function of the old city old street, vividly recording the history of Haikou's development from scratch into a prosperous coastal metropolis, and reflecting the tropical local characteristics of Haikou's urban location and integration with Southeast Asia.

Haikou Qilou Old Street is carrying out a series of renovation and protection, cultural exploration, and business adjustment work. Not only has it enhanced its social value, but it has also become a window of image for Haikou city, a cultural highland, and a link connecting overseas Chinese of Qiong nationality; Moreover, the influx of a large number of cultural industries and the flourishing development of cultural tourism in the neighborhood have effectively enhanced their economic value and cultural added value. Under the guidance of the Haikou Municipal Party Committee and Government, relevant units are striving to build Haikou Qilou Old Street into a historical and cultural tourism block with Nanyang characteristics, integrating urban historical and cultural exhibitions, tourism and sightseeing, and characteristic consumption. With the unique architectural charm of the century old Qilou, the rich and colorful cultural life of the block, and the unique local historical and folk customs, it aims to enhance the urban taste of Haikou as a historic and cultural city.

Easycan Inc. Journal JEFF/Photography Report