白理洋行舊址 重慶開埠時期工商業貿易的見證

楊艷

1891年3月1日，重慶海關成立，標志著重慶正式開埠。長江之濱的南岸，成為了隨之而來的英、法、德、日、美等國商人和外事人員的首選之地。他們在米市街建碼頭、修倉庫，開洋行、公司、工廠等。如今，行走其間，不見來人，但聞歷史的回響。

米市街是重慶工商業貿易的搖籃，中西方文化在此交融，修建了不少中西合璧的建筑。房屋順坡地而建，街區高低變化，形成錯落有致的街巷空間和山地建筑面貌。

在董家橋清水溪石崖上的門朝街深處，有一棟西班牙建筑風格的房屋，一樓一底，青磚灰瓦，上有閣樓。既有中式的筒子樓，也有西式的大拱門;西式塔樓和中式閣樓造型相間。這就是開埠時期英國商人白耳理和買辦商人古學淵在重慶合作開辦的白理洋行舊址。

該建筑設計巧妙合理地利用了復雜的地形，房屋基礎部分利用清水溪原有石崖，其余部分在西邊砌壘條石堡坎。為了方便出行，清水溪上還修建了一座木橋，過橋便是望耳樓，從望耳樓往下就到了棗子灣老碼頭。

當時，白理洋行主營山貨、熟豬鬃等出口業務，1911年至1913年，曾一度壟斷了重慶豬鬃和牛羊皮的出口貿易。1913年，白理洋行轉向發展進口業務，開設進口商品專賣店，銷售英國棉毛織品、洋酒、罐頭等商品，白耳理還選中了黃云階做為白理洋行的買辦，進一步將白理洋行的業務擴大。

目前，這棟建筑已被評為重慶市優秀歷史建筑。近年來，通過米市街歷史文化街區打造，該建筑再度煥發光彩，重現重慶開埠時期的風貌。

圖片/南岸區文旅委 文管所提供

The establishment of Chongqing Customs on the 1st of March 1891 marked the opening of the city as a commercial port. The south bank of the Yangtze River became the preferred place for the British， French， German， Japanese and American businessmen and foreign service personnel. They built wharves and warehouses and opened foreign firms， companies， and factories on Mishi Street. Today， history still ring some bells when you wander around it.

Mishi Street was the cradle of industrial and commercial trade in Chongqing. The mix of Chinese and Western cultures there catalyzed the construction of a host of buildings， in both East and West styles. The houses were built along the slope， with the neighborhoods varying in height， creating a staggered street space and a mountainous architectural landscape.

Deep in the Menchao Street on the rocky cliffs of the Clearwater Creek at Dongjiaqiao is a house in the Spanish architectural style. The two-storey building features grey bricks and black tiles with an attic above. Not only has it a Chinese silo style but it has a Western-style large arch， with large casement windows with elaborate wood carvings， oozing a vibe of of Western-style towers and Chinese attic shapes. This is the former site of the office of the foreign firm in Chongqing， which was opened by the British merchant Barry and the commodity broker Gu Xueyuan in partnership during this period.

The building was ingeniously designed to take advantage of the complex terrain， with the foundation of the house using the original rocky cliffs of the Clearwater Creek and the rest of the house being built on the west side. To facilitate travel， a wooden bridge was built over the Clearwater Creek， across which is the Wang'er Building， and further reaching out to Zaoziwan， an old wharf.

At that time， Barry & Co.， B. M. was mainly engaged in the export of forest goods and processed bristles. From 1911 to 1913， it monopolized the export of bristles and cow and sheep skins in Chongqing. In 1913， the firm forayed into import business by opening a specialty shop for imported goods， selling British cotton and wool fabrics， foreign wine， and canned goods， among other commodities. Barry appointed Huang Yunjie as his broker to further expand the firm's business.

The building has been proclaimed an outstanding historical building in Chongqing. Over the years， the creation of the Historical and Cultural Blocks of Mishi Street has added a new allure to the building once again， reproducing the look and style of Chongqing during the opening of the port.

Photos/ Provided by Nanan District Culture and Tourism Committee，

And Institute of Culture Relics Management