白理洋行旧址 重庆开埠时期工商业贸易的见证

杨艳

1891年3月1日，重慶海关成立，标志着重庆正式开埠。长江之滨的南岸，成为了随之而来的英、法、德、日、美等国商人和外事人员的首选之地。他们在米市街建码头、修仓库，开洋行、公司、工厂等。如今，行走其间，不见来人，但闻历史的回响。

米市街是重庆工商业贸易的摇篮，中西方文化在此交融，修建了不少中西合璧的建筑。房屋顺坡地而建，街区高低变化，形成错落有致的街巷空间和山地建筑面貌。

在董家桥清水溪石崖上的门朝街深处，有一栋西班牙建筑风格的房屋，一楼一底，青砖灰瓦，上有阁楼。既有中式的筒子楼，也有西式的大拱门;西式塔楼和中式阁楼造型相间。这就是开埠时期英国商人白耳理和买办商人古学渊在重庆合作开办的白理洋行旧址。

该建筑设计巧妙合理地利用了复杂的地形，房屋基础部分利用清水溪原有石崖，其余部分在西边砌垒条石堡坎。为了方便出行，清水溪上还修建了一座木桥，过桥便是望耳楼，从望耳楼往下就到了枣子湾老码头。

当时，白理洋行主营山货、熟猪鬃等出口业务，1911年至1913年，曾一度垄断了重庆猪鬃和牛羊皮的出口贸易。1913年，白理洋行转向发展进口业务，开设进口商品专卖店，销售英国棉毛织品、洋酒、罐头等商品，白耳理还选中了黄云阶做为白理洋行的买办，进一步将白理洋行的业务扩大。

目前，这栋建筑已被评为重庆市优秀历史建筑。近年来，通过米市街历史文化街区打造，该建筑再度焕发光彩，重现重庆开埠时期的风貌。

图片/南岸区文旅委 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