ikfoundation.org
Promoting Natural & Cultural History
TYPE: | Image |
DATE: | September 1751 |
ARTIST: | Unknown Chinese artist, View of Canton (Guangzhou) c.1760-70 |
AUTHOR: | Pehr Osbeck (1723-1805) |
COLLECTION(S): | British Library, Maps K.Top.116.22.2TAB. (Public Domain). |
ADDED: | 12/08/2021 |
iFELLOW: | Viveka Hansen |
JOURNALS ETC: | Linnaeus Apostles Global Science & Adventure, Volume 7, Page 91 |
CONTENT: | This large-scale bird’s-eye view painting (c.1760-70) by an unknown Chinese artist, gives a unique detailed view of how the European warehouses, manufacturing buildings and living quarters based in the area of the Canton factories or “Thirteen Factories", were located along the immense Pearl River (Whampoa). Together with the lively boat traffic, mountainous surroundings, high city wall and symmetrically constructed quarters situated outside the wall – also named the suburbs – where the European visitors, merchants et al. lived, managed their businesses and daily lives. This was opposite to the inner city area, which was observed by Pehr Osbeck in his journal. Shortly after the arrival of the Swedish East India ship “Prins Carl” in September 1751, he noted: ‘Both the old and the new city have the name of Canton: the latter is not fortified: the old town, which has been built many centuries ago, has high walls and several gates; each gate has a sentinel, in order that no European may get in, except under particular circumstances, with the leave of people of note; in this case you are carried into the city in a covered chair and thus you do not get a sight of any thing worth notice…’ |
GEO-LOCATION: | WGS84(23.09002, 113.42766) |