Winter Antiques Show 2010 Expert Eye & Book Signing "The Hongs of Canton" (New York,NY)

January 22nd, 2009

Winter Antiques Show Seminar Lecture & Book Signing Series

Seminar Lecture and Book Signing #1:

"The Hongs of Canton: Cauldron of the China Trade"

Presented by Dr.Patrick Connor, Co-Director of Martyn Gregory. He is a Fellow at the Royal Asiatic Society. Along with "The Hongs of Canton: Western Merchants in South China 1700-1900 ", he is the author of other books including "Orential Architecture in the West" and "George Chinnery, Artist of India and the China Coast".

Martyn Gregory is a gallery located in London, England specializing in China trade paintings and paintings relating to the Far East from the 1700 to 1900. It is run by proprietor Martyn Gregory and directors Partick Connor & Penelope Gregory.


Since the millennia, Canton now know as Guangzhou, was involved in treade with western world. The hongs or the hangs, depending on the dialect being used, were the Western businesses or factories in Canton. This city was particularly important for the West for it was the only place the Chinese goverment would permit the Western world to exercise business practices. It was on this tiny strip of riverside land is were merchants from Europe and America made, and in some cases, lost fortunes.

During this time of trade artists from the Canton region would produce paintings for the European market. The earliest examples of Chinese export paintings can be dated to the1770s. By the 1780s, Chinese artists were able to produce semi-Western artwork despite their limited exposure to Western art. Producing these images was not limited to painting. Examples can also be found in ceramics as well.

Canton was a port of international trading. Each nation placed their national flag on their respective ships and hongs. There are many paintings showing many countries including Holland, France, and England. The famous Drummond wallpapaer which spans 20 feet depicts scenes of the hongs and their ships by the harbor. It was not till till 1784, after the success of the American Revolution, that America reached the Chinese shore. Samuel Snow is recorded forwritingthese words when he arrived in Canton, "With the permission of the Chinese goverment, I have errected the American flag."

The Chinese Imperial Museum houses artwork with images of the hongs. It depicts hong building built and designed in the Western style, Western businessmen in European clothing holding wangers ,merchants with wares to sell on boats, and elegant flower boats.

The Chinese export market made many goods that were desirable to the Western market. Chinese artisians produced export furniture made in the Western style, red laquerware,,everyday objects such as slippers and fans, and of course, Chinese export paintings. Popular themes included portraits and opium smokers.

Canton was a very flammable city. It was very common for Canton and many other major cities in China to suddenly go up in flames. The Americans were the first to respond to these emergencies. They were equiped with ships the smaller but faster. This allowed for better and eaiser navigation in the riverbed.

Canton became especially important during the days of the opium trade. The Chineses' desire and habit for opium turned the table in the trading relationship between China and the East. In 1804, the shifted from on side to the other. Before opium,there was not a single commidity that was wanted on a regular basis in China. Opium was important due to the fact that it was the only good that the Chinese wanted on a regular basis. This notroious commidity was particularly important to the British for they were the ones that controlled the opium trade.

In 1839, Lin Ze Xu, recognized in Chinese history as a "Pioneer in the War Against Drugs", ordered all the opium in the Canton's hongs be destroyed. All the opium was poured in the river,mixed with lye,and pushed out into the Pearl River Delta, thus making it worthless. The Brithsh merchants were extremely angry with the actions of this Chinese goverment official. The English businessmen voiced thier complaints to Parliment back home. This essentially launched the the first Opium War. At the end,with their inability to compete with advanced Western military technology, the Chinese lost. They surrended by signing the Treaty of Nanking, giving the West four other port openings. Most importantly, with this treaty, Hong Kong became a British colony.

The Americans and British expanded thier hongs to include gardens that became sources of leaisure and friviloty. Westerners enjoyed strolling through the well manicured and structured gardens of the American hong. However, they enjoyed to play games in the British garden for it was considered more natural and wild.

In December of 1856, the Chinese revolted against the hongs by burning them down. For a year, the Westerners layed down low, biding their time, strategizing on the moves they should make. at the end, the French and the British attacked and bombarded the cityof Canton. Henry Parks of England became the governer of the city. By this time the hongs had move to island of Honan.

The region of Canton and thier hongs have enjoyed a rich, illustrious, and if not nefaroius history all the way to modern times. In 1924, Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai Shek trained the modern army here. In the year of the first assembly, several Chinese were shot down or injured by British soldiers.

The area were the hongs originally stood is has been designated as a site to replicate the thirteen hongs that were there. This will be important for it will serve as a facsimile to illustrate the tangible representaion of what was once the heart of trade between China and the West.

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To purchase a copy of Patrick Connor's book "The Hongs of Canton: Cauldron of the China Trade" please go to:
http://www.martyngregory.com/index.pl?id=2190&isa=Category&op=show

To learn more about the Martyn Gregory Gallery please go to:
http://www.martyngregory.com/