Shamian

The island covers an area of 0.3 km2, 900 m from east to west, and 300 m from north to south. It is bordered in the south by the Pearl River, and it is separated from the mainland by a canal. ==History==

Shamian Island was an important port for Guangzhou's foreign trade from the Song to the Qing dynasty. which was then an anchorage for thousands of boat people. In 1859, Great Britain and France dug an artificial river (now called Shajichong) to the north, making it an island. Since then, Shamian became a strategic point for city defense during the First and Second Opium Wars. The British captured the Shamian Fort in the Canton River operations in March 1841 during the First Opium War. In the 1847 expedition to Canton, they seized the Shamian batteries along with the rest of the forts guarding the city. In the first armed conflict of the Second Opium War, the British recaptured the forts in 1856. In 1859, It was connected to the mainland by two bridges, which were closed at 10pm as a security measure. The British arch bridge, also called the "Bridge of England" and built in 1861, to the north was guarded by Sikh police officers, and the French bridge to the east was guarded by Vietnamese (Cochinchina) recruits with the Troupes coloniales. The island was the scene of fighting during the "June 23 incident" in 1925. After 1949, the mansions of Shamian became government offices or apartment houses and the churches were turned into factories. ==Features==

Religious buildings The French Catholic chapel, Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel (), has been restored and stands on the main boulevard. The British Protestant church, Christ Church Shameen (), was built in 1865. Government The community includes the Shamian Police Station (). Consulates While Shamian Island in history housed the majority of the consulates in Guangzhou, all have since moved out except the consulate general of Poland which remains at No. 63 Shamian Main Street. Former consulates on the Island include: • Czechoslovakia. The Czech Consulate was for some time located at No. 1 North Shamian Street, in a 1911 building, which later hosted the North Korean trade delegation in Guangzhou. • France. No. 20 South Shamian Street. • United Kingdom. No. 44-46 South Shamian Street. The consulate's location made Shamian Island a hub for U.S. families adopting children from China. Education Schools in the community include Shamian Primary School () and Shamian Experimental Primary School (). Recreation Shamian Park () and the Shamian Tennis Courts () are in the community. Statues Various bronze statues are scattered around the island which depict life as it was during earlier periods on the island, as well as from more recent times. For example, one statue entitled "A gentleman, a lady and a darn woman" shows a Western couple watching a Chinese woman darning cloth. Another depicts the changing appearances and stature of Chinese women, with a woman from colonial times in traditional clothing, a slightly taller woman from the early or mid 20th century wearing a cheongsam, and a relatively tall and slender young Chinese woman wearing shorts and talking on a mobile phone. ==Transportation==

The three east–west streets of the island, formerly named "Canal Street", "Central Avenue" (a tree-lined boulevard), and "Front Avenue" (originally lined on the riverside by parks) were renamed "Shamian North Road" (Shamian Beijie), "Shamian Main Street" (Shamian Dajie), and "Shamian South Road" (Shamian Nanjie). The five north–south streets are named Shamian 1 Street to Shamian 5 Street. Huangsha Station of Guangzhou Metro is located within a short walk from the island, via an overpass crossing the busy Liu'ersan Road. There is also a ferry running from Huangsha Pier to Fangcun Pier, which runs every 10 minutes carrying foot-passengers and bicycles. Fares are from 0.5 RMB for a foot passenger and 1 RMB for a passenger with a bike. There are no public buses on the island itself, although there are several nearby bus stops. ==See also==