Testimony of the Maritime Silk Road: Walking through the Guangdong Customs Museum

Walking through the Guangdong Customs Museum is like opening a yellowed history book. This historic building exudes classical elegance amidst its grandeur, with arched windows and a towering clock tower quietly overlooking the Pearl River, as if guarding centuries of prosperity and vicissitudes. The museum's exhibition halls are arranged chronologically, vividly recreating the evolution of Guangdong Customs from the Qing Dynasty to modern times. The customs tax cards, old port maps, and precious documents and seals from that era delicately showcase the pivotal role Guangdong Customs played in the Maritime Silk Road. Here, I felt the glorious past of Guangzhou as a trade hub and deeply understood its significant impact on cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. Stepping out of the exhibition hall, the breeze from the Pearl River greeted me, with distant ships swaying on the horizon, blending with the sky and water. The Guangdong Customs Museum is not only a witness to history but also a bridge connecting the past and present, evoking respect and making one linger. This stop is undoubtedly an unforgettable cultural baptism.