文、圖/王遙馳

東海關(guān)稅務(wù)司總署

The General Administration of the Tax Department of the East Customs

文、圖/王遙馳

東海關(guān)關(guān)署于1863年成立，俗稱“洋關(guān)”。The East Customs was founded in 1863 and called“the foreign customs” by people.

1861年8月22日，煙臺開埠，同時宣布正式籌建東海關(guān)。1862年2月，登萊青道由萊州遷到煙臺，道臺崇芳兼任東海關(guān)監(jiān)督。至此，東海關(guān)正式成立并對外行使權(quán)力。

東海關(guān)設(shè)立后遇到的最大困難就是對外國商船的征稅，原因主要是彼此語言不通。東海關(guān)不得不聘任外國人來從事稅務(wù)工作，開始只是雇傭他們充當翻譯，后來就讓其充任稅務(wù)官。1863年，作為國家主權(quán)之一的東海關(guān)大權(quán)，落于英國人漢南之手，標志著煙臺海關(guān)權(quán)和港口管理權(quán)的旁落。在此后的80余年里，東海關(guān)稅務(wù)司一職長期由外國人把持，直到1945年8月煙臺解放，東海關(guān)才回到中國人的手中。

1863年漢南上任之后，尚無正式辦公署，便租世昌洋行房屋居住，后因租房過少，請示海關(guān)總稅務(wù)司赫德批準，“在煙臺山西側(cè)蓋洋樓一所”。清同治四年（1865年）開始建造，次年竣工，即東海關(guān)稅務(wù)司總署。東海關(guān)稅務(wù)司總署主體建筑是磚木結(jié)構(gòu)的二層樓房，四面坡屋頂，屋檐下為仿木結(jié)構(gòu)的混凝土構(gòu)件檐飾，西入口立面帶有方形柱飾，室內(nèi)設(shè)計為英式。雖主體建筑為英式風格，但院大門卻采用中國傳統(tǒng)式的門房形式，這是為迎合本地中國人或外來英國人的心態(tài)，是早期中西合璧的建筑。主樓16間，呈東西向，樓下東西兩門有門廊，廊上有平臺。地下為東海關(guān)稅務(wù)司公署驗貨、征稅處，其東南處一間為北方巡工司辦公室。主樓西門南北兩側(cè)各有平房4間，北側(cè)平房有木質(zhì)廊廈，為報關(guān)處，南側(cè)平房是員工宿舍。主樓向西30米處有拱形大門，為公署正門，現(xiàn)已拆除。

東海關(guān)稅務(wù)司公署現(xiàn)狀。The current situation of the Taxing Department of the East Customs.

On Aug.22, 1861 Yantai opened as a port and the East Customs was declared to be planned for establishment. In February 1862, Denglaiqing Dao moved from Laizhou to Yantai and the Daotai(head of the Dao), Chongfang, also acted as the inspector of the East Customs. From then on, the East Customs was off i cially founded and started to take power.The biggest diff i culty after the establishment of the East Customs was their language barrier. The East Customs had to hire foreigners for the job of taxes. At fi rst they were just employed for translating and interpreting jobs. Later they acted as tax off i cers. In 1863 the power of the East Customs, one of the national sovereignty, was controlled by Hannen, a Briton, which symbolized the fall of the power of Yantai customs and port administration. In the next over 80 years the tax department of the East Customs were controlled by foreigners. It was not returned to the Chinese until Yantai was liberated in August 1945.