Gaoyou Pawnshop, Former pawnshop in Gaoyou, China.

The Gaoyou Pawnshop is a preserved trading building in the city of Gaoyou that displays the structure of a traditional Chinese commercial establishment. The building contains skillfully carved wooden ornaments, decorated stone elements, and clearly separated areas for different business activities such as appraisal, storage, and settlement.

The building dates from a period when pawnshops were essential financial institutions in Chinese cities, serving merchants and craftspeople who needed to manage their businesses. In 2006, the site received recognition as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, establishing its importance for understanding Chinese economic history.

The name Gaoyou Pawnshop is the plain designation of a Qing-era pawnshop (dangpu) on Renmin Road West, outside Gaoyou's North Gate. Tradition holds it began as private property of He Shen, the Qianlong-era official; in the late Qing Ma Shijie was its largest shareholder before He Zi ran it alone. It closed in 1927, reopened briefly, and shut for good during the Anti-Japanese War.

The building is centrally located in Gaoyou and is normally open to visitors interested in learning about the historical business system. Plan to spend time exploring the different rooms and examining the preserved objects and records carefully.

The pawnshop is traditionally said to have been the private property of He Shen, the powerful official of the Qianlong reign. In the late Qing, Ma Shijie was its largest shareholder before He Zi ran it alone. It closed in 1927, reopened briefly, and shut for good during the Anti-Japanese War.