The romantic atmosphere of China’s historical streets, imposing ancient buildings in an elegant layout, friendly people with soft smile, dozens of small stores and markets selling all sorts of odd or unfamiliar items and mouth-watering local food, bustling or quite, all recalls the old China, and the time which has been forgotten…
Beijing Guozijian Street
This east-west street was initially built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), where the Temple of Confucius and the Imperial College (国子监 Pinyin: guo zi jian) are located, thus the name Guozijian Street. By connecting Beijing’s several well-preserved hutongs, visitors can expect the original ancient Beijing street style here with the old dwellings, Pailou (an old Chinese gate) and temples.
Pingyao South Avenue
Also named Ming Qing Street, it was known as the “Wall Street of China” in history, for its prosperous past of being the financial center of China. Allow yourself some time to visit a few exchange shops to discover China’s first banks and those souvenir shops all built with bricks and stones completely in the Ming and Qing architecture style.
Tunxi Old Street
The maroon-flagstone street, 2 or 3-story shops of elegant Huizhou architecture style, enchanted teahouses offering famous Qimen Black Tea and Tunxi Green Tea, all promise to offer visitors a stress-free trip to China. The nearby Yellow Mountain is also an unmissable sight in Huangshan.
Suzhou Pingjiang Road
Pingjiang Road can be found on Suzhou’s oldest map drawn in Song Dynasty (960-1279), when it was the main avenue of the eastern city. It will be so relaxed to have a stroll on this old riverside street, passing the narrow lanes, private gardens, museums with red lanterns, and obsessed by the traditional Chinese string music.
Lhasa Barkhor Street
The 1300-year-old Barkhor Street in Lhasa used to a pilgrim circuit around the sacred Jokhang Temple, and today has extends to the entire old Tibetan district of Jokhang Temple. The streets are lined with hundreds of shops, stalls, teahouses selling all manner of Tibetan handicrafts, religious articles, and local snacks.
Shanghai Old Street
Originally named Fangbing Middle Road, the street extends for 825 meters, and showcases the dramatic changes from Ming and Qing dynasties till the modern times when Western culture flooded into Shanghai. When walking on the Shanghai Old Street, you are likely to feel that you are back to a bustling open-air market of 1900s.
Beihai Zhuhai Road
First built in 1883, Beihai’s old street Zhuhai Road is 1.44 kilometers long and is 9 meters wide, and was the most bustling commercial street in Beihai city (it used to be one of the ports of Maritime Silk Road). Along the street were housed consulates, churches post offices, banks, chambers of commerce belonging to 13 different countries, and also unique overhang-style buildings, which combine both Western and Chinese elements.
Yangzhou Dongguan Street
The 1122-meter-long DongGuan Street is an ancient avenue in the city center of Yangzhou, with two majestic gates standing in the two ends, connecting the Grand Canal on the east and the National Road on the west. In the past, it was not only the water and land transportation route in Yangzhou, but also a commercial and cultural centre. There are many old shops here, some are established in 1800s.
Qingdao Badaguan
Badaguan is comprised of 8 tranquil streets (now has been increased to ten) near the coastline, named after eight great strategic passes of the ancient times. It used to be home to the US, Britain, Germany, Russia, Japan and many other countries’ embassies. The historical mansions along the streets are in a in a variety of architectural styles. Each street is lined with a single species of tree, like plane tree for the Shanhaiguan Street, and crape myrtle for the Zhengyangguan Street.
Harbin Central Street
Also called Zhongyang Dajie, Central Street located in Daoli District, Harbin. It is 1400 meters and is the longest pedestrian street in Asia. This long street was built in 1900, including 71 buildings of Renaissance, Baroque and other styles. Among them, 13 are listed as municipal protected buildings, which make Harbin Pedestrian Street an architectural art corridor in China. It is also a must-see site for visitors to Harbin Ice and Snow Festival.
