Tunxi Old Street
Tunxi Old Street, stretching over 1.5 kilometers, is a living museum that reflects the bustling commercial history of Huizhou. This historic street has retained its ancient charm with well-preserved traditional shops and residences dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The architecture features distinctive Huizhou-style designs, characterized by white walls, black tiles, and intricate woodcarvings, offering a vivid portrayal of past prosperity.
Row upon row of shops line either side of the historic street of Tunxi, many of which are two-story brick and wood structures. They are full of rich ancient charm and classic Huizhou style. Most of the shops on the ancient street are small but deep inside, giving visitors the opportunity to experience and enjoy the old-timey feeling of the street. Visitors can taste special Weizhou dishes like Hairy Tofu or Stinky Mandarin Fish, as introduced in the documentary series "A Bite of China". In the gift shops you can find souvenirs like traditionally-made ink or inkstones.
General Information
Address: Tunxi District, Huangshan City
Best Time to Visit: All year round
Recommended Visiting Time: 2~3 hours
Opening Hours: 24/7
Ticket: For Free
Intangible Cultural Heritage
As a concentrated showcase of Huizhou culture, Tunxi Old Street has a rich exhibition of intangible cultural heritage. Here, you can learn about the national intangible cultural heritage, Huizhou ink making techniques, Huizhou brush making techniques and Huizhou three carvings (wood carving, brick carving, stone carving). There are also provincial-level intangible cultural relics such as Huizhou bamboo weaving and Xin'an medical culture.
Tunxi Old Street also has the Wuluheng Compass Exhibition and Experience Hall, which showcases the national intangible cultural heritage of "Wan'an Compass Manufacturing Techniques", allowing people to personally experience the unique features of compass culture.
In addition, the traditional shops in Tunxi Old Street, such as "Tongderen(同德仁)", "Maohuai(茂槐)", "Laofuchun(老福春)", "Huibaozhai(徽宝斋)", etc., are not only commercial entities, but also part of the intangible cultural heritage.
Ancient Building Complex
The architecture at Tunxi Old Street features distinctive Huizhou-style designs, characterized by white walls, black tiles, and intricate woodcarvings, offering a vivid portrayal of past prosperity. Almost every Huizhou style residential building has one or more courtyards, which are used for lighting, ventilation, and drainage, and also have the meaning of gathering wealth.
With the development of the tourism industry, Tunxi Old Street has received attention and support from the government and various sectors of society. While maintaining its original appearance, it has undergone appropriate repairs and renovations, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of historical relics and improving the service experience for tourists. At the same time, the introduction of modern management concepts and technological means has revitalised this ancient district.
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