Tunxi Ancient Street
Tunxi Old Street came into being with the development of Hui businessmen during the 1920 & the ’30s when the ports of Shanghai and Hangzhou flourished for a period of time.
The Street is 1.5 kilometers long and 7 meters wide. There are long lines of shops along the sides of the street. They are all made of brick and wood and have two floors. All of the buildings are in the Huizhou style and overflow with archaic charm. Although the shops in the old street are not very wide, they are relatively deep.
They are usually laid out so that the shop is in the front and workshop, storehouse or living quarters are at the back.
Highlights
History and Culture
The Tongderen is a Chinese traditional medicine shop. It was established in the second year of the Tongzhi Period of the Qing dynasty, so has a history of over 120 years. Qimen black tea and Tunxi green tea which are famous throughout the world are mainly distributed from Tunxi. All kinds of Anhui ink sticks and Sehxian ink stones can be found here.
Local Features
Products of "Huizhou Four Carvings" (brick, wood, stone and bamboo), Chinese painting in Anhui style, print, rubbing from a stone inscription, Goldstone seal cutting, Chinese pot gardening and root carving can be seen here and there. Old Huizhou culture which is regarded as an excellent national culture and its charm is expressed in Tunxi Street. More than 100 movies have been shot in the old street.
The old street has become a great place for tourists to browse and buy a special souvenir at a reasonable price. If you go to Huangshan, make sure you visit Tunxi.
Covered with 1,273 meters long maroon flagstones, it develops an 895meters pedestrian commercial street. The two or three floors shops standing on both sides feature the local Anhui style of stone base, brick construction and tile roof.
Visitors can see the houses and workshops are always on the back of the shops. It shows the layout of the buildings in Tunxi Ancient Town. Once a professor from America was amazed by it and he said he had found an Oriental Ancient Rome. Nowadays it is also used as a natural studio for films and TV series.
Museums
In the street, there are two well-known museums. One is the Tunxi Museum. In the museum, visitors can see the display of furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties on the first floor and an exhibition of calligraphy, paintings and china upstairs. The other is the first private museum of ancient architectural style-Wancuilou.
The museum is not only for visitors but also can buy some souvenirs. Famous inkstones and the four treasures of study, writing brushes, ink sticks, ink slabs and paper are displayed or for sale on the first floor. Here you can find the biggest inkstone weighing more than 12,500 kilograms. Cultural relics and other artworks collected by the owner of the museum are exhibited on the second floor.
The ancient street riches in the long history of China and visitors can find a lot of footprints while walking on it. On both sides of the street, there are many shops having existed for over a hundred years. Visitors can also find curios and knick-knacks like inkstones, brushes, local teas, and Mao badges. It is a paradise for tourists to buy souvenirs rich in Chinese culture and is a must-see when traveling in Huangshan City.
Delicious Food and Charming Nightscape
The street is very appropriate for having dinner and strolling after meals. In the evening, it will be picturesque while the whole street lights up. Be sure to try the food of Mei Shi Ren Jia(美食人家) located in front of the gate of ancient street. The restaurant is specialized in Chinese cuisine and visitors can appreciate the charming nightscape while enjoying the meal.