Top Tourist Streets in Guangdong: The First Two Resemble Movie Sets, and the Last One Transports You to Ancient Times
In ancient times, due to the obstruction of the Nanshan Mountains, cultural exchanges between Guangdong and the Central Plains were not frequent, making it a relatively underdeveloped area, known as 'Nanhai'. Given its age, there aren't many representative ancient buildings, but there are many distinctive pedestrian streets. Among these, the Tenth Road in Guangzhou, Sun Wen West Road in Zhongshan City, and Pai Fang Jie in Chaozhou are particularly notable. The first two streets retain a vibrant South Sea style with numerous rows of characteristic shophouses, while Pai Fang Jie features restored ancient archways.
Tenth Road and Enning Road, Shangpu Road and Shapu Road in Guangzhou are among the earliest pedestrian streets. The buildings here were mostly constructed in the early 20th century. At that time, Tenth Road and the surrounding areas near Shapu Road were the most prosperous commercial districts in Guangzhou. Today, Tenth Road still boasts many famous old brands such as Tao Tao Ju and Lian Xiang Lou.
The shophouses on Tenth Road are generally simple in design, but some feature Chinese carvings such as orchids and calligraphy. The roof of Lian Xiang Lou even has a traditional Chinese pavilion. Many foreign tourists visiting Guangzhou specifically come to take photos and experience the atmosphere. Due to the abundance of shophouses, the street looks like a movie set, and taking photos of people there has a nostalgic feel.
Sun Wen West Road is currently the busiest commercial street in Zhongshan City, witnessing the development of modern commerce in Zhongshan. The street is lined with numerous old brands, trendy boutiques, and the remnants of old banks, hotels, restaurants, and trading companies. The most attractive attraction to tourists is the Zhongshan Commercial Arts Museum in the center of the street, which introduces Zhongshan's development through exhibits featuring artifacts, wax figures, and illustrations.
The shophouses on Tenth Road and Sun Wen West Road are connected by corridors. These corridors' biggest characteristic is that they provide shade and protection from the rain, which is very human-friendly. Relatively speaking, Sun Wen West Road's architecture is more diverse, including not only rows of shophouses, but also independent villas.
Sun Wen West Road is only 529 meters long, yet it has 130 shops. When visiting, don't miss the (manually pulled car bronze sculpture), (Little City Story) sculpture, and the (Sihao Hotel). The night view of this old street is also beautiful, and the best photos are taken on clear, sunny days.
The history of Pai Fang Jie in Chaozhou can be traced back to the Tang and Song dynasties, originally made of wood, later converted to stone archways. The archway buildings you see now are restored according to the Ming and Qing Dynasty style. They look especially beautiful under the illumination of evening lights. Pai Fang Jie is not a specific street, but a collective term for streets with stone archways, primarily along Tai Ping Road, including nearby streets with restored archways.
