Zhongjie Pedestrian Street in Shenyang

Zhongjie Pedestrian Street in Shenyang

Zhongjie Pedestrian Street is 1,500 meters long and is the earliest commercial street in Shenyang, boasting a history of 369 years. It is also China's first pedestrian street. Zhongjie is a historic and bustling commercial district in Shenyang. Since its establishment during the Ming and Qing dynasties, it has been around for over 350 years. In the late Ming Dynasty, the flourishing horse trade in Kaiyuan, Guangning, and Fushun in Liaodong spurred significant development in the commodity economy of Shenyang, located at the center of these three major horse markets.

In 1625, the "Later Jin" dynasty moved its capital to Shenyang, further boosting the local economy, and Siping Street (now Zhongjie) was established. Major department stores such as Jishun Silk House and Lao Tianhe Silk Shop were mostly concentrated on the north and south sides of the street, while a rich variety of small commodity markets were scattered throughout the nearby alleys.