Caiyi Street

Caiyi Street

Heading west from the intersection of Guoqing Road and Dongguan Street is Yangzhou’s Caiyi Street. This old street gets its name from the numerous shops selling colorful garments that once lined it. The *Yangzhou Painted Pleasure Boat Record* documented Caiyi Street, referring to it as “located behind the Transport Commissioner’s Office; originally home to a garment-making bureau, later crowded with shops selling embroidery, theatrical costumes, and secondhand clothes—hence the name.”

Walking into Caiyi Street from Guoqing Road, on the north side of the old street, there is a row of storefronts in the Ming and Qing architectural styles, including noodle shops, Xiangsu Zhai, and Baiwei La’e, all of which exude the traditional charm of an old street. The south side of the old street, however, appears quite modern, with teahouses, internet cafes, and restaurants adding a highly fashionable touch. Amid these modern-style buildings and decorations, a brick-carved gate tower immediately immerses you in a sense of history.

At No. 30 Caiyi Street stands the former residence of the Yang family, once home to Yang Zimu, the Salt Transport Commissioner of Guangdong during the late Qing Dynasty. Among the buildings on Caiyi Street, it may be one of the best-preserved old houses.

The Yang family’s old residence, collectively referred to as the “Yang Family Residence,” was designated as a municipal-level protected site as early as 1962. Today, what most vividly reflects Yang Zimu’s prominent status is the grand residential gateway of the house on Caiyi Street. Despite years of weathering, the tall gate tower remains largely intact. Its carved crabapple flowers and hollowed-out human figures still allow visitors, when looking up, to clearly see the delicate facial features of the ladies depicted in the brick carvings—making it one of the finest surviving examples of Yangzhou’s brick carving art.

Address: Caiyi Street, Guangling District, Yangzhou City

Type: Historic Architectural & Characteristic Street District

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Ticket Information:

Free admission.