Slate Street

Slate Street

Located on Hedong Street in Tangshi Town, adjacent to Shaoshiabang. Tangshi, formerly known as Youjing or Yuxi, is one of the four ancient towns of Changshu. Thanks to its advantageous waterway connections with Kunshan and Wu County, it enjoyed thriving commerce and was once praised as the “Golden Tangshi.”

The Youjing River runs through the town, and in the old days, Hedong Street served as the main commercial area, lined with shops on both sides. The west bank was primarily residential, with private gardens and mansions standing in close succession. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, renowned scholars from the region of Sanwu—Zhang Pu, Zhang Cai—and local scholar Yang Yi founded the “Ying Society” at Fengji Garden in Tangshi, where they engaged in scholarly discussions and were collectively honored as the “Tangshi School.” In the early Qing Dynasty, Gu Yanwu went into seclusion in Tangshi for several years while taking refuge from war and teaching there.

There are many well-preserved cultural relics and historic sites. On Hedong Street today, a section of the Ming Dynasty stone-paved street remains, stretching about 400 meters, and is a favorite among heritage tourists.