Bacheng Old Street

Bacheng Old Street

Bacheng Old Street is a cultural heritage site protected by the Suzhou Municipal Government.

Built during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Bacheng Old Street in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, stretches 200 meters from east to west. The narrow street is so confined that only three people can walk abreast. To maximize space, the eaves of residences and shops on both sides jut inward, making the street appear even narrower — hence its nickname “a slit of sky.”

Bacheng Old Street retains the architectural styles of the Qing and Republican periods, featuring historic buildings from those eras along its length. Shops stand alongside the water, facing the street and nestled against the canal, with white walls, dark tiles, weathered stone embankments, and well-spaced river docks. The clear waters of the town river flow gently, with boats darting back and forth, presenting the quintessential charm of a beautiful Jiangnan water town. The overall layout of the old street remained largely unchanged until the eve of liberation.

After 1949, the eastern section of the old street became the seat of the Bacheng Town Party Committee and government, transforming the area into the town’s political, economic, and cultural center. State-owned enterprises such as Zhongbai Department Store, tobacco and liquor monopoly companies, banks, credit cooperatives, joint clinics, supply and marketing cooperative department stores, and non-staple food wholesale outlets successively set up shop along the street. By the 1980s, with urban development, the Town Party Committee and government relocated to Xincheng Road, and shops and residents gradually expanded southward. As a result, the old street gradually fell into decline and neglect.

In 1997, Bacheng Old Street was designated as a cultural heritage site under the protection of the Kunshan Municipal People's Government. In April 2005, the Bacheng Town Party Committee and government listed the restoration and renovation of the ancient town and old street as a public welfare project. They established the Bacheng Ancient Town Construction Development Co., Ltd. to restore and renovate the river docks, stone-paved streets, and historic buildings from the Qing and Republican periods lining the streets. Guided by the principle of preserving the original appearance as much as possible, sites such as Chunhe Noodle Restaurant, Longyun Teahouse, Calligraphy and Painting Studio, Old Street Restaurant, and Yangcheng Hotel have since reopened for business.