Zhangjiagang Leyu Old Street

Zhangjiagang Leyu Old Street

Leyu Old Street from the Republican Era is located in Leyu Town, Zhangjiagang. The main street of the old town stretches nearly 300 meters, extremely narrow, with row upon row of shops featuring covered verandas and paneled doors — so tight that barely a single car can squeeze through. Inside the shops, massive wooden beams face each other along the length of the buildings, and intricately carved eaves showcase delicate beauty. The entire street’s architecture is sturdy yet full of charm. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, during a time of peace and prosperity, to protect the historic buildings, in 1999 the Leyu Town government carried out renovations on the old street. Archways were newly built at both ends of the main street, and the road surface was changed from crushed stone to flagstones. The surviving “linear” layout includes over 100 storefronts, making it the only well-preserved Republican-era architectural complex in Zhangjiagang. On July 25, 2007, it was designated and announced as a Zhangjiagang Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Zhangjiagang municipal government.

In the 22nd year of the Republic of China (1933), local gentry Zhang ZheLu invited prominent businessmen to raise funds for building the town. The following spring, Zhu Tingxian was appointed as the overall director, and carpenter Ma as the chief builder. By the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), the construction was completed. The town inherited the name “Leyu Village,” symbolizing the hope for “joy with abundance.” The town covered an area of 40 mu, with a “T”-shaped street layout. The north-south main street was 320 meters long, while the east-west side streets at the northern end stretched 120 meters. Both the main and side streets were about 3.5 meters wide. There were 250 units in total, featuring small tiled roofs, row shops with wooden pillars, and facing verandas. The town had 4 pairs of alleys on each side, with one watchtower built in the southern lane of the main street and one in the western lane of the side street. A wooden fence was set up in the eastern alley, inside which stood a Guan Yu Temple. The wing rooms housed an elementary school, and a private Baohé Hospital was built on the west side of the southern lane. At that time, the town had shops dealing in silk and cloth, cotton fabric, general merchandise, fish markets, grain, flower trading, inns, and pharmacies.

The 1930s and 1940s marked the golden age of prosperity for Leyu Old Street. The surrounding areas of Leyu were important cotton-producing regions in the Jiangnan area, where households were engaged in cotton picking, spinning, and weaving. The trade of yarn and cloth became the most significant commercial activity on the old street. Among the over 50 shops on the ancient street, many were purchased by wealthy cloth merchants. The annual fish market held on the Yangtze River in April and May was the largest in the region, where freshly caught “Three Treasures of the Yangtze” — hairtail, pufferfish, and shad — were transported to major cities such as Suzhou, Shanghai, and Hangzhou. At that time, ports connecting to central and northern Jiangsu were also located near Leyu, bustling with merchants speaking various dialects coming from all directions.

Transportation Guide

Address: Leyu Road, Leyu Town, Zhangjiagang City, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province

Transit: Take bus routes 201, 221, 302, or others within Zhangjiagang City, get off at Leyu Station, then walk north along Leyu Road to reach the site.