Shuomen Street

Shuomen Street refers to an alleyway located north of Wenzhou’s old city, adjacent to the river and situated just outside the Shuomen Gate of the ancient town. Since Guo Pu laid out the architectural plan for Wenzhou’s old city, this area has historically evolved alongside the gradual scaling and transformation of trade between urban and rural areas. It developed into a strip-shaped commercial district primarily dealing in aquatic products and seafood, mountain produce and grain oils, daily necessities, and cultural goods. Lined with shops and bustling with merchants, it served as a vital hub relying on Wenzhou’s old city to meet the demands for fishery trade and production materials such as fishing gear from nearby water-based economic zones like Dongtou, Yuhuan, and the Nanxi River basin. Additionally, it functioned as a key distribution center for goods originating from the mid-to-upper reaches of the Ou River economic zone, including Qingtian, Lishui, and Jinyun.