Ziyang Ancient Street

Ziyang Ancient Street

Known as a “Famous Historical and Cultural Street of China,” Ziyang Ancient Street derives its name from Zhang Boduan, the founding patriarch of the Southern School of Taoism, also known as Ziyang Zhenren. Stretching 1,080 meters in length and 4 to 5 meters in width, the street runs from north to south through the ancient city district. It is currently the longest and one of the best-preserved historical streets in China. The street is bustling with century-old shops such as pharmacies, dye workshops, teahouses, and restaurants, all lined up along the bustling thoroughfare. The long-established local customs, cultural heritage, and historic establishments exude boundless charm. The layout of the century-old houses on Ziyang Street follows strict regulations: two-story wooden structures with grey bricks and black tiles, featuring carved patterns of various designs on corridors and windows facing the street, and finely detailed carvings on arch beams, often themed around “blessing,” “fortune,” and “peace.” The house pillars and beams are adorned with carvings of “lions,” “deer,” “flowers and birds,” and “dragons and phoenixes.” The tops of pillars and doors showcase a combination of three carving arts — wood carving, plaster carving, and stone carving — all strikingly lifelike, truly a scene of “a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred schools of thought contending.” Ziyang Ancient Street is an important part of Linhai’s historic and cultural city. It was the most thriving commercial district in the history of Taizhou Prefecture and serves as a microcosm of Linhai’s thousand-year-old prefectural city.

What leaves an unforgettable impression on visitors to Ziyang Street are the “Fangs” created by our ancestors, also known as “firewalls.” There are five such fangs: Wuzhen Fang, Fengxian Fang, Yingjiang Fang, Qinghe Fang, and Yongjing Fang. With their unique architectural features, these structures serve not only as sidewalks and carriage passages but also as firewalls, while also functioning as landmarks. Today, they have become a scenic highlight of the neighborhood. Additionally, the wells along Ziyang Street are another notable feature of its historic legacy. Among the many wells on the street, the most famous is the Thousand-Buddha Well (also called the Twin-Eye Well). There is also the White Pagoda, built during the Song Dynasty but destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Its ruins remain well-preserved opposite the Baita Bridge Restaurant.

At the northern end of Ziyang Street, on Beigu Mountain, stands the Zheng Guangwen Shrine, originally built in the second year of the Guangde era of the Tang Dynasty (764 AD) to commemorate Zheng Qian, who pioneered education and culture in Taizhou during the Tang Dynasty. Celebrated for his excellence in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, Zheng Qian was praised by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang as embodying the “Three Perfections of Zheng Qian.” Today, it stands as a “microcosm” of the cultural origins of the ancient city of Linhai. At the northern end of Ziyang Street, adjacent to the site of the former Taizhou Prefectural Government, lies the Taizhou Prefectural Confucian Temple. Built in the second year of the Baoyuan era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1039 AD), it is the largest Confucian temple and prefectural school in Taizhou and the most comprehensive site introducing notable historical figures of the region. After undergoing protective restoration, the Taizhou Prefectural Confucian Temple now presents a solemn and classic appearance, serving as an important venue for showcasing the historical culture of Taizhou Prefecture and for conducting patriotic education.

At the southern end of Ziyang Street, nestled at the foot of Jinzi Mountain and beside the ancient city wall, lies the Longxing Temple, the foremost temple of Taizhou. Since the Tang Dynasty, the monk Sito from the temple accompanied Jianzhen on six eastward journeys to propagate Buddhism, lecturing on the Tiantai sect doctrines. The Japanese monk Saichō came to China to study and stayed at Longxing Temple for an extended period, delving into Tiantai teachings, making transcripts, and receiving the bodhisattva precepts. After returning to Japan, he founded the Japanese Tiantai sect, making this temple an important birthplace of Japanese Tiantai Buddhism. Today, it also serves as a key site for cultural exchanges between Chinese and Japanese Buddhism.

Throughout its history, Ziyang Ancient Street has been home to notable figures and residences, such as those of Zhang伯端, Chen Hanhui, Wang Guanlan, and Guo Fengshao. The numerous historic sites along the street document the rise and fall in the development of Linhai’s history. Rich in cultural content and steeped in profound heritage, these treasures invite visitors to slowly explore and savor, gradually uncovering the essence of the “Five Antiquities”: ancient architecture, ancient stone-paved roads, ancient shops, historic sites, and age-old folk customs. This deepens the attraction of the place, leaving a lasting impression on visitors and making them linger with reluctance.