The Ancient Architectural Complex of Tunxi Old Street

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Tunxi Old Street

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Tunxi Old Street is a cultural heritage site protected by Huangshan City.

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Tunxi Old Street is located on Old Street in Tunxi District, dating back to the Qing Dynasty and the Republican era.

Tunxi Old Street is located in the central area of Tunxi District, Huangshan City, Anhui Province. It lies against the mountains to the north and borders water to the south, stretching a total length of 1,272 meters, with its most iconic section spanning 853 meters and varying in width from 5 to 8 meters. It includes one main straight street, three cross streets, and 18 alleys, consisting of over 300 Huizhou-style buildings constructed in different periods. The entire layout of the streets and alleys resembles a fishbone structure, being narrower in the west and wider in the east. As Tunxi Old Street sits at the confluence of the Hengjiang, Shuishi, and Xin’an rivers, it is also known as a "flowing 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival'", representing the best-preserved ancient market in China that showcases architectural styles from the Southern Song and Ming-Qing periods. It is also a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit in China.

Tunxi Old Street, originally named Tunxi Street, developed from a riverside dock at the confluence of the Xin’an River, Hengjiang River, and Shuishi River. The name “Tunxi Street” was already recorded in the Xiu Ning County Annals during the Ming Dynasty’s Hongzhi era. The Xiu Ning County Annals from the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era noted: “Tunxi Street is located thirty li east of the county, with the town extending four li.” This shows that Tunxi Old Street already had considerable scale at the time.

The Ancient Architectural Complex of Tunxi Old Street has been designated as a cultural heritage site protected by Huangshan City.