Zhongshan Street, Quanzhou

Zhongshan Street, Quanzhou

Zhongshan Street features arcade-style architecture and flourished in the early 20th century. It has since grown into a bustling commercial street.

There used to be a saying about Quanzhou: “Two pagodas east and west, one street north and south.” The “two pagodas east and west” refer to the Zhenguo Pagoda and Renshou Pagoda (commonly known as the East Pagoda and West Pagoda) built within the Kaiyuan Temple during the Tang Dynasty. The “one street north and south” refers to Zhongshan Street. Zhongshan Street in Quanzhou can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, when it was a major thoroughfare connecting Quanshan Gate (now Zhongshan Park) and Chongyang Gate (now Huaxiangkou). By the late Tang Dynasty, as Quanzhou expanded, the southern end of Zhongshan Road extended to near today’s Tumen Street. During the Song Dynasty, Zhongshan Street was further extended north to Chaotian Gate (now Huan Cheng Road) and south to Deji Gate, reaching a total length of about 2.5 kilometers and essentially forming its current scale. During the Republican era, the Quanzhou government officially named the street “Zhongshan Road.”

Zhongshan Street truly flourished in the early 20th century. Many overseas Chinese who had made fortunes in Southeast Asia invested in the shops along Zhongshan Street, gradually turning it into a bustling commercial hub. The love of hometown felt by overseas Chinese, together with Quanzhou’s warm climate, accompanied the growth of Zhongshan Street.

Zhongshan Street is 12 meters wide, with arcade-style buildings on both sides, typically two stories high. This architectural style is commonly seen in Southeast Asian countries and southern China. It allows pedestrians to easily dodge sudden downpours and avoid the scorching sun. This highly humanized design reflects the dawn of modern civilization. Among the three major cities in Fujian, only Quanzhou and Xiamen feature this type of architecture.

Address: No. 98, South Zhongshan Road, Licheng District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province

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