Ancient Rongjiang Street

Ancient Rongjiang Street

Ancient Rongjiang Street is a cultural heritage site protected by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Ancient Rongjiang Street: The ancient street is about 200 meters long and around five meters wide. At the northern end of the street stands a gatehouse inscribed with the words “Tongjin Tailv” (Passage to Prosperity). Inside the gatehouse are stone benches, and on both sides are staircases leading up to the second floor, where the Fire God Zhu Rong is worshipped. The street is predominantly lined with wooden and blue-brick buildings in the traditional two-story southern folk architectural style from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican era. Aside from an elementary school, there are only two newly constructed buildings—plain blue-brick structures with wooden floors and flying eaves—that showcase the classic simplicity of ancient riverside town architecture. Preserved on the street are structures such as the Canton Guild Hall, Three Gods Palace, Purple Bamboo Immortal Palace, blue-stone arched gateways, as well as the former residences of merchants such as Liao Bingkun and Liao Zhenguo. Other residential homes also remain in their original state, including many two- or even three-courtyard houses that are two-story buildings with grey-blue brick walls and wooden lattice doors and windows. At the eastern end of the street, there is a well. Originally, there were two stone steles, though their inscriptions have faded over time, and one stele still stands by the roadside. The former Hunan Guild Hall has been demolished and is now the site of Rongjiang Elementary School, with only two stone gate remnants remaining. The Rongjiang Gui Opera troupe in the street still preserves the “Number One Gong of Guangxi.” In addition to ancient banyan trees, there are also several ancient osmanthus trees. Moreover, the Rongjiang River and Shajiang River flow along the edge of the village, with graceful rows of phoenix tail bamboo along the riverbanks and the surrounding fields creating a pastoral scene reminiscent of the Jiangnan countryside.