North Kangshi Street Character Repository

North Kangshi Street Character Repository

The North Kangshi Street Character Repository is a cultural relic protection unit of Chengdu.

The North Kangshi Street Character Repository is located near No. 44, North Kangshi Street, Chengdu. Built during the Qing Dynasty, the character repository, also known as a "character-respecting tower," reflects the ancient Chinese reverence for written words—no paper bearing any inked text was ever discarded casually but had to be burned in such towers.

The repository is about 7.6 meters high and covers an area of roughly 4.39 square meters. After more than a century of weathering, most of the inscriptions on the repository have eroded or fallen off, with many characters now blurred and difficult to discern. Today, some names and donation amounts can still be faintly made out, “mostly in denominations of 1,000 wen.”

Located in the TaiKoo Li commercial district, the repository is one of the better-preserved cultural relic structures in central Chengdu. Its architectural features, carving craftsmanship, and decorative motifs all hold certain artistic value, serving as tangible evidence for the study of Chengdu’s ceramic carving techniques.

On May 2, 2018, it was designated by the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government as part of the sixth batch of municipal-level cultural relic protection units in Chengdu.

Further reading:

· Sixth Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relic Protection Units in Chengdu