Wuzhou Arcade City

　　    Wuzhou has long been known as the “Century-Old Commercial Port” and was once the political, economic, and cultural center of the Lingnan region. The arcades are a symbol of the area’s former commercial prosperity. Wuzhou’s arcade culture has become a beautiful local landmark and was even featured on CCTV’s program “Zhengda Variety Show.” Nowadays, Wuzhou has completed its flood prevention embankments, making the annual flooding that once plagued the city a thing of the past. However, the unique architectural style of the arcades has been preserved as a historical testament. There are currently 22 arcade streets, stretching a total of 7 kilometers, with the longest extending up to 2,530 meters. The area houses 560 arcade buildings, and its vast scale and sheer number are rare in China, earning it the well-deserved title of the “China Arcade Museum City.”

　　    Arcades are not uncommon in southern Chinese cities, but those that can be called a “city” are relatively rare. The Hedong Old Town area of Wuzhou in Guangxi is known as the “China Arcade City,” where 560 arcade buildings of classic Chinese and international design line 22 authentic arcade streets. Located at the border of Guangdong and Guangxi, Wuzhou is an ancient city with a history of over 2,100 years. The name “Cangwu” originally referred to a major tribe of the Baiyue people, and its use can be traced back to the era of Emperor Shun. In the fifth year of Empress Lü’s reign during the Han Dynasty (183 BC), the Nanyue Kingdom established the Cangwu King’s City, marking the founding of Wuzhou. In the fourth year of the Wude era of the Tang Dynasty (621 AD), it began to be called Wuzhou. As Wuzhou accounts for over 85% of Guangxi’s waterways, it is known as the “Water Gateway of Guangxi.” Blessed with a uniquely advantageous geographical location, Wuzhou enjoys the reputation of being the “Century-Old Commercial Port.”

　　    It is precisely because of Wuzhou’s long history as the earliest port for foreign trade in Guangxi, once reputed as the “Little Hong Kong,” that today we have a district filled with arcades, known as the “China Arcade City.” The so-called “China Arcade City” or “China Arcade Museum” actually refers to the 22 arcade streets in Wuzhou’s Hedong Old Town area. Most of these arcades were built in the 1920s and 1930s. The term “arcade” refers to a common architectural style from the last century, which originated in Beniapukur, India, and was first built by the British. It features a “veranda-style architecture” with corridors added in front of living spaces, typically three to four stories high. The upper floors are supported by pillars and beams in front of the street-facing walls, leaving the ground floor entrance open as a sidewalk to provide shade and shelter from rain for pedestrians. From a distance, they look as if they are “riding” on the sidewalk, hence the name “arcade.” Due to the strong winds, heavy rains, and intense sunlight in tropical and subtropical regions, arcades are excellent for providing shelter, making them popular in southern China as well as in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore.