Heyue Old Street

　　   Heyue Old Street is located on Heyue Island, situated across the river from Datong Town. Heyue Island is an alluvial sandbar in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Shaped like a lotus leaf, it was anciently known as Lotus Leaf Island. During the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed to its current name, which means “welcoming merchants with a pleasant countenance.” From the Ming and Qing dynasties until the 1930s, Heyue Street flourished as a bustling market hub. The street comprised three main thoroughfares and thirteen alleys. Most of the buildings along the street featured carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an antique charm. The first of the three streets was entirely lined with commercial storefronts; the second mainly housed administrative, tax, financial, and trade guild offices; while the third was primarily residential. The thirteen alleys all used the water radical “氵” in their names—namely Jiang (River), Han (Han River), Cheng (Clear), Qing (Pure), Hao (Vast), Yong (Swim), Ying (Swirl), Hui (Return), Hui (Gather), Zhu (Pond), He (River), Luo (Luo River), and Cang (Blue/Great)—symbolizing both reverence for the river and the traditional belief that water counters fire. During the 1920s and 1930s, Heyue Street enjoyed remarkable economic and cultural vitality. It had docks for both large and small ships; large vessels traveled as far as Wuhan upstream and Shanghai downstream, while smaller ones reached Anqing upstream and Wuhu downstream. The area boasted thermal power plants, various workshops, inns, restaurants, theaters, bathhouses, jewelry shops, schools, and more. Thanks to the well-developed water transport and thriving commerce, the area attracted a large migrant population and people from all walks of life, including those involved in gambling dens, opium houses, brothels, churches, and temples. By the late 1930s, the street’s population exceeded 50,000, earning it the nickname “Little Shanghai.” However, bombings by Japanese invasion aircraft and scorched-earth tactics during wartime reduced the bustling town to ashes, leaving only ruins. The surviving Huizhou-style architecture seen today was rebuilt after the fire and still retains the flavor of the Ming and Qing periods. In 1996, it was designated as part of the second batch of provincial-level historical and cultural preservation zones by the Anhui Provincial Government.