When you come to Shenyang, you must visit this street. It has both historical stories and national characteristics.

As night falls, the Korean shopping malls, Korean restaurants, KTVs, large bathhouses, and bars here are all abuzz with lights, especially the neon lights that are almost all bilingual subtitles in Chinese and Korean, making people feel as if they are in the city. On the streets of Seoul. This is the famous Korean-style street in Xita, Shenyang.

In the minds of countless Shenyang people, "food", "nightlife" and "Korean customs" are the labels of Xita Street.

The Xita area in Shenyang is the largest Korean ethnic gathering area in the three northeastern provinces except Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture, with approximately 30,000 Korean residents. The Xita area connects Heping, Tiexi and Huanggu Districts, to the south is the famous Taiyuan Street, to the north is the bustling old street in Huanggu District, and to the east is Laobei City, a collection of traditional time-honored brands.

Why did this become a gathering place for Koreans? Let's get back to history.

Everyone in Shenyang knows that there are four Tibetan-style white pagodas built at the east, west, south and north corners of the old city of Shenyang, and four temples are built under the four pagodas. This is what people used to do in the past. The "Four Symbols of Shengjing" are known in history as "protecting the country and the people, commanding power in all directions, four pagodas and four temples".

Xita, as one of the "Four Symbols of Shengjing" in China, is naturally indispensable for lively scenes such as markets, which are the oldest foundation of commercial civilization in the Xita area today. The formation of the Sita area as a regional concept can be traced back to hundreds of years of history.

In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War broke out. After Japan's victory, in order to further invade Shenyang and Northeast China, a large number of facilities began to be built in the affiliated areas along the Shenyang-Nanman Railway. Japan forcibly recruited a large number of cheap labor from its colonial Korean peninsula.

So, where do these laborers live? It must be near the South-Manchuria Railway Annex, so most Koreans chose to stay near the West Tower because it is very close to Shenyang Railway Station and its ancillary facilities.

The west end of Shifu Road in Xita area is now located within the boundaries of the annexed area. In the past, the Japanese named this road "Hiyoshi Town". The south side of Hiyoshi Town Road was the land used by the Kwantung Army Independent Guards at that time. On the north side is Yanagimachi, the famous Hualiu Street (red light district) within the boundaries of Manchuria Railway at that time.

Speaking of which, this restaurant on Hualiu Street in Yanagi Town is actually related to the "September 18th Incident".

Before the "September 18th" Incident, because the Japanese Emperor did not approve the "incident" plan, coupled with pressure from the cabinet, elders and public opinion, the Japanese Army held a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Chief of Staff on September 14. A meeting of the three chief ministers, the commander-in-chief and the director of education, decided on the policy of restraining the Kwantung Army from using force. At the same time, it was decided to send Major General Jianchuan Mei as an envoy to deliver Prime Minister Lu's letter to the Kwantung Army headquarters. However, on the night of the September 18th Incident, Miji Takekawa, who was ordered by the Emperor to stop the incident, was actually drunk by the Kwantung Army's Kwantung Army assistant officer Hanatani Masaru at the Kikumon Hotel "with geishas" on Yanamachi Street. The shocking conspiracy was realized.

In today's Xita business district, there once was a European-style building, which was the Fengtian Police Station, the earliest police station in the Fengtian Mantetsu annex. In September 1906, the Japanese built the Fengtian Police Station office building in the Fengtian West Tower. The building structure is exquisite. The police station was built in 1907. In 1929, after the completion of the new police station, the Fengtian Police Station moved into the new police station in Naniwa Plaza (today's Zhongshan Plaza). The original site of Fengtian Police Station is located on the west side of the Yanshou Temple in the present Xita. The current site is the playground of Shenyang Korean No. 6 Middle School.

After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the Korean labor force recruited by the Japanese did not choose to leave this land and water. They had become accustomed to the life here and began to thrive. This is how the Xita area of ??Shenyang became Korea. ethnic settlements.

The current Xita Korean Characteristic Commercial Street was developed in the 1990s. Most of the investors who came here initially were Koreans. They took a fancy to the characteristics of the Korean people living in Xita area, and began to use their own ethnic unique customs to influence the development here. They successively opened some bathing, dining, and entertainment facilities, and then various "Korean Wave" commercial elements filled the Sita area.

The total street length of Xita Commercial Street is 682 meters, second only to the Korean Street in the United States, and is the second largest Korean-style street in the world.

There are more than 100 businesses of various types on both sides of Xita Street, including Korean restaurants, comprehensive restaurants, karaoke studios, large bathhouses, coffee shops, bars, Internet cafes, beauty salons, banks, large department stores, etc., of which 40 There are many shopping malls, stores and cultural and entertainment enterprises run by South Korea and North Korea.

With the massive injection of Korean capital, authentic Korean food and pure Korean-style services have also followed. From signboards, clothing, language to services, they are almost all replicas of Korea. The high and low buildings in the block are of different styles from those around it, and are quite Korean-style. They are called "home" in Shenyang, China by South Koreans and North Koreans, and are also known as "Little Seoul".

The quaint archways, women wearing Korean costumes, and restaurants selling Korean food all show that this street is a place where Koreans live together. West Tower Street is bustling with passengers during the day and flashes of neon lights at night, presenting a vibrant scene of shopping, food, and fashion.

On the east side of Xita Street, a street parallel to it is the Korean flavor market. Dried vegetables, dog meat, various Korean condiments, etc. are all available here. It is the largest, most complete and authentic Korean flavor market in Shenyang. My family made a special trip here to buy spicy cabbage.

Speaking of Xita, we can’t help but talk about the food here.

In West Tower, foodies can taste excellent "Seoul Cuisine" and "Pyongyang Cuisine". I often entertain out-of-town friends on West Tower Street for two reasons: First, the sashimi series, with the best ingredients and exquisite ingredients. There are more than a dozen varieties in a set meal, and the price/performance ratio is very high. Of course, the key is the sashimi. The taste is excellent, which is difficult to taste in other hotels; the second is the Korean song and dance performance. The beauties from North Korea are sweet and beautiful, good at singing and dancing. They are both waiters and actors. They let you enjoy the delicious food at the same time. Delightful for the eyes.

Friends, welcome to Shenyang as a guest, and you must visit this unique Xita Street.

Attached are photos of West Tower Street style