What are the characteristics of Tunxi Old Street?

Tunxi Old Street is located in the center of Huangshan Mountain, Anhui Province, and is embedded between green mountains and green waters. It faces the lush Huangshan Mountain in the north and the blue Xin 'an Water in the south. The old street has a history of hundreds of years, with a total length of 832 meters and a width of 5 ~ 8 meters. It is the best preserved pedestrian mall in China with the architectural style of Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Historically, Tunxi was developed from a water port where Xin 'anjiang River, Hengjiang River and Lushui River meet. At the western end of the old street is the old bridge, and there is a curved street, formerly known as Bajia Station, which is the birthplace of the old street and Tunxi. The formation and development of old streets are closely related to Song Huizong's move to Lin 'an (now Hangzhou). Huizhou merchants who went out imitated the architectural style of Song Cheng and built it in their hometown, so the old street was called "Song Cheng". At the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, a Hui businessman named Cheng Xiongzong built 47 shops in the old street. In the early Qing dynasty, the old street developed into "the mayor's four miles"; At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Tunxi tea merchants rose, and there were many tea brands. The streets continued to extend from Bajia Station, forming the scale of old streets. Nowadays, stepping into the old street is still like Song Ming. The streets are narrow and deep, and the roads on the streets are maroon stone roads. On both sides of the street are rows of shops, all of which are brick and wood structures with white walls and tiles. There are brick carvings on the lintel of the window lattice, which are exquisite in skill; There is a high horse head wall between houses, which constitutes the group beauty of Huizhou architecture. The whole street, winding and stretching, can't face each other from beginning to end, and the street is unfathomable, which is a typical trend of China ancient street. Alleys with different widths crisscross the old street, forming a fish skeleton, and the traffic is very convenient. The shops in the old street are mostly a few yards, narrow and deep, but they have patio lighting. The whole building embodies the typical residential style and characteristics of the Song and Ming Hui School, so the old street is also called "Song Street".

Now the old street has resumed its old shop. For example, "Tongderen" is a Chinese medicine shop which was opened in Tongzhi for two years in Qing Dynasty (1863), and has a history of 130 years, opening up an antique street and a street in Four Treasures of the Study. "Huizhou Four Carvings" products and Huizhou traditional Chinese paintings, prints, rubbings, epigraphy and bonsai can be seen everywhere. The ancient Huizhou culture shows dazzling brilliance in the old streets. The charm of the old street has fascinated tourists and film and television circles at home and abroad, and the old street has become a natural studio.