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Tunxi
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Like many growing Chinese cities, there are two vaguely distinct parts to
TUNXI
: an older town, down along the north bank of the
Xin'an River
; and a newer quarter focused around the train and bus stations a kilometre or so to the northeast along Huang Shan Lu. If you haven't the time to explore more widely, there are two
old houses
to check out in the backstreets south of Huang Shan Lu, though you'll need a
map
to find them - pick one up at arrival points. Both houses belonged to the Ming-dynasty
Cheng family
, and are classic examples of the indigenous
Huizhou style
, of which you'll find plenty more at Shexian or Yixian. Neither building is well marked, and the more easterly house - that of the mathematician Cheng Dawei - is in a sorry state of repair, but their plan, of two floors of galleried rooms based around a courtyard, proved so popular that it became the benchmark of urban domestic architecture in central and eastern China.
For more, head down to Tunxi's historic, flagstoned
Lao Jie
- Old Street - reached off the southern end of Huang Shan Lu by pushing on over Xin'an Lu. Here, 500m of
Ming shops
running parallel to the river have been nicely restored for visitors, selling local teas, medicinal herbs and all manner of artistic materials and "antiques" - ink stones, brushes, Mao badges, decadent advertising posters from the 1930s, and carved wooden panels prised off old buildings. A few genuine businesses stand out, notably an apothecary sporting 1920s timber decor, and several small
dumpling houses
filled with local clientele. You'll also see characteristic
horse head gables
rising above the rooflines in steps. These originated as fire baffles between adjoining houses, stopping the spread of flames from building to building, but around Tunxi (and adjoining regions of Zhejiang and Jiangxi, for that matter) they've become somewhat decorative affairs. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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China,
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