Lingnan Tiandi in Foshan: Once the premier street of Lingnan

Located in Foshan, the Donghua Li historical building complex includes 8 historic streets and 128 historic buildings, making it the best-preserved Qing Dynasty district in the Pearl River Delta. Back then, this place was bustling with merchants and nobility, earning it the title of "the premier street of Lingnan." In recent years, after renovations, this ancient architectural complex has become an integrated neighborhood known as Lingnan Tiandi. Stepping into Lingnan Tiandi, you are greeted by rows of neatly arranged stalls under the dense shade of trees. The stalls sell interesting and cute crafts, attracting passing tourists to stop and browse. Wander in any direction, and the deeper you go, the more you feel like you've discovered a hidden gem. The gable walls in the shape of pot ears, the diverse ridge tiles, the carved eaves boards, the winding streets, the grass at the corners, the trees in the alleys, and the flowers blooming on the rooftops. Sunlight filters through the tree shadows onto the gray walls, and as the breeze blows, the light and shadows on the walls sway. Walking through these small streets feels like stepping back in time, standing under a blooming tree, and counting the bluestone slabs in the alley. The entire Lingnan Tiandi is well-planned, with various shops tastefully integrated into the ancient architecture. It offers visitors an elegant, artistic, and fresh experience. In those quiet streets, you might find a craft shop, a milk tea shop, a coffee house, a dessert shop, and more... They, like the ancient houses, are unassuming and peaceful, quietly waiting there for an encounter with you as you explore the streets. Jian's Villa was the residence of the famous overseas Chinese businessman Jian Zhaonan. In the early 20th century, Jian Zhaonan and his brother Jian Yuqie founded the "Guangdong Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company," which outcompeted the British-American Tobacco Company and became famous. Jian's Villa is one of the larger Sino-Western architectural complexes in Foshan. The main building is modeled after an Italian Renaissance mansion, with red brick carvings for window eaves and water-milled green bricks for the exterior walls. The villa embodies both Lingnan culture and exotic charm. Li Zhongsheng Hall is one of the typical representatives of Foshan's brick-and-wood structures from the late Qing Dynasty. It is the birthplace of "Baoji Pills," founded by Li Zhaoji, who initially sold herbal tea and later turned it into medicinal pills named "Baoji Pills." Li Zhongsheng Hall has a gable and hip roof made of green bricks and wood, a two-story building with exquisite gray plaster patterns, and carved wooden railings. The courtyard is home to four lush century-old longan trees. They have silently witnessed the century-long history of the Longtang Poetry Society and the changes of Li Zhongsheng Hall. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Foshan had more than twenty poetry societies, among which Longtang was the most famous. Li Zhaoji was a Confucian merchant who valued literature and elegance. He provided his garden for the poetry society to use for gatherings and recitals, making it the place for Foshan's literati to congregate in the early Republic of China, enjoying a period of great prosperity. Today, a corner of the courtyard houses a coffee shop, where the ancient building is filled with the aroma of coffee. This bitter and fragrant scent is like the essence of time itself. To get to Lingnan Tiandi, you can take the subway to Zumiao Station on the Guangfo line, or take the bus to Lingnan Tiandi Bus Terminal, Zumiao A Station, Zumiao B Station, or Jianxin Road Station. Next door is the Foshan Ancestral Temple. It is recommended to visit the Ancestral Temple in the morning, and by the time you finish, the shops in Lingnan Tiandi will have opened.