Wander Through the Pinzi Street Historical and Cultural Block in Foshan
As a famous national historical and cultural city, Foshan has many tourist attractions in addition to Lingnan Tiandi and Liaoyuan Road Renwei, as well as numerous historical and cultural blocks. There are as many as eight in Chancheng District alone, and these historical and cultural blocks are full of ancient residential buildings. Today, let's talk about the Pinzi Street Historical and Cultural Block and its Gudong Street ancient residential complex.
Figure 1: Schematic diagram of Foshan Pinzi Street Historical and Cultural Block;
The block is located in Chancheng District, Foshan, and is named after the "Pin"-shaped streets. It retains many ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including the ancient residential buildings in Gudong Street, the arcade buildings in Kuaizi Road, the Xinkui Lane gatehouse, the Qingyun Street pawnshop building, and the former site of the Foshan Branch of the Guangdong Provincial Bank.
Figures 2-3: A corner of Pinzi Street;
Figure 4: Former site of the Foshan Branch of the Guangdong Provincial Bank;
The former site of the Foshan Branch of the Guangdong Provincial Bank is located at No. 63 Shengping Road, Pinzi Street Historical and Cultural Block, Foshan. It was built in the Qing Dynasty and was originally the "Chunan Guild Hall."
The building covers an area of 132 square meters, faces west, and is a three-story Chinese-Western architectural building. The facade is decorated with columns and arches, which are solid and beautiful.
This historical building has witnessed the financial development of Foshan and carries the memory of past economic prosperity. It was listed as a Foshan cultural relic protection unit in 1998.
Figure 5: Old house at No. 67 Shengping Road;
The old house at No. 67 Shengping Road in Foshan was once the original site of the Chaoran Barber Shop, which was founded in 1922. It has witnessed the development and changes of the barber industry in Foshan, carrying the memories of several generations. The surrounding commercial atmosphere is strong, witnessing the past prosperity of Shengping Road, and has certain historical and cultural value.
Figure 6: Residence at No. 10, Sandong, Gudong Street;
This historical building in Foshan was originally the Zhao family mansion. It was built in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, with a brick, wood, and stone structure, facing northeast. It has three bays wide and three bays deep, with a gable roof, and is also the only Qing Dynasty gable roof building in the ancient town. The residence has a very traditional Lingnan style and is a large-scale folk residence in Chancheng District.
Figure 7: A glimpse of the arcade buildings on Kuaizi Road;
The arcade buildings on Kuaizi Road in Foshan were built around 1931. They are buildings with Lingnan characteristics. They were once a prosperous commercial street, witnessing historical changes, and are now an important cultural landmark in Foshan.
Figure 8: Stone plaque gatehouse of "Xinkui Lane";
Xinkui Lane is located in the middle of Zumiao Street, Chancheng District, Foshan, connecting Kuaizi Road in the east and Songfeng Road in the west. It is 107 meters long and 3 meters wide. It was originally a neat bluestone ground, but it has now been changed to a concrete road surface. It has been called its current name since 1923.
It was once the gathering place of the Lu family, retaining many two-story brick and wood structures, Lingnan traditional residences with stone feet and blue brick walls, with watchtowers and pawnshops in between. Near the Kuaizi Road end, there is a gatehouse made of brick and stone, with the stone plaque "Xinkui Lane" engraved on it, which is one of the few remaining street gatehouses in Foshan. It was listed as a historical building in Foshan in 2015.
Figure 9: "Weixin Lane" in Gudong Street;
Weixin Lane in Gudong Street is an ancient alley from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, retaining many ancient Lingnan residences, carrying the memories of old Foshan.
Figure 10: Pushunfang;
Pushunfang, hidden between the arcade buildings on Kuaizi Road, has a Lingnan charm, carrying the memories of the years, and is an important embodiment of the historical features of Foshan.
Figure 11: Qingyun Street Pawnshop Building;
The Qingyun Street Pawnshop Building in Foshan was built during the Republic of China and is located at the Xiangqian Street intersection at the junction of Kuaizi Road, Shengping Road, and Jinhua Road. It is a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit.
The pawnshop building adopts stone skirt walls and blue brick walls, with wok-ear firewalls, which are very characteristic of Lingnan architecture. The pawnshop building is in the style of a bunker, more than 20 meters high and about 10 meters long and wide. It is square in shape, majestic and solemn. The narrow windows and dense bullet holes on the building silently tell the story of the past, witnessing the commercial development of Foshan and carrying profound historical and cultural value.
Figures 12-20: Ancient residential buildings in Gudong Street;
Gudong Street was formed in the late Qing Dynasty and is located at the southern end of Kuaizi Road, Zumiao Street, Chancheng District, connecting Kuaizi Road and Gongzheng Road. Most of the streets are residential buildings. The buildings in Gudong Street are in the traditional Lingnan architectural style, with wok-ear gables, gable roof houses, blue brick walls, and wood-carved screen doors.
Gudong Street has many humanistic and historical stories, such as the marriage house, Shimin School, the residence of cultural celebrities, the establishment of a clinic by Foshan's first male pediatrician and gynecologist, the handmade workshops of traditional Chinese medicine, and the Tan Youji toothbrush shop, Foshan's first manufacturer and exporter of toothbrushes.