Fujian province: Taiwan Road - Hong Kong Road Historical and Cultural Block in Zhangzhou

Taiwan Road - Hong Kong Road Historical and Cultural Block in Zhangzhou
漳州市台湾路-香港路历史文化街区

In the south of Zhongshan Park in the city of Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province, there is a historical block called Taiwan Road - Hong Kong Road Historical and Cultural Block, which has won the "UNESCO Asia-Pacific heritage protection award".

The area satisfies commercial and living needs at the same time, with the front part used as stores and the back as residences.

The architecture in the area mixes Chinese and western elements, so that overhanging buildings with commercial corridors on the ground and living spaces upstairs occupy the entire roadside.

People can also find Chinese elements in the architecture, including residences built with southern Fujian features that appear to be the legacy of the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907) and houses decorated with red bricks, grey carving, dark brick flooring and wooden doors.

There are two stone archways built in the Wanli reign (1573-1620) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). One inscribed Shangshu Tanhua was built in memory of the then late Minister of Rituals - an official in charge of publicity and diplomacy in ancient China - Lin Shizhang (1524-1600), in 1605.

Another one engraved with Sanshi Zai'er was set up in 1619 to record the merits of the three generations of the family of Jiang Mengyu, who was the assistant minister for personnel affairs and whose father and grandfather were both high-ranking officials serving the emperor.

China's smallest hanging temple, the Qielan Temple, is also in the block. It covers only six square meters and no one can tell its history. There are also many time-honored brands such as the Tianyishou Pharmacy, Yuwen Bookstore, and the Agency of the Commercial Press.