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Concentrated Culture - 30 blocks to explore in China
Concentrated Culture - 30 blocks to explore in China
Zhejiang province: Zhongshanzhong Road Historical and Cultural Block in Hangzhou City
Updated: Nov 25, 2019
chinadaily.com.cn
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Zhongshanzhong Road Historical and Cultural Block in Hangzhou City
杭州市中山中路历史文化街区
Zhongshanzhong Road, with a history dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), withstood changes during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the Republic of China (1912-49) era and remains unchanged today.
Since the Southern Song Dynasty, the area has been the most important commercial center of Hangzhou, the capital city of East China's Zhejiang province. The city was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty and was then known as Lin'an.
Zhongshanzhong Road, called "Imperial Street" or "Heaven Street" in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), was connected directly to the Imperial Palace and was used by the Emperor's carriage. It was located on the principal axis running south to north in Lin’an, and was the widest and most prosperous road in the city.
During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the area was called the "Arab World" as many foreign merchants ran businesses there. It was famed as the "Wall Street in Hangzhou" during the Republic of China era due to its flourishing financial development; it is still home to many old bank sites .
Zhongshanzhong Road has been operating for thousands of years and has kept its vitality and historical continuity since ancient times.
On both sides of the road, the historical buildings, mostly built from the Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China era, include banks, shops, houses, temples in diverse architectural styles.
