Liuzi Street Historical and Cultural Block in Yongzhou
湖南省永州市柳子街历史文化街区
Located in the south of Hunan province, the ancient city of Yongzhou, known as Lingling prefecture in earlier days, has a history of more than 2,000 years since the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 24) and has been listed by the State Council as the national historical and cultural city.
Five hundred meter-long ancient Liuzi Street, in the Lingling district of Yongzhou city, is paved with dark stone, similar to the hutongs in Beiijng. Traditional residences built in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) fill both sides of the street and shops here usually sell local specialties or rent ancient costumes, attracting crowds of tourists especially in holiday seasons.
The street’s Liuzi Temple was constructed in 814 by Yongzhou locals to commemorate Yongzhou official Liu Zongyuan (773-819), who was a statesman, progressive ideologist and famous literati of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).