Dongguan Street wins national honor

Dongguan Street in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, has been listed among the second batch of national tourism and leisure blocks, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on March 1. 

Fifty-seven streets in the country made the list.

The 1,122-meter Dongguan Street, which has a history of more than 1,200 years, is considered the birthplace of Yangzhou's canal and salt merchant cultures. 

Named one of the top 10 national historical and cultural streets, as well as designated a national 4A scenic spot, the street features buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). 

The street is home to more than 50 historical relics, including 21 historical and cultural sites under city level protection, five historical and cultural sites under national level protection, as well as four historical and cultural sites under provincial level protection. 

The street is also home to seven national intangible cultural heritage items, such as Yangzhou opera, Yangzhou ditty, paper cutting, lacquer art, jade carving, and woodblock printing.