By Jieyu Wang, Editor

“I visited Shancheng Alley in July (of) 1985, but its landscape has changed a lot now!” said Yue Xuanming, a tourist from Kunming, Yunnan, when visiting Shancheng Alley in Yuzhong District on October 6. On that day, a reporter came to Huangjueya Old Street in Nan’an District and Shancheng Alley in Yuzhong District and found that those old streets fully retained the features of traditional residences after the restoration, attracting a mass of visitors. 

The old streets in Chongqing received a mass of visitors during the National Day Holiday.

Huangjueya Old Street that opened to the public recently has become a popular emerging destination. The Former Residence of Echo (Chen Ping, a famous writer) on the street welcomed tens of thousands of visitors in the first six days of the National Day holiday. Echo was born at No. 145 of Huangjueya Old Street and spent her childhood there. In her former residence, the work exhibition themed Echo in My Heart displayed 30 works related to her.

“I always read your books when I’m confused, impetuous, or lonely.” According to a staff member, it is what an ecdemic visitor posted on WeChat after visiting the Former Residence of Echo. Many fans of Echo came to her former residence from all over the world after they learned that it was opened. The staff member introduced, “the exhibition moves visitors, and they felt the vitality and vigor of historic buildings.”

A visitor is taking a photo in Chongqing Shancheng Alley.

Exhibitions including the Exhibition of Chinese Paintings of Yu Jingqing and His Students, the Work Exhibition of Design and Reconstruction of Tushan Kiln and the Exhibition of Paintings of Ancient Paths and Old Streets were also held in the other 12 exhibition halls on Huangjueya Old Street, filling the street with the cultural atmosphere.

In the traditional characteristic style region of Shancheng Alley in Yuzhong District, the reporter walked up the stairs and entered the exhibition hall of Chongqing Women’s Images. Following the theme of Best Wishes to the Motherland and Chongqing, the exhibition invited 70 women from all walks of life, including performing artists, cultural relics restoration specialists, and scientists, who presented the unique spiritual temperament of Chongqing women.

Cai Zeng, a freshman from the Yangtze Normal University now and once a student of Xinglin Middle School, said, “Shancheng Alley is now much more artistic.”

Exhibition held in Huangjueya Old Street, filling the street with the cultural atmosphere.

Many ecdemic visitors were amazed at today’s Shancheng Alley. Yue Xuanming said that in 1985, he visited Shancheng Alley for work, but the dilapidated buildings and overgrown riverside failed to attract him. Today, the alley has been injected with a large number of cultural elements and glows with a new look. He added that, before coming to Shancheng Alley, he visited Hongya Cave, Chaotianmen, and Ciqikou, enjoying a wonderful trip to Chongqing.

“The buildings in Shancheng Alley are well-arranged and embrace innovative and fresh cultural elements.” Zheng Wenyan and her boyfriend from Guangzhou took lots of group photos on the plank road of Shancheng Alley. Liu Li, a visitor from Xi’an, spent nearly two hours in the alley and was attracted by the natural landscape and cultural atmosphere of Chongqing. “It’s my first time to Chongqing, but I have fallen in love with it.”