The narrative of Zhongshan City, situated in Guangdong Province, is deeply embedded in one particular street – the Sunwen West Road. This illustrious avenue, brimming with historical landmarks, stories, and cultural significance, provides an illuminating snapshot of the city’s evolution.
Established in 1921, Sunwen West Road was initially just another street. However, its destiny altered in 1925 when it was renamed in honor of Sun Yat-sen, a revered statesman who was instrumental in orchestrating the revolution that terminated the era of imperial rule in China. Sun, who practiced medicine, had a fondness for this bustling, diverse area of the city, contributing to its vibrancy.
An architectural marvel in its own right, Sunwen West Road features a series of ancient qilou, or arcade houses. Built in the distinctive Nanyang architectural style, these qilou are usually two to four stories high, with the ground floor serving as a storefront. With the meticulous wooden carvings, the grey stone sculptures, and the qilou building complex’s structural beauty, one can feel the pulse of history and the city’s cultural richness.
A total of around 26 historical structures and artifacts are dispersed across the street. These relics of a bygone era contribute to the timeless charm of Sunwen West Road. Their significance led local authorities to initiate a significant renovation project in 1995 to restore and preserve the street’s historical glory.
The refurbished street emerged with a fresh and inviting face in 1999. The 500-meter pedestrian thoroughfare, together with the Xingzhong square, is now a vibrant neighborhood that exudes both historical significance and contemporary dynamism. As a testament to its transformation, this lively block was distinguished as one of China’s national-level tourism and leisure zones in 2023.
The vibrant avenue is adorned with the city’s oldest traditional Chinese medicine store, established in 1862, and the site of the erstwhile Yong’an shopping mall, initiated in 1929. Numerous other stores showcasing time-honored Chinese brands also populate the street.
Sunwen West Road is also an interactive museum of sorts, complete with bronze sculptures portraying people and rickshaws of the 1920s and 1930s. A standout attraction is the evocative relief sculpture named “The Story of A Small Town,” which encapsulates the local life of that era.
While respecting its historical lineage, the street also pulses with contemporary energy. Today, it hosts a variety of cafes, bars, and restaurants, catering to a wide array of tastes. Various shops and tourism facilities have sprouted, enhancing the appeal of Sunwen West Road as a modern urban hotspot while still embracing its past. This unique blend of the old and the new makes Sunwen West Road an essential locale for any Zhongshan visitor to experience.
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