DongHuali, Foshan – A Preserved Qing Dynasty Street

DongHuali in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, is located on Fuxian Road in Chancheng District, originally named “Wu Yang Street” after […]

DongHuali in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, is located on Fuxian Road in Chancheng District, originally named “Wu Yang Street” after the Yang and Wu clans who settled there in the early Qing Dynasty. Over time, the clans declined, and their properties were sold to other surnames. By the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed “DongHuali”.
DongHuali, stretching 112 meters in length, still preserves a stone street sign from the 23rd year of the Daoguang era (1843) at the entrance. The street is wide and smooth, with a clean and flat granite-paved surface.

On both sides of the street, the residences maintain the appearance of the Qing Dynasty period. As they were traditionally inhabited by officials and wealthy families, the architecture and decoration are exquisite. The entrance halls are tall, with stone steps and walls made of water-polished blue bricks.

Inside, the halls are adorned with wood carvings, screens, flower stands, and partitions. The front section of the street features interconnected buildings, including the “Wu Clan Ancestral Hall”, “Zhao Clan Ancestral Hall”, “Zhao Yutian Ancestral Hall”, and Zhao’s “Jingxian Hall”.

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The back section of the street has four alleys on each side, leading to the rear residential areas of the residences. These are neatly arranged with a unified format, featuring pot-ear style gable walls and a “three rooms and two corridors” layout. The interior settings remain largely unchanged except for minor modifications.

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DongHuali is not only well-preserved in Foshan but also stands as one of the most intact Qing Dynasty urban streets in the Pearl River Delta and throughout Guangdong Province. It serves as a valuable resource for studying local history, architecture, and residential customs in Foshan. In 1989, it was designated as a municipal cultural heritage site, and in 2001, it was recognized as a national key cultural heritage site. The opening hours and specific business status are subject to the daily opening conditions.

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