Beihai Old Street is located in the area of Zhuhai Road and Zhongshan Road, and was originally constructed in 1821. This 1.44-kilometer-long street is lined with a mix of Chinese and Western architectural styles, including former consulates of the UK, France, and Germany, the former site of the German Senbao Trading House, and the former site of the Catholic Church’s female monastery.
Today, the old street has been developed into a distinctive commercial street, selling a variety of goods, and you can also taste local delicacies such as spicy conch, shrimp cakes, and pig’s trotter noodles. Strolling through the old street, you can experience a different kind of urban atmosphere: elderly people rocking on chairs with fans, humming tunes, residents gathering for meals, chatting, and playing cards, all of which can become subjects for photography enthusiasts.
At the entrance of the old street stands an archway with a stone plaque inscribed with the three regular script characters ‘Shengping Street’. Most buildings on the street are two to three stories high, with walls primarily composed of gray, yellow, and black tones. Each building has its own emblem carved in the center, such as ‘Chen Ronghe’ and ‘Pan Dexiang’; there are also Catholic churches, pharmacies, taverns, and tea houses on the street. You can find traces of the old street’s former glory from the faded signs and inscriptions on the shophouses, and experience the current liveliness from the shops, cafes, and snack bars along the street. The opening hours are from 09:00 to 21:30 all year round.
