Arcades in Quanzhou
- 6 years ago
Located on Zhongshan Road in Quanzhou, Fujian province, is the Dashanghai Barbershop. The shop, which opened for business in the 1930s, was once considered the most fashionable salon in the entire city.
Today, we can only detect traces of its past prosperity. From the crumbling walls, faded advertisements, and barber chairs in disrepair, there's the slow decay of time and a feeling of fond memories of days gone by.
Leaving the barbershop and stepping out onto Zhongshan Road, you discover Quanzhou is a modern city with every comfort, and you feel as though you've traveled 80 years to where you are.
Local people in Quanzhou used to describe their city simply: "There are two towers, one in the east and west, and the only street runs north to south". The "street" here of course refers to Zhongshan Road. Whatever direction you were coming from, once you set foot on Zhongshan Road, you immediately understood its allure.
The arcade buildings, which combine Fujian's southern style with the broader influence of Southeast Asian culture, extend over 2,500 meters along the street. On this street exists perhaps the most preserved and the most complete row of arcade buildings in all of China.
"The buildings here may have a history of over a hundred years, at least seventy or eighty years."
"It was like this when I was young. It has remained unchanged. In other places where there is no arcade building, all pedestrians will get wet on rainy days. But people can take shelter from wind and rain here."
The arcade buildings make it convenient for pedestrians to go shopping rain or shine, day or night. "There might be more rainy days in the south, but people can seek shelter from the weather in the arcade buildings".
Zhongshan Road has undoubtedly become the most popular business street in Quanzhou thanks to its auspicious location along the city's axis. Perusing the street, you can still see the old place names on the outer walls of the arcade buildings.
The buildings have become inseparably linked with the history and memories they've come to represent. These diverse histories only serve to further illustrate the street's current prosperity, somehow assuring that whatever happens, the buildings will always be standing on Zhongshan Road.
Today, we can only detect traces of its past prosperity. From the crumbling walls, faded advertisements, and barber chairs in disrepair, there's the slow decay of time and a feeling of fond memories of days gone by.
Leaving the barbershop and stepping out onto Zhongshan Road, you discover Quanzhou is a modern city with every comfort, and you feel as though you've traveled 80 years to where you are.
Local people in Quanzhou used to describe their city simply: "There are two towers, one in the east and west, and the only street runs north to south". The "street" here of course refers to Zhongshan Road. Whatever direction you were coming from, once you set foot on Zhongshan Road, you immediately understood its allure.
The arcade buildings, which combine Fujian's southern style with the broader influence of Southeast Asian culture, extend over 2,500 meters along the street. On this street exists perhaps the most preserved and the most complete row of arcade buildings in all of China.
"The buildings here may have a history of over a hundred years, at least seventy or eighty years."
"It was like this when I was young. It has remained unchanged. In other places where there is no arcade building, all pedestrians will get wet on rainy days. But people can take shelter from wind and rain here."
The arcade buildings make it convenient for pedestrians to go shopping rain or shine, day or night. "There might be more rainy days in the south, but people can seek shelter from the weather in the arcade buildings".
Zhongshan Road has undoubtedly become the most popular business street in Quanzhou thanks to its auspicious location along the city's axis. Perusing the street, you can still see the old place names on the outer walls of the arcade buildings.
The buildings have become inseparably linked with the history and memories they've come to represent. These diverse histories only serve to further illustrate the street's current prosperity, somehow assuring that whatever happens, the buildings will always be standing on Zhongshan Road.