Every tourist city has such a commercial street for tourists, with Chinese classical decoration, selling snacks and souvenirs, and all kinds of shops, and Chengdu is no different. There are two similar streets in Chengdu, one is Jinli and the other is Kuanzhai Alley. Jinli is a typical street of snacks and souvenirs, and has little tourist value. The wide and narrow alleys were rebuilt from the streets of the Qing Dynasty, and still have some characteristics. Most tourists take Kuanzhai Alley as a must-visit place, come here to taste Chengdu snacks, experience special items such as gaiwan tea, ear picking, enjoy Sichuan opera, visit ancient houses of the Qing Dynasty, etc.
Kuanzhai Alley, formerly known as one of the stations of the Manchurian and Mongolian Eight Banners, was founded in the 18th century, and was changed to a private house during the Republic of China, where celebrities such as Liu Wenhui and Yu Youren once lived. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Chengdu government took the historical and cultural pedestrian street as the positioning, and transformed the wide and narrow alleys into a commercial street integrating catering, retail and sightseeing. In the reconstruction, Kuanzhai Alley continued the original Qing Dynasty western Sichuan residential style and courtyard layout, retaining the original appearance of a few historical buildings, but the renovation of most of the old gate houses was criticized. People are accused of not doing "repairing the old and keeping the old", and often make tourists misunderstand that the wide and narrow alleys are recently built antique buildings, and they have lost the characteristics of historic sites.
The wide and narrow alley is composed of three old-fashioned streets and courtyard houses arranged in parallel in the wide alley, the narrow alley and the well alley. Kuanzhai Alley is located in Sichuan, but it was built by the Qing Dynasty, so it combines the architectural characteristics of western Sichuan houses and northern hutongs. Architectural elements such as black and gray walls, small green tile window grilles, window sashes, and finch hanging columns are important highlights. Most of the houses and courtyards in the wide and narrow alleys have been settled by merchants, and the appearance of these buildings still has regional characteristics, but the interior has a modern appearance. The combination of modern fashion brands and classic looks is also quite a novelty for tourists. In addition, there are still several buildings in the scenic area that are intact, and it is also a place for tourists to take pictures.
The head of Kailu Gate is one of the most iconic landscapes in the wide and narrow alleys. This arched house door with curved protrusion is made of special blue bricks, and the traditional Chinese stone plaque is embedded above the door opening, and the word "Kailu" is engraved in the big seal, which is unique. The oval pattern above the stone plaque represents the hanging "evil mirror", expressing the expectation of "eternal peace". Kailu is one of the best-preserved Qing Dynasty dwellings in the wide and narrow alleys, and even the wing rooms and patios have been preserved. The gate can be visited and taken by tourists at will, but the interior of Kailu has been changed to a teahouse by the owner, and tourists who want to see the whole picture of the ancient house need to spend in the Kailu Tea Garden.
In a courtyard of green bricks, the small Western-style western-style building is particularly eye-catching. The small western-style building is supported by Roman columns, and the arched doors and windows are decorated with large five stars of Western symbols. The woodcarved railings, carved diagonal braces and hanging bars in the building are all traditional Chinese components, which are exquisite and unique in combination of Chinese and Western styles. The relief tethered horse stone in the narrow alley is almost a must-photograph for tourists. In the relief, the horse's head and left front hoof are sculptures, and the rest of the horse's body is painted on the blue brick wall. Manchu people have the habit of traveling on horseback, so the wide and narrow alleys that were originally the residence of the Manchurian and Mongolian Eight Banners left this artwork.
The well alley is different from the wide and narrow alleys, with fewer shops and is characterized by cultural landscape. The historical and cultural landscape wall was built in the well alley, which was composed of wall bricks from the Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as bricks of different materials such as fire, porcelain, seven holes, cement, etc., and was accompanied by text descriptions. The entire brick wall is divided into three chapters, showing the history of Chengdu in chronological order. The first chapter, titled "Historical Background", has eight themes, from the material, craftsmanship, and use of ancient brick walls, leading to the development and decline of Chengdu from the Shang Zhou Dynasty to the end of the Ming Dynasty. "The Face of History" is the second chapter, which tells the major historical events of Chengdu during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, accompanied by old photos and explanations.
The third chapter, "The Expression of History", is the most informative chapter, with 12 thematic chapters showing the life scenes in the wide and narrow alleys of the last century, which is also a microcosm of the life of the old Chengdu city. In each chapter, on one side is a link to an old historical photo and a QR code for an introduction and explanation, and on the other side is a large relief of the photo "of the same paragraph". Listening to the explanation, looking at the documentary photos, and then watching the reliefs in a similar proportion to the real scene, the scenes of the residents in the old days teasing birds, rubbing cards, drinking tea, etc., suddenly became vivid. There are fewer tourists before 10 o'clock in the morning or in the evening, and this is a good time to take a closer look, otherwise you may not even be able to see the complete relief in the dense crowd.
The restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and snack shops in the wide and narrow alleys are similar to those in other scenic spots, and will not be repeated in this article. Customers should be reminded that a small number of theaters are forced to consume tea and insert calligraphy and painting sales links into performances, so tourists are advised to inquire in advance. Some private old houses and a few shops are forbidden to tourists. In addition, the price of snacks is slightly higher, and some snacks have been modified to cater to the tastes of tourists. At the same time, in order to cope with the high customer flow, some stores will make a large number of finished products in advance, which will affect the taste of the food after it cools.
This kind of commercial street is always controversial, and many people think that these homogeneous streets, lined with shops and not much sightseeing value, are not worth visiting. Perhaps in the wide and narrow alleys, the taste of snacks is inferior to that of small shops and time-honored restaurants in residential buildings, and the souvenirs sold are common, even if the level of Chengdu characteristics such as gaiwan tea, changing faces, and picking out ears is not optimal. But convenience is its incomparable advantage, a place of only more than 80 acres concentrates the Chengdu elements that most tourists want to experience. While it's impossible to say for sure whether such attractions are outstanding or not, they do satisfy the needs of some visitors to a certain extent. In addition, compared with Beijing's South Causeway Lane, Nanjing Confucius Temple, Shanghai Tianzifang, etc., the restaurants and shops in the wide and narrow alleys have stronger regional characteristics. At the same time, the Qing Dynasty buildings scattered in the wide and narrow alleys and the brick cultural walls in the well alleys also have a certain viewing value.
Suggested visiting time: half a day
Reference fare: Free of charge
Opening hours: All day
Tips: Crowds are crowded, please pay attention to the safety of your belongings
