Tunxi Old Street

• Region: Anhui
• Region type: Province
• City: Not yet specified
• Destination type: Not yet specified

Tunxi Old Street is a pedestrianized market thoroughfare in the heart of Huangshan City, Anhui, widely regarded as the best-preserved historic commercial street in China. Its roughly 1,273-meter stone-flagged lane is lined with more than 300 wooden Hui-style (Huizhou) buildings, two or three storeys tall, with dark tiled roofs and carved eaves. The street mixes living heritage with modern tourism: shops still trade in ink stones, calligraphy brushes, local teas, and antiques much as they did centuries ago, while the surrounding alleys hold small museums and restored merchant houses. Because it sits close to the routes most travelers take toward Mount Huangshan and the nearby ancient villages, it functions as both a destination in its own right and a convenient stopover.

Tunxi Old Street lies in Tunxi District, the urban core of Huangshan City in southern Anhui Province. It runs near the Xin'an River, close to Huangshan Railway Station and only a few kilometers from Huangshan Tunxi International Airport, making it the effective gateway hub for the wider Huangshan/Yellow Mountain region. Mount Huangshan's scenic area itself is about 70 km and roughly 1.5 hours away by road, so the street is typically visited as a base or bookend rather than as an isolated stop.

Huangshan City has a humid, northern-subtropical monsoon climate with an average annual temperature around 16°C and roughly 1,670 mm of rain a year. Summers (especially July) are the wettest and most humid, with frequent rain, while winters are mild for the lowland town, without the severe freezes seen on the mountain above. Spring and autumn bring the most comfortable, drier conditions for wandering the open-air street. Because the street itself is at low elevation in the city (unlike the mountain scenic area), it does not experience the fog, snow, or cable-car closures that affect Huangshan's peaks.

Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) are the recommended seasons, offering milder temperatures and less rain than summer. Many guides also suggest avoiding July–August school holidays and weekends during peak season, when the street gets crowded with tour groups. Evenings are popular year-round since the lanterns and shopfronts are lit after dark, giving the street a livelier, more atmospheric feel than during the day.

The street's origins trace to the late Song/Yuan period, when architects and craftsmen who had worked on the Southern Song capital at Lin'an (Hangzhou) returned home and built in the same style, giving the area its distinctive look. At the start of the Ming Dynasty a local merchant funded 47 shops to draw traders, and through the Ming and Qing dynasties the flourishing Huizhou tea and goods trade turned the street into a major distribution center for Anhui. During the War of Resistance in the 20th century, an influx of merchants and refugees earned it the nickname "Little Shanghai." After 1949 it was renamed Renmin Road, and in 1985 the historic core was formally redesignated and preserved as "Old Street."

Tunxi Old Street is protected as a major historical and cultural site at the national level and is considered the most completely preserved example of a traditional Chinese market street, combining Southern Song layout with Ming and Qing architectural detail. It embodies the Huizhou merchant culture that once dominated trade across the region, and its ink-stick factories, inkstone shops, and calligraphy suppliers keep alive the 'Four Treasures of the Study' craft traditions long associated with Anhui scholars and traders. Because of its intact streetscape, it has also served as a filming location for numerous productions set in historic China.

Walk the full length of the stone-paved street past centuries-old shopfronts. Browse and buy inkstones, brushes, ink sticks, and local Huangshan Maofeng or Taiping Houkui tea. Watch craftsmen at work in traditional ink and calligraphy workshops. Duck into the narrow side alleys for a quieter, more residential feel. Visit small museums along the route, including the Tunxi Museum and private collections such as Wancuilou. Sample street snacks and sit in a teahouse. Return after dark, when lanterns and shop lighting give the street a different, more festive atmosphere than daytime.

The street's defining sight is its unbroken run of over 300 Hui-style timber buildings with carved beams, window screens, and railings. The Tunxi Museum displays Ming and Qing furniture, calligraphy, paintings, and ceramics. The centuries-old Cheng Families' Houses (roughly 600 years old) offer a look at a preserved merchant residence, and the Hu Kai-wen ink-stick factory, founded in 1765, shows the traditional ink-making craft. Antique shops, medicine stores, and stalls selling the Four Treasures of the Study (brush, ink, paper, inkstone) line the main lane and its three connecting bystreets and eighteen alleys.

From Huangshan Railway Station (in Tunxi District itself) the street is only about 3.3 km away — a five-minute taxi ride or a short hop on city buses such as No. 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, or 18 to the '一马路' or '二马路' (Ancient Street) stops. From Huangshan Tunxi International Airport it's about 5 km, reachable by taxi (roughly 30 RMB) or the airport shuttle bus (around 6 RMB). Travelers arriving at the more distant Huangshan North high-speed railway station face a longer trip of about 19 km, covered by a dedicated shuttle bus (about 1 hour with stops) or a taxi/car transfer (around 30 minutes direct).

The street itself is open to pedestrians all day, with most shops trading roughly from 8:30 a.m. to late evening (some sources cite up to 10 p.m.); museum sections such as the Tunxi Museum typically keep hours around 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Verify current hours before visiting, as they may change seasonally.

Walking the street itself is free. Individual attractions along it, such as the Cheng Families' Houses, charge a separate admission (about 30 RMB per person in recent listings). Verify current prices before visiting, as they may change.

A brisk walk-through takes about an hour; visitors who want to shop, visit museums, or linger in teahouses should allow 2-3 hours.

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The street and its surroundings are a good place to try Anhui (Huizhou) cuisine, including dishes such as soft-shell turtle with ham, Mandarin fish, and stinky (fermented) mandarin fish or tofu, alongside everyday snacks like Huangshan shaobing (baked flatbread). Numerous small restaurants and stalls along the lane serve local noodles and home-style dishes, and teahouses throughout the street pour Huangshan Maofeng and Qimen black tea. Reviewers note that portions and prices vary widely between the touristy main lane and quieter side alleys, with the latter often better value.

Mount Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), one of China's most famous scenic and hiking destinations, is about 70 km / roughly 1.5 hours away by road. The UNESCO World Heritage villages of Hongcun and Xidi, known for their well-preserved Huizhou courtyard houses and canal-lined lanes, are also within about 1.5 hours. Wuyuan, roughly 85 km / 1.5 hours south, is popular in March–April for its rapeseed flower blooms. The Tangyue Memorial Archways and Chengkan Village are further examples of Huizhou heritage sites reachable on a day trip from Tunxi.

Nearest train station: Huangshan Railway Station (about 3.3 km away); nearest airport: Huangshan Tunxi International Airport (about 5 km away); local city buses 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, and 18 stop near the street.

The street is pedestrianized, well-lit, and generally considered safe, with reviewers noting that shopkeepers are less pushy than in some other Chinese tourist areas, though normal caution around bargaining and pricing at souvenir stalls is still wise. Keep valuables secure in crowded evening hours when foot traffic peaks. Wear comfortable shoes, since the street and side alleys are paved with uneven stone. If continuing on to Mount Huangshan, note that safety conditions there (weather, trail closures) are separate from the town-level street and should be checked independently.

Comfortable walking shoes for the stone-paved lane and alleys, a light jacket for cooler evenings in spring/autumn, cash or a mobile-payment app (many small vendors prefer WeChat Pay/Alipay), and an umbrella during the humid summer rainy season. A camera or phone is worth having ready for the evening lantern-lit atmosphere.

Visit in the late afternoon and stay into the evening to see the street transition from daytime shopping to its lantern-lit night atmosphere. Avoid weekends and July–August school holidays if possible, as the main lane gets crowded with tour groups. Compare prices between shops before buying tea, inkstones, or souvenirs, since quality and pricing vary. Use the street as a convenient base for day trips to Huangshan Mountain or the nearby ancient villages rather than a single-purpose destination.

China's national emergency numbers apply: police 110, ambulance 120, fire 119, and the national tourism complaint hotline 12301.

Huangshan municipal tourism information is published by the local government at huangshan.gov.cn.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.