Paifang Street

Attractions & culture

Chaozhan Paifang Street is located in the center of Chaozhou ancient city, with a circular radial layout along Taiping Road, Dongmen Street, and other blocks, covering the area around Fensi Community in Xiangqiao District. The street's origins trace back to the Tang and Song dynasties, initially with wooden arches, and in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Nanyang-style arcade buildings were introduced, forming a unique blend of Chinese and Western overseas Chinese architecture. Paifang Street is not only a microcosm of Chaozhou's history and culture but also carries the historical memory of Chaozhou people going to Southeast Asia. In 2004, the Chaozhou municipal government launched a restoration project for Paifang Street, restoring 22 ancient arches, renovating arcades, and laying stone-paved roads. It officially opened on October 1, 2009, becoming the largest ancient archway street in China and was selected as a national-level tourism and leisure block. Paifang Street showcases Chaozhou's historical features and cultural life through functional zones including traditional cultural blocks, specialty industry blocks, boutique tourism blocks, residential inn blocks, snack blocks, and entertainment and leisure areas. Chaozhan Paifang Street integrates history, culture, intangible cultural heritage crafts, and cuisine. The street preserves a blend of Chinese and Western arcade buildings, complementing 22 stone memorial arches. Major arches include Zhuangyuan Arch, Bangyan Arch, Shangshu Arch, Zhushi Arch, Si Jinshi Arch, Qi Jun Arch, Sanshi Shangshu Arch, and Mutian Renrui Arch, each with unique historical stories and exquisite carvings. Shops along the street feature intangible heritage crafts such as Chaozhou embroidery, hand-pulled teapots, ceramics, and Gongfu tea, alongside local delicacies like Chaozhou Three Treasures, beef hotpot, rice noodle rolls, and licorice fruit. The archway street not only reflects Chaozhou's imperial examination culture and commercial port history but also carries the memory of Chaoshan overseas Chinese culture and local social memory. It connects with ancient city attractions like Guangji Bridge, Hanwengong Temple, and Kaiyuan Temple, forming a complete Chaozhou cultural tourism route. In recent years, Paifang Street has also hosted cultural festivals, craft exhibitions, and food festivals, becoming an important platform for urban cultural exchange.