Jiangsu Travel: Stepping into Gaochun Old Street – A Self-Drive Tour of the Slow City (Photos)

Learning about Gaochun Old Street in Nanjing, Jiangsu – known as the 'First Ancient Street of Jinling' – was a key stop for the reporter traveling with the Ordos of Inner Mongolia, on a self-drive promotional tour organized by the Ordos Tourism Development Committee, and executed by the Beijing Automotive and Motorcycle Sports Association Self-Drive Committee and the Ai Che Global Self-Drive Cultural Tourism Group, as part of the '2017 Belt and Road and Yellow River Cities Ordos Self-Drive Exhibition Tour'.

The convoy departs for Nanjing (photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 8:30 a.m. on September 2, 2017, the reporter followed the Ai Che self-drive convoy from Hangzhou, traveling along the Hangzhou-Changxing Expressway into the border between Zhejiang and Anhui. Shortly after entering Anhui, the convoy exited the expressway and took Provincial Route 219. Passing through Xuancheng – hometown of Xuan paper, one of the Four Treasures of Chinese Study – the convoy continued into Jiangsu Province. After over two hours of driving, it arrived at the fourth stop, Nanjing, Jiangsu, at 11:45 a.m. The venue for the self-drive promotional event was Deban Manor, located near Gaochun Old Street in Nanjing.

The convoy arrives in Gaochun (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Nanjing, Jiangsu, is a renowned historical city, the ancient capital of six dynasties, rich in historical depth and beautiful cultural landscapes, while also preserving many streets and alleys steeped in history. After arriving in Nanjing, the touring convoy took limited time to visit the famous Gaochun Old Street. Strolling down this ancient lane was like stepping back in time, leaving a deep and delightful impression.

Guide map of Gaochun Old Street (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Gaochun Old Street in Nanjing, also called Chunxi Old Street, is located in Chunxi Town, Gaochun District, Nanjing. It serves as the commercial center of Gaochun. Its history can be traced back to the market established during the Song Dynasty, boasting over 900 years of history. It is the best-preserved ancient architectural complex in Jiangsu Province, often hailed as the 'Second Confucius Temple of Jinling.'

A photo stop at Gaochun Old Street (photo: Ling Yingsheng)

Walking into Gaochun Old Street, visitors are greeted by clusters of Ming and Qing dynasty buildings. These ancient structures line the water, with whitewashed walls, grey-tiled roofs, upturned eaves, and exquisite brick, wood, and stone carvings, complemented by traditional calligraphy plaques. The understated elegance has earned praise from scholars and tourists both at home and abroad as an 'epitome of Eastern civilization' and a 'treasure trove of ancient architectural art.'

Entering the Gaochun Old Street scenic area (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Moreover, Gaochun Old Street is home not only to numerous sites such as Guanwang Temple, the Gaochun Folk Customs Museum, Yang Hall, the Gaochun Folk Performance Hall, the Qianlong Ancient Well, and the ruins of a Jesus Church, but also to the former headquarters of the First Detachment of the New Fourth Army and the former site of the New Fourth Army's Gaochun office. These additions inject a red tourism element into this ancient street, making it well worth a visit.

An alley on Gaochun Old Street (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Gaochun Old Street is also called Yizi (Straight) Street, as it stretches in a nearly straight line from east to west, about 800 meters long and 4.5 to 5.5 meters wide. The street is paved with pink rouge stone slabs laid horizontally in the middle, flanked by vertical bluestone strips on both sides. The surface is vibrant and neatly arranged. Despite centuries of exposure to wind, rain, foot traffic, and carriage wheels, it remains sturdy and durable.

Walking onto Yizi Street (photo: Feng Ganyong)

This narrow lane is paved with slab after slab of bluestone. The surface is slightly pitted and uneven, likely worn down by generations of Gaochun residents. Walking on the bluestones produces a 'tap-tap' sound, deep and distant, as if these ancient stones are whispering tales of vicissitudes and history.

Time-honored shops along Old Street (photo: Feng Ganyong)

More than 300 shop buildings still stand on Gaochun Old Street. They are two-story structures combining brick and wood, with shopfronts facing each other. Their design – with overhanging eaves, dougong brackets, crenellations, walls, horizontal beams, and lattice windows – is quaint and uniquely shaped. Most were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties, showcasing both the Huizhou style of southern Anhui and distinct local traditional touches.

Wood carving crafts on Old Street (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The shops lining both sides of this stone-paved street retain the antique charm of the Ming and Qing eras. They are entirely made of wood, with high beams that seem as if they will never collapse. The most exquisite feature is the wood carvings under the eaves and above the windows, each lifelike and vivid.

Entrance to an Old Street lane (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The carved motifs are rich and varied: Wu Song Slaying the Tiger (a heroic tale), a magpie alighting on a branch (symbolizing joy), a maiden dressing at her mirror, a top scholar returning home in glory, literati composing poetry and painting, and royalty and nobles enjoying leisure trips. These ingenious carvings display, from one facet, the wisdom and skill of ancient working people.

A veteran shop for crab roe soup dumplings (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The merchandise in the Old Street shops is also dazzling. The goods are mainly Gaochun specialties, such as dried tofu, tofu skin, salted goose, tea leaves, sweet potato vermicelli, and homemade rice wine. There are also exquisite pastries from Ma's, Tang's, and Xia's family recipes. Another highlight worth mentioning is the handmade cloth shoes – comfortable to wear and available in a variety of styles, they are a notable feature of Gaochun Old Street.

A photo moment in an Old Street alley (photo: Ling Yingsheng)

During their limited time, the reporter's group toured highlights along Old Street: Gaochun Guanwang Temple, Yang Hall, the West Gate Arch, the Gaochun Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall, and the former site of the New Fourth Army's First Detachment Headquarters.

Gaochun Guanwang Temple (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Gaochun Guanwang Temple is one of the few surviving temples in the Jiangnan region dedicated to Guan Yu, the famous Three Kingdoms general. The temple was originally built in the fourth year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1491) and underwent repairs during both the Ming and Qing periods. After 1949, it served as the local People's Armed Forces Department.

Inside Guanwang Temple (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Guanwang Temple sits in the middle section of Old Street, facing south. Past the entrance gate stands a Nine-Dragon Screen Wall, flanked by bell and drum pavilions. The front hall is the 'Worship Hall,' housing a martial statue of Guan Yu before he was deified as an emperor. The rear hall is the 'Spring and Autumn Hall,' where the sacred image of Guan Wang (King Guan) is enshrined.

The plaque above Yang Hall's entrance (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Yang Hall originally belonged to Zhao Dongyang, the 'pastry king' of Gaochun Old Street, before being sold to the Yang family and renamed 'Yang Hall.' Built in the early Republican era, it extends three courtyards deep and covers over 500 square meters. The front section is a brick-and-wood structure, three bays wide with two floors. A six-panel openwork screen stands inside the stone threshold, directly opposite the door, symbolically preventing evil from entering and wealth from flowing out.

Stepping into Yang Hall (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The entrance facade is designed with removable panels, and a porch is built above the lintel, with curved eave purlins projecting outward – both sheltering from rain and providing shade. Beneath the door lintels, brackets are carved with grass-and-dragon motifs. The gable ends feature stepped projections adorned with patterns of Iron-Crutch Li (a Taoist immortal), peonies, and symbols of fortune and longevity. The two rear courtyards follow a 'horse-galloping tower' layout. Wings on both sides of the courtyards originally housed guests and servants.

A corner inside Yang Hall (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Each successive courtyard is separated by an open-air light well for ventilation and daylight, and these wells also collect rainwater from the surrounding roofs. Every main hall has pillars framing a stone threshold, with four thresholds across the three courtyards. In the rear hall, a decorative door hood faces inward, carved with the motto 'Virtue is the foundation of happiness' – a typical Suzhou-style inward-oriented aesthetic, distinct from the outwardly ornate Huizhou style. The rear hall's formal reception room is furnished with tables, chairs, and incense stands as they once were. The side rooms serve as the master's and young master's bedrooms, while the upstairs rooms were the young lady's boudoir.

A photo moment by the grand opera stage on Old Street (photo: Ling Yingsheng)

Each threshold in the halls rises higher than the last, symbolizing life and business climbing step by step. Yang Hall's architecture also extensively employs wood carvings, featuring motifs such as the Three Stars of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity; paired phoenixes sporting with peonies; paired lions playing with a brocade ball; the Three Friends of Winter (pine, bamboo, and plum); and auspicious cloud patterns.

The West Gate Arch (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The West Gate Arch is Old Street's venerable main entrance, a landmark structure formed by four pillars and three openings. The inscriptions 'The First Ancient Street of Jinling' and 'Gaochun Old Street' were brushed in 1998 by Mr. Fei Xiaotong, then Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress, after he visited the street.

Folk performance hall (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The Gaochun Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall is located on the second floor of No. 4 Zhongshan Street, in the eastern extension of Gaochun Old Street, with a floor area of 1,800 square meters. It houses 155 intangible cultural heritage items at or above the district level, 39 at or above the city level, including one national-level item and 14 provincial-level ones. The exhibition is divided into nine sections: a preface hall, folk legends, traditional dances, traditional festivals, traditional craftsmanship, traditional opera, farming culture, traditional memory, and a future hall. The museum showcases Gaochun's folk culture and serves as a comprehensive exhibition hub for local heritage.

A photo moment at the New Fourth Army First Detachment Headquarters (photo: Cao Qun)

The New Fourth Army First Detachment Headquarters is located in the Wu Clan Ancestral Hall on Old Street. Built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, the hall faces the Guanxi River at its gate, with Old Street behind it. It comprises three courtyards: the front is an opera stage, the middle a meeting hall, and the rear an ancestral worship hall. Each courtyard is separated by a light well, and the total building area is over 800 square meters.

The Memorial Hall at the New Fourth Army site (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The rear worship hall of the Wu Clan Ancestral Hall, about 200 square meters, was originally where the Wu family placed ancestral tablets and conducted memorial rites. It has since been converted into a patriotic education memorial, displaying photos, documents, and weapons related to the New Fourth Army's activities in Gaochun. The main halls of the middle and rear courtyards are built with 'nanmu pillars and cypress beams.' Ancient relics such as the 'Filial Son' plaque bestowed by the imperial court during the Qianlong reign, the '24 Filial Exemplars' illustrations, and a family-law stone can be seen here.

A corner inside the memorial hall (photo: Feng Ganyong)

This is an exceptionally well-preserved Qing-era architectural complex. In June 1938, Chen Yi led the New Fourth Army's First Detachment eastward to fight the Japanese invaders, arriving in Gaochun from southern Anhui. The headquarters was set up right here in the Wu Clan Ancestral Hall – the first stop in establishing the Maoshan anti-Japanese base area. Commander Chen Yi, filled with fervor, wrote the stirring poem 'First Arrival in Gaochun on the Eastern Expedition.'

Gaochun Old Street's food alley (photo: Feng Ganyong)

In March 1982, the New Fourth Army First Detachment Headquarters site was designated a Protected Cultural Relic Site of Jiangsu Province by the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government. Today it is listed as both a Jiangsu Province and Nanjing City Patriotic Education Base.

Never enough photos of Old Street's sights (photo: Feng Ganyong)

Though Gaochun Old Street may not be a major tourist hotspot, nor does it teem with bustling crowds, a leisurely stroll there reveals a kaleidoscope of colorful shop banners, an array of snacks, local specialties, and handicrafts. While dazzling, what people truly feel is a deep-rooted sense of time-honored traditional culture. It is the folk customs, in particular, that make you linger.

Group photo in front of Deban Manor (photo: Feng Ganyong)

At 2:30 p.m. the same day, the self-drive convoy arrived at Deban Manor – the promotion venue in Nanjing. The setting was as tranquil and enchanting as a secluded paradise. Accompanied by Wang Rong, then assistant to the general manager, the reporter, along with Cao Qun and Ling Yingsheng, toured the sprawling manor grounds aboard an electric sightseeing buggy.

A corner of Deban Manor (photo: Feng Ganyong)

During the tour, Wang Rong explained: Nanjing Deban Manor Resort & Hotel is nestled within the Youzi Mountain National Forest Park, a 4A-level scenic area in Gaochun, blessed with an exceptional location. The estate features undulating hills, interconnected low ridges, and scenic water elements, all in a pristine natural environment.

Scenery at Deban Manor (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The estate is divided into several zones: an ecological cultivation and horticulture area, a hot spring entertainment and sightseeing resort area, an original Gaochun folk customs experience zone, a viewing corridor of exotic stones and bonsai greenery, a themed Chinese and Western wedding and photography service zone, a retirement villa area, and even a temple-like plaza with a majestic Maitreya Buddha statue atop a hill for blessings.

A photo moment before departing Nanjing (photo: Ling Yingsheng)

Driving around the expansive estate, the reporter felt that Deban Manor seamlessly blends modern wellness and relaxation needs with hilltop views, creating a self-contained world – a peaceful paradise away from it all. It offers a new way for people to return to a pastoral life and live in harmony with nature. Walking the grounds, the sounds of birdsong mingling with the wind rustling through the woods gave a feeling of intimately embracing nature.

Self-driving through the Slow City (photo: Feng Ganyong)

On the morning of September 4, 2017, the convoy concluded its Nanjing visit and departed for Hefei, Anhui. En route, escorted by Mr. Chen Hong, then executive general manager of Nanjing Lvye Self-Drive RV Camping International Travel Agency, the convoy also toured the Nanjing Gaochun International Slow City Tourism Resort. It's located in the northwest of Yaxi Town, Gaochun District, at the eastern foot of Youzi Mountain National Forest Park.

Scenery within the Slow City (photo: Feng Ganyong)

This is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, one of China's best eco-leisure destinations, one of the country's top ten slow-travel rural villages, a national agricultural tourism demonstration site, the most beautiful golden-flower destination in East China, a Jiangsu provincial tourism resort, a Jiangsu self-drive travel base, a Jiangsu four-star rural tourism spot, and it has been listed among the New 48 Scenes of Jinling.

Architecture inside the Slow City (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The 'Yaxi Eco-Tour' scenic route within the resort stretches 48 kilometers, winding through six administrative villages and covering 50 square kilometers. Built around the vision of creating the most beautiful countryside along the Yangtze River, it develops high-efficiency agriculture. Inside, there are agricultural sightseeing parks, model eco-farms growing greenhouse grapes, early bamboo shoots, melon seeds, strawberries, organic tea, and cash forests, plus the Dashan Farmhouse & Hospitality Village, brimming with rural character.

Guide map of Yaxi International Slow City (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The resort is rich in cultural and historical sites and features attractions of considerable scale. There's the Memorial Hall of Zhang Xun, the ancient Yongqing Temple, the Nancheng Ruins, a large official pond excavated under Liu Bowen's command, the 'Gong-Luo Well' (where a stone dropped in echoes with a gong-like sound), the Heaven-and-Earth Opera Stage built in the 16th year of the Guangxu reign, Zhuangyuan Mountain, the Crane-Gazing Pavilion, and the Jinjing Bamboo Sea – the largest primordial bamboo forest in Jinling, planted during the Yuan Dynasty – among the '18 Scenes of Yaochi.'

A view in the International Slow City (photo: Feng Ganyong)

By integrating resources from multiple departments, Yaxi Eco-Tour has built China's first Slow City. Successive projects include the Yaochi Villa Resort, the visitor center, Taohua Fan Square and Wenlin Square, the Wangyu Island four-star hotel, Yaochi Farmhouse & Hospitality, the Dashan viewing platform, the Dashan parking lot, the Cultural Forest Tea House, and a fishing terrace with a poetry corridor and boardwalk.

Farewell to the International Slow City (photo: Feng Ganyong)

The entire Nanjing Gaochun International Slow City Tourism Resort extends 48 kilometers, covering 80 square kilometers, with a core area of 50 square kilometers. It is a comprehensive agricultural tourism destination that leverages hilly ecological resources to combine sightseeing, leisure, entertainment, vacationing, and eco-agriculture. As the self-drive convoy cruised through the resort, they deeply felt the unhurried rhythm of 'slow living.' (Text and photos: Feng Ganyong)