Donghua Li

Zumiao Donghua Neighborhood, Chancheng District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province

3.7

Introduction

Donghua Lane is located on Fuxian Road, Chancheng District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, originally named "Wuyang Street", which was named after the Yang and Wu clans who settled here in the early Qing Dynasty. Later, the two clans declined one after another, and the properties gradually transferred to other surnames. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed "Donghua Lane". During the Jia and Dao periods, the Luo clan moved in, and Luo Bingzhang of the clan was an assistant Grand Secretary and governor of Sichuan at that time. He made major repairs and renovations to the mansions on the north side of the latter half of the lane, making the buildings more organized and beautiful. In the late Qing Dynasty, the wealthy overseas Chinese merchant Zhang Yutian relocated to this lane. The Zhang family was originally from Shitou Township, Lianshi, a suburb of the city. After starting business in Foshan and later in Hong Kong, Zhang Yutian founded the "Guangmaotai" foreign firm. After becoming rich, he further renovated and decorated the mansions on the south side of the middle part of Donghua Lane, giving it its current appearance. Donghua Lane is 112 meters long, and the gate tower at the beginning of the lane still retains the stone inscription of the street sign from the 23rd year of the Daoguang reign (1843). The street is wide and smooth, and the granite-paved road surface is clean and flat. The mansions on both sides of the street still retain the appearance of the Qing Dynasty, as they were inhabited by wealthy families affiliated with the government. Therefore, whether it is the architectural form or the interior decoration, great attention was paid to detail. The gatehouses are tall, with stone steps, and the walls are mostly built with water-milled bluestone bricks. The interior halls and rooms are also well decorated, with high-end settings such as wooden carved screens, flower racks, and partitions. The front part of the street is composed of interconnected houses, among which the "Wu Clan Ancestral Hall", "Zhang Clan Ancestral Hall", "Zhang Yutian Shrine", and Zhang Clan's "Jingxiantang" are still preserved. There are four small lanes on both sides of the rear part of the street, where the three entrances of residential houses are arranged neatly and uniformly, with closed eaves and sealed firewalls. The layout follows the "three rooms and two corridors" plan, and the interior settings, except for some minor changes, remain mostly in their original appearance. Donghua Lane is not only the most well-preserved Qing Dynasty town street in Foshan, but also in the entire Pearl River Delta and Guangdong Province. It is a rare material for studying local government, architectural history, and living customs. It was designated as a municipal cultural relic protection unit in 1989 and a national key cultural relic protection unit in 2001.

Address

Zumiao Donghua Neighborhood, Chancheng District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province

Opening hours

All day (Monday-Sunday, January 1-December 31)

Transportation

Take bus route 386, 980, or 990 to Nan Tou Fang Station in Nantou and walk east to get there.