Jinli Ancient Street is located at No. 231, Wuhouci Street, Wuhou District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. It is an important part of the Chengdu Wuhouci Museum. Covering an area of more than 30,000 square meters with a building area of more than 14,000 square meters, the street is 550 meters long in total. With the architectural style of Sichuan dwellings in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China as the blueprint, it integrates the culture of the Three Kingdoms and Sichuan traditional folk customs, serving as a place integrating tourism, shopping, leisure and entertainment. It not only highlights the essence of Sichuan folk culture but also expands the category of the Three Kingdoms culture. As one of the most representative city business cards of Chengdu, it enjoys the reputation of "the First Street of Western Shu".
History and Culture
The name "Jinli" can be traced back to the Qin and Han dynasties. At that time, Shu brocade held an important position in the economy, and Chengdu became famous for Shu brocade. Zhuge Liang once said, "The resources to defeat the enemy only depend on brocade." In order to manage the production of Shu brocade, the government specially set up "Jin Official", so Chengdu was also called "Jin Official City", abbreviated as "Jin City". The national factories producing Shu brocade were mostly concentrated on the south bank of the Jin River in Chengdu, and this area was called "Jinli" ("Li" refers to the workshop). Since its rise in the Qin and Han dynasties, by the Tang and Song dynasties, "Jinli" had become a synonym for Chengdu and one of the oldest and most commercially prosperous ancient blocks in Western Shu.
In 2001, the government carried out transformation and development of Jinli with history and culture as the theme. Jinli Ancient Street was rebuilt on the basis of a small alley originally named "Caoyingba". According to legend, it was once the place where the Shu Han troops stationed and raised horses in the Three Kingdoms period. In the 1930s, adobe houses built by local farmers and residents gradually formed this alley. Due to its proximity to the Southern Suburb Park and Chengdu Wuhouci, the Southern Suburb Park built a three-story staff residence with two floors and a basement here in 1972, and some residential houses were added later. However, this alley had no special historical and cultural background, traditional characteristic buildings or old shops. It was about 100 meters long and 6 meters wide, with a small street scale.
On October 31, 2004, the first phase of Jinli was completed and opened. The built part of the street was 350 meters long, 2-4 meters wide, covering an area of about 9,235 square meters with a total building area of about 6,520 square meters. With the culture of the Three Kingdoms and Shu Han and Sichuan traditional folk customs as the background, and relying on the buildings in the architectural style of the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, it was divided into many areas such as the bar entertainment area, Sichuan characteristic catering area, Shu brocade culture area, inn area, and characteristic tourist handicraft area. It became the first newly built traditional cultural tourism commercial street in Chengdu and was known as the Chengdu version of the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival". Before the Spring Festival in 2009, the second phase of Jinli was opened to welcome visitors, which introduced water to create a new landscape of "Jinli by the Water". The reconstructed Jinli Ancient Street was about 550 meters long in total, with further expanded scale. In December 2019, Jinli was selected by the CNN Travel Channel as one of the 21 Most Beautiful Blocks in the World and ranked first in the recommendation.
Main Attractions
Jinli Ancient Street
Covering an area of more than 30,000 square meters with a building area of more than 14,000 square meters, the street is 550 meters long in total and was reconstructed and opened in 2004. It vividly shows the leisurely lifestyle of Chengdu and is a leisure block for experiencing the traditional folk culture of Western Sichuan and the culture of the Three Kingdoms. The ancient street is fully equipped with various shops such as teahouses, bars, stages, characteristic snack shops and handicraft shops. The winding bluestone roads and the staggered antique buildings make people feel like traveling back in time.
Ancient Stage
As a key venue for performances by the Jinli Folk Art Troupe and other activities, it not only retains the basic structure of the Chinese traditional stage "Chujiang" and "Ruxiang". The building materials also use ancient wood carved with stories of the Three Kingdoms. Here, visitors can enjoy wonderful performances such as Sichuan opera and folk music and feel the unique charm of traditional culture.
Jiupin Snack Street
The name "Jiupin" not only represents the Jiupin Zhongzheng System, an official selection system in the Wei and Jin dynasties of the Three Kingdoms period, but also implies the rich and diverse snack varieties in the snack street. Here, many delicacies such as Zhang Fei Beef, Intestine Noodles, Ye'erba, Sandapao, Boboji and Tangyou Guozi are gathered together, which can greatly satisfy the taste buds of visitors.
Zhuge Well
Surrounded by stone railings on the south, west and north sides, the well cover is made of stone and is hollowed out in the shape of a copper coin, looking simple and thick. It is said that this is a well dug by Zhuge Liang to benefit the people. Although the original well is not here, Chengdu people have deep feelings for Zhuge Liang, so Zhuge Well was set up beside Jinli to place the memory and respect for Zhuge Liang.
First Archway of Western Shu
Located in the busiest section of the ancient block, it is surrounded by teahouses, inns, stages, flavor snack shops, folk handicraft shops, etc. It is the landmark archway of Jinli and also the dividing line between the first phase and the second phase (Jinli by the Water) of Jinli.
Fushou Alley
It means "good fortune" at the head of the alley and "longevity" at the end of the alley. The architectural color is mainly a combination of dignified gray tone and modern white tone, highlighting the delicacy and elegance of the overall architectural style of Fushou Alley.
Yellow Dragon Pool
Located in the depth of Jinli Ancient Street, it is one of the core hot spots. The water landscape here is very attractive, often attracting visitors and citizens to drink tea and relax around it. Its name is derived from the year title used by Sun Quan of the Eastern Wu. There are small bridges and Fengyi Pavilion built on the Yellow Dragon Pool. Fengyi Pavilion is from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which tells the story that Diaochan and Lv Bu had a tryst here and were caught by Dong Zhuo, leading to the falling out between Dong Zhuo and Lv Bu.
Folk Memory Wall
Completed on January 23, 2009, it treasures representative works of Western Sichuan folk customs essence such as Shu brocade, Shu embroidery, porcelain bamboo weaving plates, Chengdu lacquerware, shadow puppets, paper-cutting, eggshell paintings, sugar paintings, dough sculptures and old toys. The Jinli Folk Memory Wall is planned to be opened on the same day in 2109, a hundred years later. The items sealed in the wall will become precious gifts for the future, helping traditional folk customs inherit for a hundred years.
Song Dynasty Stone Carving Corridor
Located in the middle of Yanxi Avenue in Jinli, it is about 120 meters long. 111 pieces of Song Dynasty stone carvings are displayed in turn on the west stone wall. These stone carvings were successively collected from central Sichuan and southern Sichuan at the beginning of this century. Their artistic style is consistent with the Southern Song Dynasty stone carvings in Luzhou and other places, with extremely high artistic and historical values.
Food
Zhang Fei Beef
It is a kind of beef jerky. The outside is black and the inside is red. The meat is firm and chewy, with a salty and fragrant taste. It is said to be related to Zhang Fei in the Three Kingdoms period. Due to its unique flavor, it is highly popular among visitors and can be bought in many snack stalls and specialty stores in Jinli.
Intestine Noodles
It is a classic Sichuan snack, with sweet potato noodles as the main raw material, matched with clean intestines. The noodles are smooth and elastic, the intestines are soft and waxy, and the soup is spicy and delicious. You can taste the authentic flavor in Jiupin Snack Street and other places.
Ye'erba
It uses glutinous rice flour as the skin and has a variety of fillings, such as sprout vegetable and minced meat. The skin is wrapped in babao leaves. After being steamed, it has the fragrance of babao leaves, with a soft and glutinous texture. It comes in both sweet and salty flavors and is a common characteristic snack in Jinli.
Sandapao
It is a highly ornamental snack. The glutinous rice ball is thrown into a container filled with soybean noodles and sesame powder, making a sound like three cannon shots of "bang bang bang". The glutinous rice ball is wrapped in powder and then drizzled with brown sugar juice, sweet and glutinous.
Boboji
Ingredients such as chicken and various vegetables are skewered on bamboo sticks and soaked in specially made red oil or prickly ash oil soup. Diners can choose according to their preferences. It tastes fresh, fragrant and refreshing, and the price is affordable, usually one yuan per skewer.
Tangyou Guozi
It is a round snack made of glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, etc. by frying. It is bright yellow in color, crisp on the outside and glutinous on the inside, sweet and delicious. It is a traditional snack loved by Chengdu people and can be easily found in Jinli Ancient Street.
Surrounding Food
Around Jinli, there are also "Husband and Wife Lung Slice" (Fuqi Feipian), which uses high-quality beef, ox tongue and other main ingredients, paired with special seasonings, tasting delicious; Sweet Water Noodles, with thick and chewy noodles, a slightly sweet and spicy taste; and rabbit heads, a characteristic food of Chengdu with various flavors such as spicy and five-spice, which are deeply loved by locals and tourists. In nearby places like Kuixing Tower and Fuqin Night Market, there are also many delicacies to choose from.
Tickets
It is free to visit. Some attractions and experience projects need to be charged separately.
Opening Hours
It is open all day, but the main lighting groups will be gradually turned off at 22:00.
Tour Route
You can enter from the gate of Jinli Ancient Street, first visit the First Archway of Western Shu to feel its ancient charm. Then walk along the ancient street, enjoy the antique buildings, and visit Fushou Alley, Yellow Dragon Pool and other attractions in turn. Come to Jiupin Snack Street and enjoy the characteristic food. After that, go to the Ancient Stage and sit down to enjoy the performance if it happens to be on. Then go to Zhuge Well to learn about the historical story behind it. Finally, you can go to the Folk Memory Wall and the Song Dynasty Stone Carving Corridor to feel the cultural charm. If you have enough time, you can sit in the teahouse by the street and experience the slow life of Chengdu. If you want to enjoy the night view, you can enter in the evening and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the ancient street under the reflection of red lanterns. If you visit Wuhouci at the same time, it is recommended to visit Wuhouci in the afternoon and go to Jinli in the evening. The two are separated by only one wall.
Transportation
- Bus: There are three bus stops at the entrance of Jinli, and nearly 20 bus routes pass through. You can choose the appropriate bus route to arrive according to your departure place.
- Subway: You can take Subway Line 3 or Line 5, get off at Gaoshengqiao Station, exit from Exit D or E, and walk to Jinli Ancient Street.
- Self-driving: For visitors driving by themselves, there are parking lots around Jinli, but parking spaces may be tight during peak periods such as holidays. It is necessary to plan the itinerary and parking matters in advance.
Must-visit Attractions
- Jinli Ancient Street: 550 meters long in total, integrating the culture of the Three Kingdoms and the folk culture of Western Sichuan, which can fully experience the leisurely lifestyle of Chengdu. The ancient buildings in the street are simple, and there are many kinds of shops, which is the core play area of Jinli.
- Ancient Stage: Retaining the structure of the traditional stage, there are wonderful folk performances such as Sichuan opera and folk music. You can feel the charm of traditional culture at close range here.
- Jiupin Snack Street: Gathering a variety of Sichuan characteristic snacks, it can taste authentic food in one stop and meet the needs of taste buds.
Tour Tips
- Go to Jinli at night. At this time, the red lanterns are on, and the lights and the ancient street buildings set each other off, with full atmosphere and excellent photo effect.
- You can understand the performance time of the ancient stage online in advance, arrange the itinerary reasonably, and do not miss the wonderful performance.
- Wear comfortable shoes, because you need to walk for a long time when playing in the ancient street.
- When tasting food, you can try more kinds of characteristic snacks to feel different flavors. But the snacks in Jinli are generally spicy, so visitors who can't eat spicy food need to inform the store in advance.
- If you are interested in the culture of the Three Kingdoms, you can understand the relevant knowledge before playing, which can better feel the cultural connotation of Jinli.
Notes
- There are many visitors in Jinli Ancient Street, especially during holidays and at night. Pay attention to keeping personal belongings.
- The prices of some shops in the ancient street may be on the high side. You can ask about the price before buying goods or tasting food.
- When enjoying the folk performance, obey the on-site order and do not make loud noise.
- Respect the local customs and habits. If you participate in some folk activities, you need to follow the relevant rules.
- There are some ancient buildings and cultural facilities in the ancient street. Do not touch or carve at will, and protect the scenic environment and cultural heritage together.