Jinli Old Street

 

Location: No.231 Wuhouci Street, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China

Reason to visit: Unique commercial street decorated in rows of ancient buildings; perfect place to shop souvenior and find local snacks

Our Ratings: ★★★★★

Opening Hours: 24/7

 

Jinli Old Street is a street in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The street is about 550 meters long. It is a part of the Temple of Marquis, and the buildings are in the Qing Dynasty style. The theme is Three Kingdoms Culture, a traditional folk custom. It is said that Jinli was one of the oldest and most commercial streets in Xi Shu's history. It was famous all over the country during the Qin and Han Dynasties.

 

Overview of Jinli Old Street

There are many bars, inns, snack stores and souvenir shops. The street was renovated in 2004. In 2005, Jinli was named "National Top Ten City Commercial Pedestrian Street". In 2006, Jinli was named as "National Demonstration Base Of The Cultural Industry" by the Ministry of Culture. There are approximately 18,000,000 visitors a year. Especially in Spring Festival, more people come to visit "Big Temple Fair".

                       

What to See in Jinli Ancient Street

 

Strolling down the narrow street, you will find yourself surrounded by old-world stores selling lacquer products, folk handicrafts, Shu Embroidery and calligraphies. From these artworks you will get a taste of the true life of the local people and find some reminders of China's past in the modern city.

Local Snacks & Specialties


Speak of Jinli Ancient Street, local people will first think it's a paradise for Chengdu snacks. At the end of Jinli Ancient Street, there is a section of road which sells various Chengdu snacks at here. Spicy or sweet, crispy or soft, you will always find your favorite here. In general, the local snacks in Jinli Ancient Street are rather authentic, and the prices for them are very fair. Before you visit Jinli Ancient Street, make sure you have an empty stomach. 

Besides the local snacks, tourists can also find many Sichuan specialties which are rare in Chengdu city center. If you want to purchase some gifts for your foodie friends, these are the best choices.
 

Sichuan Opera Performance

In the middle of the street, there is a wooden stage looks like an ancient pavilion which is used from time to time for performing classic Sichuan Operas.

Overall the art form is well known for its singing, which is less constrained than that of the more popular Beijing opera form. Sichuan opera is more like a play than other forms of Chinese opera, and the acting is highly polished. The music accompanying Sichuan opera utilizes a small gong and an instrument called a Muqin , which is similar to the Erhu.

The traditional formula is quite systematic with a combination of stunts like face-changing, tihuiyan, sword-hiding, fire-spitting and beard-changing with the plot and different characters.

 

Folk Art

At the roadside stands, tourists can see many folk artisan performances on the street. Jinli Ancient Street is a great place to experience the local folk art culture. Sugar painting, clay figurines, paper cutouts, and puppet shadow show, etc. are all available on the street. You can purchases these products, and they will make the perfect gifts for your friends or family.

 

How to Get to Jinli Old Street

By bus. Bus No. 1, 57, 304, 306 and 335 can reach Jinli Old Street.

By taxi. From Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, it's about 17km from Jinli Ancient Street, and the drive will take about 40 minutes if you take a taxi (normally, it will cost about ¥50). From Chengdu North Railway Station to Jinli, there is about 8km, and you will take about 30 minutes to get there.

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