Old Beihai Street

Old Beihai Street is located in the area of Zhuhai Road and Zhongshan Road, a street originally constructed in 1821. Along this 1.44-kilometer-long street, there are many mixed Chinese and Western-style buildings, such as the former consulates of the UK, France, and Germany, the former site of the German Senbao Trading Company, and the former site of the Catholic Church and Nunnery.

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The old street has now been developed into a characteristic commercial street, selling a variety of goods, and you can also taste local delicacies such as spicy whelk, shrimp cakes, and pig’s trotter rice here. Strolling through the old street, you can experience a different kind of urban atmosphere: elderly people humming tunes while fanning themselves on reclining chairs, residents gathering to eat, chat, and play cards, which can all become the subjects of photography enthusiasts’ lenses.

At the entrance of the old street stands an archway, on which a stone plaque is embedded with the three regular script characters ‘Shengping Street’. Most of the buildings on the street are two to three stories high, with walls mainly composed of gray, yellow, and black colors. Each building has its own mark in the center, such as ‘Chen Ronghe’, ‘Pan Dexiang’, etc.; there are also Catholic churches, pharmacies, taverns, and tea houses on the street. You can search for traces of the old street’s past glory from the mottled and incomplete signs or the fading inscriptions on the arcades. You can also feel the current liveliness from the shops, cafes, and snack bars along the street.

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The street is open all year round from 09:00 to 21:30.

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