Dongguan Street 东关街

About Dongguan Street

Dongguan Street (东关街) is a slate-paved street in Guangling District (广陵区), Yangzhou (扬州), running east–west for 1,122 m. In the past it ran from the Great East Gate (大东门) of the old city in the west to Dongguan (东关) in the new city in the east.

The street makes up one half of the Double East (双东) historic district, which joins it with the Dongquanmen (东圈门) quarter. According to Yangzhou's city conservation company, the district is one of four historic districts in the 5.09 km² Ming–Qing old city, lying in its north-east corner between the old Grand Canal (古运河) and Guoqing Road (国庆路), and holds 18 protected sites listed at city level or above. Yangzhou launched conservation and rebuilding works across the district in August 2007. In 2010 Dongguan Street was chosen for a national list of "10 Famous Historical and Cultural Streets".

Several old shop names survive on the street, among them the Simei sauce works (四美酱园), the Xie Fuchun (谢馥春) fragrance powder shop and Lüyangchun (绿杨春). Geyuan Garden (个园) and Yipu (逸圃) are national key protected sites, while Wudang Palace (武当行宫) and Dongrong Garden (冬荣园) are protected by Jiangsu province. The city protects salt-trade buildings along the street such as the Feng family salt merchant's house (冯氏盐商住宅) and the Salt Affairs Guild Hall (盐务会馆), as well as the Shanxi–Shaanxi Guild Hall (扬州山陕会馆).

On the south side, the Qing garden Xiaolinglong Shanguan (小玲珑山馆), also called Jienan Shuwu (街南书屋), was where the salt merchants, book collectors and poets Ma Yueguan (马曰琯) and Ma Yuelu (马曰璐) received scholars. It had twelve scenes, was burned during the Taiping war and was rebuilt in the second phase of street works that began in 2009. At the east end, the East Gate tower (东门城楼) was rebuilt in 2009–2010 over the East Gate site, part of the nationally protected Yangzhou City Site. The gate was first built in the mid-Tang dynasty and later given a double barbican; glass laid over the passage floor shows the excavated remains. Inside the tower, the Dongguan History and Culture Exhibition Hall (东关历史文化展示馆), opened in May 2013, covers the street's temples, old shops, former residences and academies.

What to look for

• East Gate tower (东门城楼), with the excavated gate remains visible through a glass floor
• Dongguan History and Culture Exhibition Hall (东关历史文化展示馆) inside the gate tower
• Geyuan Garden (个园), a national key protected site
• Yipu (逸圃) at No. 356, a national key protected site
• Wudang Palace (武当行宫) at No. 300, inside Yilei Primary School (艺蕾小学)
• Jienan Shuwu (街南书屋), the rebuilt garden of the Ma brothers
• The former Xie Fuchun (谢馥春) shop at No. 243
• Shanxi–Shaanxi Guild Hall (扬州山陕会馆) at No. 250

Location & getting there

Getting to Dongguan Street

• Search for 东关街 with 扬州市 and 广陵区.