Sanfang Qixiang 三坊七巷

About Sanfang Qixiang

The contrast between the commercial spine and enclosed courtyard houses makes the old ward layout easy to read. Yijin Lane contains a residence with a waterside theatre, while Wenru Lane recalls the scholarly households once concentrated here. Restoration has shaped much of the present visitor setting, and some houses remain private, so enter only buildings explicitly open to visitors.

People arriving from the Central Plains (中原) settled outside the old city's southern gate at the end of the Western Jin dynasty. The area was brought within Fuzhou's outer wall in the late Tang dynasty, following the residential-ward layout of Chang'an. The Southern Song gazetteer Sanshan Zhi (三山志) recorded nine of the present lanes, by then an area of scholar-official households. The collective name Sanfang Qixiang began to appear during the middle of the Qing dynasty.

In 2006, the district and the buildings of Zhuzi Fang (朱紫坊) were listed in the sixth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位). Protection and restoration work formally began at the end of that year. The district joined the first group of China's Historic and Cultural Streets (中国历史文化名街) in 2009 and the World Heritage Tentative List (世界遗产预备名单) in 2013. It received a national 5A tourist attraction (国家5A级旅游景区) rating in 2015.

What to look for

• The contrast between Nanhou Street’s shopfronts and the enclosed residential lanes.
• Yijin Lane’s waterside theatre and the courtyard-house setting of Wenru Lane.

The surrounding area

The provincial capital offers historic residences and a specific broth-and-snack food culture.

Location & getting there

Getting to Sanfang Qixiang

Approach Nanhou Street from Yangqiao Road at the northern end or from the Dongjiekou area to the east. Use No 4 Yijin Lane for the theatre residence, checking its separate entry arrangements.