Nanchang Street 南长街

About Nanchang Street

Houses, lanes, workshops and bridges reveal the close relationship between road and water transport. The best-known landmark is Qingming Bridge, while Nanchan Temple anchors the northern part of the wider street area. The historic streetscape contains both preserved fabric and later rebuilding. Focus on a selected canal section, comparing the bridge approaches with narrow waterside lanes instead of treating the full street as a single short pedestrian circuit.

The street began as a Northern Song dynasty post road outside Wuxi's south gate (Wanghu Gate, 望湖门), running parallel to the Grand Canal and linking Suzhou to the south with Changzhou to the north; it was one of the city's busiest commercial districts, and a Qing-dynasty saying described merchants there selling spring tea, winter bamboo shoots, bird's nest and other goods. After 1949 several separately named sections were unified under the single name Nanchang Street.

The street and the adjoining Qingming Bridge historical and cultural block retain 19 heritage sites protected at the national, provincial or municipal level, eight memorial archways (牌坊) and 17 other cultural relics. The landmark bridge itself, built in the Ming dynasty as Qingning Bridge (清宁桥), was renamed Qingming Bridge (清名桥) to avoid using a character from the name of the Daoguang Emperor.

What to look for

• Qingming Bridge forms a landmark above the old canal.
• Waterside houses and narrow lanes show the relationship between the street and working waterway.

The surrounding area

Use the city for Taihu outings and a distinct local food stop within a southern Jiangsu route.

Location & getting there

Getting to Nanchang Street

Approach the Qingming Bridge section of Nanchang Street in Liangxi, Wuxi; choose a vehicle drop-off outside the canal’s pedestrian lanes.