Jinli Street 锦里

About Jinli Street

Qing-style shopfronts frame a pedestrian route filled with Sichuan snacks, craft shops and souvenir stalls. The Three Kingdoms theme connects the street with the neighbouring memorial complex, but the two provide different experiences: one is a busy leisure district, the other a historical site with separate admission. Look at the building details before choosing a food stop and continuing to the shrine if planned.

Jinli's name derives from Jinguan Cheng (锦官城, ‘brocade officials' city’): the fourth-century Chronicles of Huayang (华阳国志) records that brocade woven locally came out especially bright when washed in this stretch of the river, giving rise to the name, which later became a byname for Chengdu itself. Local tradition holds that a commercial street existed here as early as the Qin and Han dynasties and through the Three Kingdoms period.

The present street was rebuilt by the Chengdu Wuhou Shrine Museum as part of the Wuhou Shrine complex and runs 550 metres in imitation Qing and early-Republic architectural style. It opened in October 2004, and an extension known as Jinli Phase Two (水岸锦里) began operating in January 2009. Shops sell items such as chopsticks, tea, lanterns and silk-filled quilts, and foods including Zhang Fei beef, sanda pao (三大炮) and feichang fen (肥肠粉), alongside crafts such as clay figures and sugar painting.

In 2005 Jinli was named one of the National Top Ten City Commercial Pedestrian Streets, alongside Beijing's Wangfujing and Chongqing's Jiefangbei, and in 2006 the Ministry of Culture designated it a National Cultural Industry Demonstration Base, recognitions that followed its 2004 reopening as a themed commercial street.

What to look for

• Traditional-style shopfronts and rooflines frame the pedestrian street.
• Snack and craft stalls show the street’s role as a modern Sichuan leisure district.

Location & getting there

Getting to Jinli Street

Approach from Gaoshengqiao station on Metro Line 3 and continue towards Jinli beside Wuhou Shrine. Confirm whether your plan includes separate entry to the shrine.