Tunxi Old Street

屯溪老街

An old Song, Ming and Qing street on the banks of the Xin'an River in Huangshan city. Its 1.2 km of Huizhou-style shops sell She inkstones, Hui ink and stinky mandarin fish, making it the first or last stop for a trip to Huangshan.

Tunxi Old Street lies in the city centre of Tunxi District, Huangshan, where the Hengjiang and Shuai rivers meet the Xin'an River. It began in the Song dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing periods, when river trade for Huizhou merchants made it a hub. The street is about 1.2 km long and preserves Huizhou-style timber shopfronts, horse-head gables and flagstone paths. It is often called a 'living Along the River During the Qingming Festival'.

Highlights include the old street's archway entrance, the Wanchui Building (a private Huizhou museum, admission charged), the Cheng Family Three Houses, the Tongde Ren Pharmacy, and the long-established Hu Kaiwen Ink Shop, as well as workshops for She inkstones, Hui ink and Huizhou three carvings. On the opposite bank of the Hengjiang River, across the bridge, is Liyang In Lane, a street of converted old houses with bars and creative shops that looks especially good at night.

Food to try: stinky mandarin fish, mao tofu (fried to order), Huangshan shaobing, shitou guo and Wang Yitiao wontons.

The street is free to enter and open all day. Most shops stay open until about 9 or 10 pm. Getting there: a taxi from Tunxi Airport takes about 15 minutes, and a taxi from Huangshan North Railway Station takes about 30 minutes. Several city bus routes stop at the 'Old Street' stop. Most visitors to Huangshan spend a night in Tunxi and make the old street a stop before or after the mountain.

Tips: prices here are set for a tourist area, so compare prices for inkstones and tea. The street is crowded on holiday afternoons, so it is best to go before evening.

Tunxi Old Street

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby