Bianhe Street
汴河街
A Song-style commercial street beside the exit of Yueyang Tower, with flagstone paths lined with snack and souvenir shops. Sugar paintings, ginger candy and Dongting fish are the highlights, and lanterns glow in the evening, making it perfect for a stroll.
Bianhe Street lies south of the Yueyang Tower scenic area, between Dongting North Road and the lakefront, and connects directly to the Yueyang Tower exit. It is a flagstone commercial street in the style of the Northern Song dynasty, named after the Bian River and Bianliang, the Northern Song capital where Fan Zhongyan, author of the Record of Yueyang Tower, lived. The street is about 300 m long, with two-storey timber buildings in ancient style on both sides. Shops sell local specialties such as Junshan Yinzhen tea, Changle sweet rice wine, ginger candy, Pingjiang fragrant dried tofu and dried Dongting fish, along with snacks such as sugar-oil rice cakes, osmanthus cake, sugar paintings, grilled fish and crayfish. A stage stands in the middle of the street, and at weekends and holidays there are Baling opera and Huagu opera performances. The far end leads to Baling Square and the lake. After visiting Yueyang Tower, you can come straight here to shop and eat. With the lanterns and the lake sunset, it is most photogenic in the evening. Admission is free, and shops generally stay open until around 22:00. Getting there: it shares an entrance area with Yueyang Tower. Take a bus to the Yueyang Tower or Nanyue Slope stop. Tips: prices here are slightly higher than in the city, so compare specialties at Fish Alley. For a proper meal, go to nearby Nanyue Slope or Fish Alley for Dongting fish. Keep an eye on your belongings during busy holidays.
Opening hours
Open all day; shops approx. 09:00–22:00