Xijin Ferry Ancient Street

Xijin Ferry Ancient Street lies on Xijin Ferry Street in Runzhou District, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, and is a restored lane that once led to a major Yangtze River crossing. Zhenjiang stands at the meeting point of the Yangtze and the Grand Canal, and the ferry here was a key transfer point for people and goods moving between north and south. The street's most remarkable feature is the layering of its stone paving. Excavations and preservation work have exposed several pavements stacked one above another, with surfaces attributed to the Three Kingdoms period, the Song, Yuan and Qing dynasties, and the lane thus records nearly 1,700 years of use. The site is sometimes called a living museum of Chinese road building. The street runs about 500 m along the foot of Yuntaishan hill and contains restored shops, houses and a Guandu Bridge-style stone arch. The Zhenjiang Museum for the Xijin Ferry, located in the old street, contains exhibits on local trade, the river crossing and the archaeological work. Buildings along the street include Qing-dynasty dwellings and a former Customs Office, with brick and wood construction typical of a Yangtze port town. The Guo Shou Ancient Pagoda, the Zhaoguan stone pagoda from the Yuan dynasty, sits above the lane at the hill and is a well-known landmark. Restoration in the 1990s and 2000s removed later additions, conserved the layered pavements and rebuilt facades, so that today's street combines authentic underlying stone with reconstructed frontages. Visitors can walk the street freely and pay separately for the museum. A visit takes about one to two hours, and the area suits an atmospheric stroll with cafés and craft shops.