Quanzhou West Street, Fujian

There is such a saying in Quanzhou: “Saying you have never been to West Street is equivalent to saying you have never been to Quanzhou.” During the Song Dynasty in China, West Street was the most prosperous part of Quanzhou. Though it has existed for more than a thousand years, to this day it is still very lively. The current West Street is the most intact ancient block preserved in Quanzhou City. It retains a large number of original buildings with historical appearance. It has an important position in Quanzhou. Even if there are high-rise buildings nearby, West Street is still West Street. 

There are a variety of shops in this street, they sell a range of gourmet snacks and local specialties. I suggest you come to West Street early in the day, because during dinner time, there will be an influx of large groups of people.  During holidays, this street will be impenetrable. So, I went to this street in the afternoon and took some photos. 

Entrance to Xiaoxicheng on West Street

This is a small alley, from here you will find more fun. 

This is a landmark building in Xiaoxicheng on West Street. This wall is full of traces of history. The words on the wall mean: Quanzhou, this is a city you have to visit at least once in your life! —— Bái Yánsōng (Mr. Bai is a famous news anchor and commentator for CCTV) & Xiaoxicheng. Many people will take photos here. 

This is the photo I took when I came to Xiaoxicheng in the spring. There are tourists and local residents in the picture. They are standing or sitting, waiting for a wonderful performance on the stage under the tree. 

The Wishing Cards of Xiaoxicheng

You can see that many tourists bought wooden wishing signs and wrote their wishes on the wooden signs, and then hung them on the wooden beams. The wooden sign express all kinds of wishes, such as family, love, friendship, studies, and career. 

Fusion of East and West

Walking straight in the streets of West Street, we will come to a crossroad, and there is a building in the center of the crossroad. It is the clock tower of West Street. There are three clock towers in Quanzhou. The other two are modernly constructed. Only the clock tower on West Street has accompanied the growth of the people of Quanzhou. It was built in 1934 and its style is a fusion of Western style and Fujian style. In this ancient street, its existence is not embarrassing. It is a product of the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures, adding different characteristic styles to this street. 

Tong’an Fragrant Bone Chicken Legs

In West Street, my niece and I went to buy some snacks. Among them, there is a restaurant where fried chicken is very popular. Its name is “Tong’an Fragrant Bone Chicken Legs”. We know that fried chicken is common, and every city has fried chicken. There are even 4-5 fried chicken shops on this street. But why is this fried chicken so popular? So I waited in line to buy. 

There are only two staff in this shop. The fried chicken is placed directly on the table. They deep-fried the chicken in advance until it is half cooked. When you order, they will take the chicken to the pan and deep-fry it again until cooked. Then sprinkle with cumin and chili powder. I think the best evaluation of fried chicken is: crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The fried chicken in my hand fully meets this evaluation. Its surface is crispy, the chicken inside is smooth and tender, and the whole fried chicken is full of aroma. Now, I know why it is popular, people can’t resist the temptation of food! 

The Soul of Quanzhou 

The West Street looks like an ordinary street on the surface, but it carries the historical memory of the people of Quanzhou. If a city is regarded as a work of art, then generations of residents are its sculptors and creators. There are always some famous streets in every city. They are cultural, historical, characteristic buildings or comfortable streets. 

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