Giving old streets a fresh scent

Amid the summer heat in Shangxiahang in Fuzhou, Fujian province, visitors sit beneath the eaves of an old courtyard house, sipping chilled jasmine tea and sampling pastries infused with the same floral fragrance. Some browse books, while others chat over tea or wander into nearby shops selling fragrances, handicrafts and cultural products. The scenes offer a glimpse of how historical buildings and old traditions are being woven back into everyday life in the Shangxiahang neighborhood on the north bank of the Minjiang River, once one of the city's major commercial centers.

For guide Xin Xiaoqi, the best way to understand the neighborhood is to start with the river.

More than 1,000 years ago, sediment carried by the Minjiang gradually formed sandbanks in the area. Changing tides created two routes used by boats — one farther north during high tide and another farther south as the tide receded. The routes came to be known as Shanghang and Xiahang, referring to the upper and lower waterways. The names were later carried over to the two commercial streets that developed in the area, which together gave the neighborhood its name, Shangxiahang, Xin says.

As land developed around the waterways, the area grew into a bustling commercial hub. By the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, merchants were trading goods from across Fujian and beyond.

Tea was among the commodities that passed through the district, alongside Dehua porcelain, textiles, medicinal materials, and dried foods.

One old trade was known as the jingguo business, dealing in dried foods and other goods exchanged between northern and southern China. Northern merchants brought grain and other staples south, while southern traders supplied dried fruit, seafood and other local products, Xin says.

The trade also drew merchants from across Fujian, whose communities left their mark through guild halls, shops and residences, she adds.

The district's recent revival has sought to preserve that commercial character while giving it new uses. Its current layout retains the logic of the historical neighborhood, with four horizontal routes connected by Longping Road along a central north-south axis.

The riverside section, along Sanjie River, has become a more relaxed leisure area, with teahouses, cafes, cultural and creative shops and evening activities. Longping Road brings together traditional Fuzhou snacks and newer food concepts. Xiahang Road focuses on intangible cultural heritage experiences, while Shanghang Road is being developed as a quieter cultural space with bookstores, exhibitions and other venues.

"The idea is to let different parts of the neighborhood offer different experiences," Xin says.