Sanfang Qixiang

Introducing Sanfang Qixiang
Sanfang Qixiang, the historic district of the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, is located in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province in China. It is situated between the Zicheng (a smaller range of city walls) built in the Jin Dynasty (3rd-4th century AD) and the Luocheng (a larger range of city walls) built in the Tang Dynasty (7th-10th century AD). It is faced with the southern border of the Zicheng to its north, the central axis of Fuzhou to the east, the Antai River and the relic walls built in the Tang and the following Five Dynasties (10th century AD) to the west, and the Wushan hill and Yushan hill to its south. In this beautiful city of Fuzhou with a river and the hills, this site has been where the literati and officialdom resided ever since the Tang Dynasty.

Sanfang Qixiang Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Sanfang Qixiang 三坊七巷
• Best Time to Visit: All year around
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 2 to 3 hours
• Things to Do: Photography, Architectures, Snacks
• Opening Hours: All day for public area; 08:30-17:00 for charged attractions
• Entrance Fee: Free for street; ¥90 for through ticket of inside attractions
• Address: No. 58 Nanhou Street, Gulou District, Fuzhou, Fujian Province

What to expect at Sanfang Qixiang

Sanfang Qixiang as a relatively independent area in the city has maintained its traditional urban fabric of lanes and alleys shaped in the Jin and the Tang Dynasties. With Nanhou Street as the main north-south axis of this area, the Three Lanes of Yijin Lane, Wenru Lane and Guanglu Lane are situated in the west, while the Seven Alleys of Yangqiao Alley (Road), Langguan Alley, Ta Alley, Huang Alley, Anmin Alley, Gong Alley and Jipi Alley (Road) are in the east, which constitute the structure of the main streets in the shape of a fishbone. The names of these lanes and alleys have been rarely changed since the Jin and the Tang Dynasties. The archaeological sites in this area have revealed the stratigraphically corresponding relationships between the current street pattern and the respective street structures in the Tang and subsequent dynasties (7th-20th century AD), which are evidences for the thousand years’ history of this area and evolution process of the Lifang System (an urban planning system for residential area), making the SanFangQiXiang the most integrated ancient urban residential area existing in China.

Due to the unique geographic location and its special setting, the Sanfang Qixiang of Fuzhou City has always been the residential area for the literati, officialdom and the wealthy gentry since the Jin and Tang Dynasties. Celebrities include famous scholars, politicians, military strategists, ideologists, and artists. There are more than 200 historical buildings of the Ming (14th-17th century AD) and the Qing Dynasties (17th-20th century AD) well preserved in this area. Most of them are traditional houses with courtyards or private gardens, while the others include community facilities for education, religion, commerce and patriarchal clan management. All these buildings compose a layered spatial structure from urban area to lanes and alleys, and to individual houses and courtyards in a strict order, which emanates an atmosphere of harmony and calm. Inside the houses, the exquisite details of architecture and gardening are hidden behind a simple appearance, which displays diverse tastes, interests, and the rich cultural deposition of those clans in a unified order and a harmonious atmosphere. The historical relics of Sanfang Qixiang in various periods jointly constitute a unique residential urban fabric and the cityscape of a traditional Chinese city, which exhibits the authentic life style of the traditional Chinese literati and officialdom class and their profound culture.

How to get to Sanfang Qixiang

By Metro
• Take Metro Line 1 to Dongjiekou Station (Exit C).

By Bus
• Take Bus No. 5, 18, 22, 27, 55, 61, 66, 75, 118, 128, 301, 317, or 327 and get off at Sanfang Qixiang Station.

Additional travel advice on Sanfang Qixiang
• Please take care of your belongings at street.
• It is not recommended to make the visit on public holidays.