Strolling through Fuzhou at night, up and down the streets

The Shangxiahang Historical and Cultural District is located in Taijiang District of Fuzhou City, adjacent to the north bank of the Min River, with a total land area of 476 acres. It is a collection of cultural relics protection units, registered cultural relics sites, and traditional architectural styles, possessing a profound historical and cultural heritage. Taijiang, formerly known as 'Nantai', stands facing the river and has been a distribution center for goods from various places in Fujian Province entering the provincial capital since ancient times. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, the southern foot of Huize Mountain (now called Daimiao Mountain) has been the site of the 'three miles of the Min River, with its vast and surging waves'. Due to the long-term accumulation of silt, two 'sand traces' were formed, becoming the water transport wharves for berthing ships and loading and unloading goods in the vast Min River, known as 'Upper Sailing' and 'Lower Sailing'. The word 'Hang' evolved from the sound of 'Sailing'. In ancient times, the Min River water bypassed Daimiao Mountain, gradually forming 'Luzhou' (land island), and then evolved into a prosperous commercial and trade district, renamed 'Shanghang' and 'Xiahang'. This name has been used to this day, with a history of three to four hundred years. This place was once an important birthplace of the 'Fujian merchant spirit' in Fuzhou, known as the 'Fuzhou Traditional Commercial Museum'. After restoration and transformation, the Shangxiahang Historical and Cultural District has not only become a new calling card for Fuzhou tourism but also a new landmark for the night-time economy. The area is commercially prosperous, with a gathering of merchant groups and a forest of guild halls, with as many as 14 guild halls at its peak. The Gutian Guild Hall, Yongde Guild Hall, Jianning Guild Hall, Nanguo Guild Hall, Minqing Guild Hall, and other guild halls built by merchant groups from various places either feature Chinese-style carved beams and painted rafters or a unique style combining Chinese and Western elements. They witnessed the early trade integration of Fuzhou with the world and the early trade prosperity of Fujian.