If you go to Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan in southwestern China, don't miss the opportunity to go to Jinli, a busy trading street with a history stretching back to the Qin Dynasty around two thousand years ago. Today, a new Jinli Street has been built on the site of the ancient lane in the southern part of Chengdu. It has become a tourist attraction, featuring aged buildings and folk customs from the area. Our reporter Yun Feng takes us for a closer look at this bustling street.

         

 The 350-metre-long Jinli Street enjoys a reputation as a historic town. Extending from a gatehouse decorated with two red lanterns, the slab stone-paved street stretches with ancient-style buildings lined on both sides. The grey bricks and crimson columns of these two and three-storey teahouses and antique shops are of classic beauty and primitive simplicity. Porcelain and folk handicrafts displayed in the shops are so dazzling, you can't tear yourself away from them. Yang Ming, a tourist from Taiwan, is impressed by what he has seen.

"I have been in Jinli for only one day, but I've found myself fascinated by its charm. It has an air of great antiquity. There are many antiques sold here and some tasty food as well."It's true that visitors can experience a particular cultural refreshment at Jinli. Showcased handcrafts, such as clay figurines and paper cuts, bring back vivid memories from childhood. You can also find Sichuan brocade at Jinli, a world-renowned silk product unique to the province. In the Museum of Sichuan Brocade, local girls in traditional wax-printed costumes skillfully demonstrate quilts made with the famous brocade to visitors.

In a courtyard halfway down Jinli Street, classic pieces of Sichuan opera are staged regularly. The most interesting performance for tourists is the shadow play,or leather-silhouette,show it is a traditional Chinese folk art with over one thousand years of history.

  

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