In case you were out of town over the holiday, you might have missed the news that Nanluoguxiang's renovations are officially complete. The uber-popular hutong alleyway began what ended up being months of renovations in late October. The repairs were completed in January, just in time for the Chinese New Year holiday.
The aim of the restoration was to preserve the area’s ancient character and aesthetic. The lane – which is 787-meters long and eight meters wide – dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). But given Nanluoguxiang’s massive crowds and rapid gentrification, many argued that the hutong was losing sight of the historic qualities that made it so popular in the first place.
In 2016, Nanluoguxiang was stripped of its ranking as a national AAA-grade tourist site and banned tour groups from visiting the area. It's no secret that Nanluoguxiang is wildly popular. The area attracts an average of 30,000 visitors on a typical day. On weekends the number has been known to spike up to 50,000, and during the holidays as many as 100,000 visitors flock to the area.
According to the China National Tourism Administration, Nanluoguxiang is only large enough to safely accommodate 17,000 people. The issue of overcrowding not only posed a potential threat to public safety, but it also damaged the historical integrity of the hutong.
In short, it was time for a change.
The recent renovations were completed in order to help preserve and highlight the hutong's fading historic charm. The main difference, however, is that the number of shops and boutiques has decreased rather dramatically, from 235 to 154. Improvements have also been made to facilities and the overall cleanliness of the area. Visitors can also expect to see more traditional Chinese foods and works of art being sold in the area.
In an effort to educate visitors about the area’s heritage a new non-profit cultural center has opened up at the south end of the alley. The center both displays and sells traditional Chinese products.
[Image via China Daily]
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