Main Streets of Canton

About a century ago, the Canton authorities demolished most of the ancient city wall to further facilitate urban development. Several arteries crisscrossing the city, such as Wing-Hon Road, Chung-Hwa Road and Tai-Ping Road (running from north to south) as well as Wai-Oi Road and Yat-Tak Road (going from east to west) formed an early urban traffic network. Meanwhile, more and more arcades appeared along both sides of city streets, now considered to be one of the most distinctive symbols of Cantonese urban architecture.

Wing-Hon Road, known today as Beijing Lu, has been the commercial and cultural centre of downtown Canton for hundreds of years. A modern department store named Nam-Hing can be seen on the left side of the postcard. (Circa 1920s)

The present Jiefang Zhong Lu was once known as Chung-Hwa Road, and the area surrounding it was named Sei-Pai-Lau after the four large stone Pailous (traditional memorial archways) standing along the street. Outdoor businesses were booming on Chung-Hwa Road and the citizens of Canton, especially young singles, would celebrate there every Lantern Day during the Chinese Spring Festival. (Circa 1930s) (The End)