A Timeless Scroll of Western Sichuan's Charm

Kuanzhai Alley is located in the heart of Chengdu, just 1.2 kilometers from Tianfu Square. As one of the three major historical and cultural conservation districts in Chengdu (alongside Daci Temple and Wenshu Monastery), Kuanzhai Alley represents one of the best-preserved Qing Dynasty ancient streets in the city. The architectural style here beautifully blends the grandeur of northern courtyard houses (siheyuan) with the delicacy of southern residential dwellings. Featuring predominantly wooden structures with gray brick tiles and intricately carved beams, the alley exudes a profound historical ambiance. What makes Kuanzhai Alley truly captivating isn't just its well-preserved ancient architecture and rich cultural atmosphere, but its successful integration of tradition with modernity, history with future. Comprising three lanes - Wide Alley (Kuan Xiangzi), Narrow Alley (Zhai Xiangzi), and Well Alley (Jing Xiangzi) - each has its origin story. Originally named Xingren Hutong, Taiping Hutong, and Ruyi Hutong respectively, their current names originated from a 1948 urban survey when surveyors casually noted the wider lane as "Wide Alley", the narrower one as "Narrow Alley", and the lane with a well as "Well Alley" - an amusing anecdote behind these iconic names.