I Explored Xiahao Lane – Chongqing’s Old Street (Photos)

While it might not be as popular as Hongyadong or most of the other destinations in Chongqing that I’ve visited, there was something about Xiahao Lane that made it more endearing and genuine. Sure there were plenty of “tourist-y” stalls and signages, but it wasn’t as in your face as other locations that I’ve been to. Outside of the few food stalls, Xiahao Lane somehow managed to retain an old town charm that was simply irresistible.

Exploring Xiahao Lane: The Unique Charm of Chongqing’s Old Street

Once I got to Xiahao Lane, I immediately noticed this large installation. It was really hard to miss and it basically affirms that you’re actually in the right location. Moreover, it was also close to a very handy feature that I’ve since gotten to appreciate while here in Chongqing.

Yes, I’m talking about the guide map for Xiahao Lane. This one was extra nice because of its size and details. According to this, the area has 5 entrances/exits and a whopping 0+ buildings. What’s interesting is that some of these buildings have 2 or more stores/establishments that offer everything from food to artisanal souvenirs.

As I was looking around in the small square near the entrance area I noticed that the visitors here were quite different. Most of them were families (quite possibly locals) just sightseeing and enjoying the day. Surprisingly, there didn’t seem to be that many tourists here (at least when I visited).

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Coincidentally, the people who were there when I visited seemed to congregate on this specific location before going through to the rest of Xiahao Lane. Using the translation app on my phone, I found out the name of the stall was Youshi Bao (or Sometimes Always). More telling of the food stall’s popularity though is the standee in front of it.

If you’re not terminally online then you probably don’t know who this guy is. He’s actually a rather popular streamer named iShowspeed and he has done livestreams of various cities all over the world. In April he actually made a stop in Chongqing and this Youshi Bao store and Xiahao Old Street were just some of the places that he visited.

Something funny that I found out while researching about iShowspeed is that he actually has a rather weird nickname here in China. When he was doing his livestreams here, the Chinese were calling him Hyperthyroidism Brother. Now, don’t ask me why they called him that because like you, I was also quite confused (and still am).

I will say though, it did seem like people genuinely enjoyed the food here. Most of what was sold were pastries and of course, the Signature Bread that Brother Hyperthyroidism got. So you’re probably asking, did I get one? Unfortunately, I wasn’t that hungry yet so I decided to forgo getting food. In hindsight, it might have been a good idea to load up on carbs considering all the walking that I ended up doing during my visit.

Just a couple of steps after the Youshi Bao store, I came across this area. From what I understand, this is one of the more popular locations here at Xiahao Lane. In fact, you can see people seemingly turning this into a photoshoot location like in the image above.

Probably a huge reason for this being so popular is this wall mural. If I’m not mistaken, the characters here translate to something like “This is so Chongqing”. You can see people taking turns posing in front of the image while their companions take pictures of them. So did I take pictures of myself here? Well, that’s for me to know and for you to find out!

Anyway, after you’re done taking photos in front of the mural, you should then come across this infographic. It’s on the wall of one of the houses that you’ll pass by as you go up the stairs. If my translation app is not mistaken, this is an ad for Sister Pei’s Chongqing Hotpot.

So one thing that I’d recommend if you plan to visit Xiahao Lane is to always bring water or drinks with you. This is especially true if you happen to be travelling on a budget. You could always buy from stores like the one on the lower left in this image (I think it’s called Sundried Store). However, I’m not quite sure if the beverages/drinks they sell are affordable.

As I was moving up the stairs, I then found myself at a vantage point with a really nice view of the Yangtze River and the Yuzhong District just across it. In the foreground of this image, you’ll also see some of the buildings here at Xiahao Old Street.

One thing you’ll notice as you move deeper into Xiahao Lane is that a lot of the establishments look very homey. This one in particular reminded me of the izakayas and establishments that I saw in Takayama as well as at Higashi Chaya in Kanazawa. That said, this is a rather small shop though it has outside seats which I think might be better than those inside.

Here’s another look at the view earlier but from another angle/vantage point (this is actually just to the right of the shop earlier). You might have noticed it by now, but the area in the foreground with the people sitting is actually the same as in the image that featured this same view earlier. I was actually quite interested in what the views were from there that I decided to move in closer to check things out.

Let me tell you, the views you’ll see here might be some of the best in Chongqing. The only real issue I had was some of the visitors tended to stay a little too long at the best vantage points. Case in point would be the people in the image above. I really wanted to take a picture of the Dongshuimen Bridge from this angle but I unfortunately didn’t think that I had enough time to wait for these people to finish. Oh well…

Now there were areas that didn’t have people like the one in the picture but the views here weren’t really that nice (at least in my opinion). I mean, they were okay but they really paled in comparison to what you’d see in the spots in the previous image. With that said, I think if I had more time I’d have probably taken pictures from here as well.

Another feature of Xiahao Lane that reminded me of Japan was its manhole covers. This one wasn’t as detailed or aesthetic as the ones I saw in Japan but I think it’s still charming in its own way. Thinking about it now, are Japan and China the only countries that have manhole covers this elaborate and intricate?

It might have been because I wasn’t in the mood for thinking that day but I was honestly a little stumped at what was written on this plaque. I then tried to “read” into it in the context of Chongqing and eventually realized what it meant. Basically it talks about humanity’s capacity for growth and development being its defining characteristic. And if you look at Chongqing’s recent history, you could say that it is this very same characteristic which has fueled its recent success.

Moving on, I then decided to go down and see what else was in store for me here in Xiahao Lane. As I was moving along, I wound up on this really scenic looking set of stairs. I don’t know but there’s just something romantic (for lack of a better word) with the way these buildings frame the city in the background.

So this specific area of Xiahao Lane is called the Shoushan Pavilion. The plaque above talks about this specific area’s history (which started with an event called the Southwest Peace Dharma Assembly in the spring of 1930) as well as its significance to present day Chongqing. It’s actually a great read and it also perfectly contextualizes the other plaque that I saw earlier (which also happens to be in the same area).

So as I said earlier, nearly all of the buildings here have been repurposed for commercial use. The Shoushan Pavilion area though seems to have the highest concentration of these establishments. If you’re a foodie then you’re going to want to make sure you come here on an empty stomach as there is a plethora of food that you’ll likely find yourself ordering.

Even with a reputation as a commercial area, Xiahao Lane is surprisingly very chill. Like if you’ve been to Ciqikou (or seen/read my write up of that place) then you’d know what I’m talking about. The noise here, even with the Dongshuimen Bridge rail line near, is actually a lot more tolerable. There are establishments that blast music though but the crowds are generally not that loud.

Truth be told, I was more interested in the older architecture of the buildings and I really think that the newer stalls in this area were a little less charming. That said, the newer buildings and really the concept of turning Xiahao Lane into a commercial area is somewhat to be expected when you contextualize it with Chongqing’s development. It’s still really nice and again, definitely much less hectic and chaotic than some of the places that I’ve been to (I’m looking at you Hongyadong!) here in Chongqing.

So there’s this really unique thing I noticed about Chinese wall murals in commercial areas. In the West, you’d typically find these filled with graffiti often with crass words or vulgarities. Here in Chongqing (and really, China in general), you instead find the opposite. Instead of crass and vulgar words, you’d find really sanitized and “uplifting” phrases like in the image above.

Though the skies were a little overcast during this time, there was thankfully no rain. As a result, I actually saw some people resting on these benches. This area was actually a little less crowded and if it had been sunny, I doubt there would have been that many people going through here. Ideally, you’d want to be here early in the morning or possibly late in the afternoon to avoid the heat.

Now I was really confused as to what these were at first. I thought these were probably a form of locker for small items. Thankfully, I always have my translation app at the ready and using it, I found that this was actually a cabinet that dispensed poetry based on your personality. I’m not quite sure how this worked though so I ended up just passing through.

Smack dab in the midst of the buildings here in Xiahao Lane, you’ll come across this neat garden. This actually reminded me of a similar garden I saw in the Kanazawa Castle Grounds called Gyokusen-inmaru Garden. In terms of size though, I think that garden was a little bit larger. That said, I think that this was definitely a little greener and livelier.

Here’s another view of the garden area. It’s not quite shown, but there’s actually a man-made (at least I think it is) waterfall here that’s a treat to look at. Moreover, the waterfall being here means that it would be a great place to rest and relax especially during warmer weather.

Before going down to the garden with the waterfalls, I decided to check around this area. According to the map earlier, this place is called Luo Qiao Guangchang or Drawbridge Square.

In the opposite direction of the house in the previous image is this alleyway that you can follow if you want to go down to the garden or Qingshui Xi (Clear Water Stream) area. If I’m not mistaken, this area is where you’ll find building numbers 51-60. In fact, you can see building number 55 and 59 in this image.

Since I wanted to get to the Qingshui Xi or Clear Water Stream, I followed the alleyway and came across these establishments. Now, these establishments are actually rather quaint and are definitely much more charming than the ones I came across earlier. Additionally, this specific area is also a lot less noisy making it rather nice if you want to have conversations with your companions while you’re eating from these shops.

So this is a piece of trivia that actually blew my mind. Did you know that the world’s largest food chain is a Chinese brand called Mixue? Yes, you read that right. It actually has more than 45000 locations all over the world which is more than even McDonalds. Anyway, if you’re in Xiahao Lane and you’re interested in giving Mixue a try then be sure to check out one of their outlets (which you can find in the same alleyway as in the previous image).

Here’s another example of a simple Chinese wall mural. If I’m not mistaken, the word Dushu in Chinese just means to read a book. As for what the whole phrase means though, I’m not quite sure. Using the translation app on my phone, it roughly translates to “read when you have time”. My guess is, this is targeted mainly at the youth to encourage reading.

This one translates to something along the lines of “A young person should have the ambition of a swan and ride a swift horse to traverse flat plains”. As for what this means, my guess is that it’s encouraging the youth to aspire for greatness with grit and determination. This was actually such a nice message though I do wonder if the youth that pass by here take this to heart.

In my opinion, it’s stuff like this rusty sign that truly brings out the charm of Xiahao Lane. While I understand the need to modernize, I also think that retaining and maintaining relics of the past like this has value. Anyway the sign features the words Long Men Hao Mi Shi Street as well as a poem for Laozi or Lao Tzu. Long Men Hao refers to the larger area that Xiahao Lane is a part of. This specific entrance/exit leads to Long Men Hao Mi Shi Street (entrance/exit 5 on the guide map).

I’m pretty sure there’s some cultural or historical context to this but unfortunately, my knowledge of Chinese is rather limited. From what I can understand, this is a farewell letter written by someone who calls himself Xiahao Sixth Brother. As for who this is directed towards, that’s honestly something I don’t have an answer for.

So this is another poem attributed to Xiahao Sixth Brother or Xiahao Liuge. From my translation app, it seems like this poem is a reflection of Old Street. Again, I’m not that well versed in Chinese so I miss out on a lot of the cultural and historical context of these signs.

At this point, I was drawing close to what was designated on the guide map as a Popular Photo Spot. You might have seen it in one of the pictures earlier (specifically the one I shot after the picture of the poetry dispensing cabinet). It looked like a viewing deck with multi-colored railings.

Here’s the view at the Popular Photo Spot. This gave a much clearer view of the area below and I’m not going to lie, this got me pretty excited. The area below looked absolutely relaxing with my only reservation being the walk down the stairs.

From this angle you can now catch a glimpse of the waterfalls that I’ve been talking about earlier. As you can see, the flow of the waterfall really isn’t that strong. That said, I did find the sound of the water as it cascaded down very soothing. Perhaps my only issue was that some establishments blast out music from time to time which was kind of annoying.

Remember the Luo Quiao Guangchang or Drawbridge Square earlier? Well, you can actually see it from this vantage point. It’s the area in the upper left hand side of the picture with the huge tree.

So this is the staircase going down to the Clear Water Stream area. I said I had reservations going down these stairs earlier because at the point when I took this picture I was feeling kind of tired from all the walking. Thankfully, the garden area here kind of reinvigorated me and the walk down ended up being a nothing burger.

So I remember saying that I thought this was man-made and a lot of that had to do with just how unnatural this waterfall looked. Now, I’m not saying that this is a bad thing per se. It does make for a really interesting attraction that draws people’s attention and inspires conversation.

As you get closer, the sound of the cascading waters do get louder. Thankfully, it’s not that deafening and I think you can hold a conversation with someone here and both of you would probably still understand each other. One thing that I also liked about the water here is that since the flow isn’t that strong, I didn’t have to worry about getting hit by water droplets.

Here’s a plaque on one of the garden terraces that is both in Italian and Chinese. In English, these words translate to “Freedom for a lifetime is my ambition”. What I find odd about this though is the use of Italian rather than English. I’m not sure if this was deliberate or just something random that the local government or whoever might be managing the area thought of.

I’m finally at the level of the Clear Water Stream and the view from down here is actually not that bad. With my proximity to the stream, it really did feel like it was cooler here. Seeing the buildings from an ant’s eye view was also kind of novel.

I definitely was a little thirsty from all that walking so I decided to look around for other establishments that offered refreshments. This coffee shop looked like the perfect place to rest after the circuitous walk from the first entrance up to here. I wasn’t quite sure if the coffee was any good though so I held off on going there and ordering a cup or two.

Other than the coffee shop, there was also a restaurant here that had outdoor seating. If I was actually hungry then I might have hauled my butt over there to try out the food. Thankfully, I was only thirsty so my wallet was still safe at that point.

I’m not sure if this is the same restaurant as in the previous image or a different one. From what I saw at the Popular Photo Spot earlier, the shop in the previous image (the one on the left) looked like it was on a separate smaller building. Regardless if they were the same or not, there was one thing that I was sure about. The shop on the right looked super interesting thanks to the bridge you see on the rightmost side of the image.

Like I said during the start of this writeup, most of the people I saw here were with their families. It was kind of refreshing to see as most of the crowds that I saw in the other Chongqing tourist hotspots were composed mainly of tourists. This really just goes to show that Xiahao Lane is targeted more at locals.

So this is why I thought the bridge here was interesting. I wasn’t really quite sure what the green thing on top of it was. Upon further research I found out that this was a bottle gourd. As to why a bottle gourd specifically, I think it might have to do with the fruit/vegetable being considered a symbol of good fortune by the Chinese.

This is downstream of the Clear Water Stream. From here you can see the piping used to pump the water back to the waterfalls (or at least that’s what I think they’re used for). On a side note, the bottle gourd decoration on top of the bridge does kind of look out of place if you looked at it long enough. Might be because of how garish its green color looks.

And this is the 4th Exit of Xiahao Lane. If you’re not interested in getting food or drinks then you can forgo crossing over to the other bank of the stream and just head the opposite direction of the previous image. After just a couple of steps, you’re bound to find yourself at this exact location.

I’ve read and heard talk about Xiahao Lane being an underrated destination here in Chongqing. After this visit, I can’t help but agree. Sure it has plenty of modern facilities and buildings but for the most part it has managed to retain its charm. If you’ve got an hour or two to spare then I’d highly recommend visiting here to see what I’m talking about for yourself. If you’ve already visited Xiahao Lane/Old Street then be sure to share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments section!