AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Southern Song Imperial Street (南宋御街) is a 4,185-meter historic avenue in Hangzhou's Shangcheng District that once served as the grand central axis of the Southern Song Dynasty capital, Lin'an. Built between 1127 and 1279, it connected the imperial palace to the ancestral temple and became the commercial and cultural heart of what was then one of the world's most prosperous cities.↗↗
Today the street blends Qing Dynasty and Republic of China-era buildings with modern restorations along a lively pedestrian corridor. Water channels run on both sides of the walkway, echoing the canal culture of old Hangzhou, while the Drum Tower, centuries-old pharmacies, noodle halls, and hidden food markets keep the avenue buzzing with the same street-level energy that drew thousands of Song-era shoppers.↗↗
A Thousand Years of Commercial Life
When the Southern Song court established its capital at Lin'an in 1138, the Imperial Street became the widest and most important road in the city. Historical records describe markets along its length selling "pearls, jade, rare fruits, fresh seafood, and wonders found nowhere else under heaven." Tens of thousands of shops lined both sides, and half the population of the capital lived within reach of this avenue.
