Keepers of the century past

Admirers of qilou buildings determined to prevent memories of old city's cosmopolitan architectural traditions from fading, Fang Aiqing reports in Shantou, Guangdong.

Editor's note: An array of Chinese cities have maintained their cultural memories in the form of historical neighborhoods that have only added to their multilayered charm and vigor with the passage of time. China Daily is taking readers on a journey to some of these timeless areas, where President Xi Jinping has left his footsteps and remarked on the preservation and vitalization of heritage. In this installment, we walk through the Small Park historical area of Shantou, Guangdong province, to see how rows of qilou (arcade buildings) overlay an exotic charm on traditional architectural roots.

Nostalgia matters. A century ago in the city of Shantou, Guangdong province, nostalgia drove successful overseas Chinese business owners to return, invest and contribute to the development of its thriving downtown area.

The neatly planned old town they helped create, with its row upon row of exquisite qilou (arcade buildings), is known today as the Small Park historical area and bears witness to the city's stories past.

After the city, also known as Swatow, became a treaty port for foreign trade in 1860, Small Park was a commercial center known for its modern lifestyle. Following the founding of New China in 1949, it became a bustling, harmonious neighborhood, and since 1978, commerce began to revive as a result of reform and opening-up.