Streets and Alleys of Hangzhou - (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Ma Shiyong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Zhijiang Road starts from the Sanbao Ship Lock Outlet on the east bank of the Qiantang River and connects to the Hanghai Road, running west along the river embankment. It passes by the Liuhe Pagoda and Jiuxi, entering the Zhijiang Tourist Resort and ending at Zuantang Town, with a total length of 18.5 kilometers. It is composed of the original Zhijiang Road and the Binjiang Avenue, the longest road in the southern part of the main urban area. Before 2004, it was divided into three sections: East Zhijiang Road, Middle Zhijiang Road, and West Zhijiang Road. The Qiantang River bends here in a zigzag pattern, resembling the character "Zhi," hence the name "Zhijiang," after which the road was named. In the middle section of Zhijiang Road, the area opposite Xixing across the river was historically known as Liupu. In the ninth year of the Kaiguo era (589 AD) during the Sui Dynasty, the southern states of Jiangnan were merged, and the Qiantang Prefecture was abolished, establishing Hangzhou as the prefecture seat. This marked the beginning of Hangzhou's name. Initially, the prefectural seat was set in Yuhang, but in the tenth year, it was moved to Qiantang City, and in the eleventh year, it was relocated to the west of Liupu, becoming Hangzhou's administrative center. A city wall was built along the mountains, with a circumference of 36 li and 90 steps, making it Hangzhou's earliest constructed city wall.
The original Zhijiang Road connected to Fuxing Street and Hupao Road in the east and extended to Coralsand Road in the west, connecting to the Hangxin Highway (National Highway 320). It was 4,987 meters long, 18.23 meters wide, and paved with asphalt. This road was first built during the Republican era and was originally called Hangfu Road. The section from Liuhe Pagoda to Fan Village was known as LiuFan Road. Back then, this road was nestled against mountains and water, narrow and steep. From the Toutlongtou at the west side of Liuhe Pagoda to Fan Village, travelers had to climb over nine small hilltops by the river, earning the nickname "Nine Dragons." In 1980, the slopes were cut and the river was filled to build a flat riverside avenue. The original mountain-side road now retains only a section in front of the Zijing Campus of Zhejiang University, known as Toutlongtou Road.
In 1993, the Hangzhou Zhijiang Tourist Resort was established, and the Hangxin Highway was rerouted. It turned south from the west side of the Coralsand Reservoir and then west to Lishikou, connecting to the old road. The original Hangxin Highway section from Coralsand Road to Zuantang was renamed Zhijiang Road, becoming the main road within the resort. The Zhijiang Road was extended westward by 2.9 kilometers. In 1996, the Zhijiang Road from the Coralsand Reservoir to the Qiantang River Bridge was widened by 12 meters along the riverside, coinciding with the burial of water supply pipelines and the reconstruction of the riverside embankment. This section of Zhijiang Road passes by landmarks such as the Liuhe Pagoda, Gongjiayu Tomb, Songcheng, Jiuxi Shijian, and the Qiantang River Bridge.
At the intersection of Zhijiang Road and Jiuxi Road, on the western side, stand two ancient camphor trees, over 800 years old, known as the Sisters Camphor Trees. These towering trees have canopies covering an area of over 700 square meters. Centuries ago, this was a ferry terminal by the Qiantang River, but in recent decades, it has undergone tremendous changes. Back then, the Sisters Camphor Trees guided white sails sailing on the river. Now, endless streams of vehicles pass by them, silently witnessing the passage of history.
The original Binjiang Avenue started from the Qiantang River Bridge and extended northeast to the Sanbao Ship Lock, spanning 11.9 kilometers and 34 meters wide. In the 1990s, large-scale renovations were carried out on Fuxing Road and the surrounding old city, and the original Binjiang blocks on both sides of the Xixing Bridge (Qianjiang San Bridge) were planned. As a result, the original Qiantang River embankment needed significant, leading to the birth of the Binjiang Avenue. Construction began in 1998, starting from Baitaling to the Xixing Bridge, then extending eastward to the Sanbao Ship Lock. When building the Binjiang Avenue, a 30-50-meter riverside green belt was created between the road and the embankment, making it a beautiful scenic avenue.
In 1997, Hangzhou established the newly built Jiangnan Binjiang District. To avoid confusion, the Binjiang Avenue was merged into the Zhijiang Road.