Paotongshu Street

Paotongshu Street takes its name from the Chinese parasol trees that once lined its length, their broad leaves offering shade to the old neighborhood. During the Qing Dynasty, this area served as the living quarters for the Manchu soldiers stationed in Chengdu. While the original trees disappeared during decades of urban expansion, the narrow, winding path remains. Today, the street preserves a quiet scale among Chengdu’s high-rises, holding a collection of low-slung, gray-brick houses that date back to the early twentieth century.