Pu'er | Simao Old Street

❥ Simao Old Street, an ancient street that has traversed the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China, and the New China period, boasts a history of nearly three hundred years. It was once an important post station on the Tea Horse Road, bustling with merchants and lively with people, extraordinarily vibrant. It was also the center of politics, economy, and culture, with teahouses standing in great numbers, flourishing for a time. This street carries the rich historical and cultural heritage of the city of Pu'er, and walking along this long-standing street, one can feel the changes of time and the sediment of the years. ❥ During the Republic of China period, the Pu'er Prefecture moved to Simao, making it an important center of politics, economy, and culture. After the establishment of Simao as a city, the old street was divided into upper and lower sections by Donglu and Xinxing Street. The upper section retained attractions such as the Big Buddha Temple and Shanfo Hall, while the lower section centered around Zhushi Street and Nanzheng Street, forming a cross that seems to be the city's axis of life, firmly connecting everything around it. The historical buildings here are mostly distributed along Nanzheng Street, Caishi Street, Tianmin Street, Xinxing Street, and Daijia Alley, which are commonly referred to by the people of Simao as 'four streets and one alley'. Strolling through the streets, the long alleys connect the details of city life, as if they are nodes of memory of time, gathering the city's livelihood together.