A booth owner sells her handmade accessories at the nighttime free market in Xiaolou Lane. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]
A nighttime free market opened in Xiaolou Lane in downtown Wuxi last weekend, attracting many visitors and locals to admire cultural products and even make some themselves.
Located in Wuxi's Liangxi district, the 500-meter-long Xiaolou Lane, which was last restored 10 years ago, is one of Wuxi's five historical and cultural blocks. It covers 4,000 square meters and used to be the residence of two of the most distinguished notables in Wuxi, surnamed Tan and Song, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
The historical block was restored into a central cultural block integrating Jiangnan residential complexes with elements of tourism, leisure, culture, training and exhibitions.
It was reopened in last June and attracted over 3 million visitors in its first 12 months. Its total sales exceeded 50 million yuan ($7 million) due to its new, attractive stores, interesting cultural events and personal tour guides explaining local history.
To celebrate its first anniversary, Xiaolou Lane will host many events at night to promote the nighttime economy in Wuxi, including free markets, folk performances and preferential purchasing events.
Officials from the management department of Xiaolou Lane said they will continue to protect cultural preservation buildings there, while developing high-quality historical and cultural blocks with Wuxi characteristics.
Folk performances are staged in Xiaolou Lane. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]
A night view of Xiaolou Lane [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]
