Huaiyuanzhen
Nail-free timber-frame street of Qing shops and courtyard homes, joined only by mortise and tenon.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Huaiyuanzhen in Chengdu begins with a signboard that keeps going missing, and with the Qing dynasty office its words name. You'll look closely at the timber shopfronts, built without iron nails or glue, and meet the local carpenters' word for the way they stand. It also reaches the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and the restoration crews who followed, then moves on to a quiet lane where neighbours play mahjong at their doors.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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