Kunming city's Nanqiang street, a heritage site of profound civil culture, is now undergoing a “renaissance” after years of revamping and development.

Dramas created by Kunming people are being staged; elaborate cupcakes by overseas returnee bakers are ranged in fine glass cases; and a long and thin lounge offering all sorts of foreign whiskey create an illusion of scenes from English television dramas…

Western and eastern cultures collide in the street, generating a “Nanqiang street revival”.

Many decades ago, the flagstone roads saw dealers trading in jade, the trees beside the roads sheltered vendors who sold summer mats, and Flying Tigers sold their Camel cigarettes here…

The street is less than 800 meters from the building once used by the Flying Tigers as a venue for developing civil aviation. It was then a place where Kunming people had access to American cigarettes and lighters and a five minutes' walk from a famous theater showing American films.

During the 1980s and beyond, however, more and more restaurants offered traditional snacks to attract more customers, leaving the street suffering air and noise pollution. The local government had to build a food palace outside the street, forcing restaurants to move. The old houses were later degenerated by hair salons, nail shops and cosmetics stores.

Now the street is thriving again for the same reason it fell—food. There are time-honored brands of noodle stores and exotic flavors by foreign chefs. The street gives visitors the illusion of “being here but far away”. Kunming has few old streets left, but Nanqiang street is rededicated with a new image, and all merchants' operations and decoration programs must be geared to the local cultural formats before being introduced into the area.

Edited by Peter Nordinger