In Guangzhou's Xiguan, the waters of Lychee Bay ripple gently, and arcade buildings cast their reflections on the surface. Visitors weave through Yongqing Fang amid grey-brick buildings with grey-tiled roofs. Once one of the areas with the highest concentration of dilapidated and dangerous housing in Guangzhou, the historic and cultural block is now hailed as "Guangzhou's most beautiful old street." From large-scale demolition and reconstruction to "micro-renovation," Yongqing Fang has remained committed to putting culture at its core, with tourism as its vehicle and commerce as its support.

Yongqing Fang has been recognized as a national 4A scenic area, one of China's first batch of national-level tourism and leisure districts, and a demonstration zone for cultural and tourism integration in Guangdong Province. In 2025, it was selected as an outstanding annual case in the "Blue Book on the Integrated Development of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Tourism."

The roots of culture run deep in Cantonese operatic singing and Guangzhou embroidery. The Cantonese Opera Art Museum in the district became Guangzhou's first museum to open regularly at night, while the Guangfu Stage hosts three free Cantonese opera performances daily. Signature events such as Guangzhou–Hong Kong–Macao Cantonese Opera Day and Lingnan Cantonese Opera Week are held annually. About 30% of the neighborhood's original residents still live there, where laundry hung out to dry and the footsteps of visitors intersect on the same streets.

The revitalization follows a path of "culture-led development, business support and tourism-driven growth." Historic landmarks including the Cantonese Opera Art Museum, Bruce Lee's Ancestral Home and Bahe Guild Hall coexist harmoniously with an intangible cultural heritage block, cafés and eateries serving light meals and boutique homestays. More than 20 first-of-their-kind stores have also opened in the area, including Zhongshuge Bookstore's first South China branch and Starbucks' first intangible cultural heritage-themed store in Guangdong.

During the 2026 Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays, Yongqing Fang received 1.14 million visitors, with average annual foot traffic exceeding 20 million over the past three years. "Lychee's Riverside Essence," a scenic cluster anchored by Yongqing Fang and linking landmark sites such as the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, Shamian Island, and the Bai'etan Greater Bay Area Art Center, has been named one of the new "Top Eight Sights of Guangzhou."

永庆坊以“文化+”绣出老城活化新样本

广州西关，荔枝湾涌碧波荡漾，两岸骑楼倒映水中，永庆坊的青砖灰瓦间游人如织。这片如今被誉为“广州最美老街”的历史文化街区，曾是广州市危旧房最集中的区域之一。从“大拆大建”到“微改造”，永庆坊坚持以文化为内核、旅游为载体、商业为支撑。

永庆坊先后获评国家4A级旅游景区、首批国家级旅游休闲街区、广东省文化和旅游融合发展示范区，2025年入选《非遗与旅游融合发展蓝皮书》年度优秀案例。

文化的“根”在粤曲与广绣里。街区内粤剧艺术博物馆成为全市首家夜间常态化开放博物馆，广福台每日三场惠民粤剧展演；每年举办“穗港澳粤剧日”“岭南粤剧周”等品牌活动。街区仍有约三成原居民生活，晾晒的衣物与游客的脚步在同一片街上交错。

活化走的是“文化引领、商业支撑、旅游带动”之路。粤剧艺术博物馆、李小龙祖居、八和会馆等历史地标，与非遗街区、创意轻食、精品民宿和谐共生；钟书阁华南首店、星巴克广东首家非遗概念店等20余家首店相继落地。

2026年中秋、国庆假期，永庆坊接待游客114万人次，近三年年均客流超2000万人次。以永庆坊为核心节点的“荔湾胜境”，串联陈家祠、沙面、白鹅潭大湾区艺术中心等标志性景点，入选新一批“羊城八景”。

文 | 记者 江皓轩 通讯员 荔宣

图 | 通讯员提供

译 | 魏薇

审 | 郑奕玲