Historical Zhuhai Road in the city of Beihai in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.[Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

Time-honored communities and streets often hold cherishable memories of a city. They reflect the city's historical roots and traditional ways of people's lives. During the progression of modern cities, large numbers of valuable places are either abandoned or demolished. In a drive to preserve what has remained and emphasizes their significance, CRI publishes a series of features on China's cultural and historical streets.

The first to be presented is Zhuhai Road in Beihai City of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Beihai is the departing harbor of China's Maritime Silk Road in the Han Dynasty some two thousand years ago. Today, to the north of Beihai's downtown area, stands Zhuhai Road. Populated with about 2,900 residents and extending two kilometers, the road has a history of over one hundred years.

The road is punctuated with many landmark heritage sites including former residences of Chinese celebrities. Once the business hub of Beihai, Zhuhai Road is home to numerous famous brands, some are still in business today, selling local specialties such as seafood.

To protect Zhuhai Road and the stories behind the road from being engulfed by modern construction, the tourism department of Beihai introduced a series of measures. All renovations on buildings along the road should be consistent with its original style; additional buildings should stay within three floors.