A walk through memorial archways, special delicacies and handicrafts offer visitors to a national tourism and recreation block in the city of Chaozhou an immersive experience of Chaoshan culture, a culture developed by people living in Chaozhou-Shantou region in Guangdong Province for more than a millennium.

Paifangjie, literally meaning "a street of memorial archways," is the only one of its kind in China. The block blends 22 memorial archways in the style of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties with arcades of the Southeast Asian style.

It is said that the earliest archways were built in the Tang Dynasty (618-906) to commemorate those with great achievement in official rank or morality. Since the Ming Dynasty, archways have generally been made of stone and carved with sophisticated patterns. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, arcades were introduced to give this street block a mixture of southern Chinese and Southeast Asian styles.

Then, in 1951, the only existing 19 archways were demolished as they were obstructing traffic and causing injuries to passers-by when parts fell.

To restore the representation of Chaoshan culture, local authorities began the reestablishment of 22 archways, repaired ancient buildings on the street, remolded underground pipes and improved support structures, to help withstand damage from earthquakes. All the archways were built based on old photos and historical records to ensure their original appearance. The street block was reopened to the public with a new facelift in 2009.

Shops along the arcades sell Chaoshan specialties, such as Chaozhou embroidery, clay kettles, beef hotpot, kung fu tea and fruit laden with liquorice gravy. As the center of Chaozhou's ancient city area, the Paifangjie street block is an epitome of local culture.