Xiaohezhi Street in Gongshu District, Hangzhou, will reopen next month and be vying for tourists with its competitor, Hefang Street.

Xiaohezhi Street, along the Grand Canal and north of Hangzhou, reflects the style of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and is the only spot in the old area of Hangzhou that is reminiscent of the historical style of the ancient city.

Two-story houses with black eaves and white walls sit along the street, along with a bank branch and shops making and selling wine, cotton goods and food. On holidays, you can see some folk artists knitting or cutting paper.

Tai Chi Teahouse, a famous local tea house which has a big store on Hefang Street, features waiters dressed in traditional Qing Dynasty costumes using a long nozzle pot to pour tea. It has rented four buildings on Xiaohezhi Street.

"A cup of tea here is only 5 yuan (73 US cents)," says director of the teahouse, only identified as Zhang, "and our teahouse here is also a small tea museum."

Admission: Free

How to get there:

Water Bus: Go from Wulin stop (across from Hangzhou Tower) and get off at Gongchen stop.

Buses No. 76 or No. 1: Get off at Changzheng Bridge stop.

In the area around Xiaohezhi Street, there are many other fun places waiting to be discovered in Gongshu District.

Fuyi Warehouse

Fuyi Warehouse Relics Park, to the south of Xiaohezhi Street, is also along the Grand Canal.

The whole park centers on the Fuyi Warehouse - the last warehouse for cargo on the Grand Canal's Hangzhou section.

Gongshu District used to have many warehouses since it is at the southern end of the Grand Canal, but most of them have been demolished.

Admission: Free

How to get there:

Water Bus: Get off at the Xinyifang stop, walk back and go up to the big bridge, then down to the south bank where you'll see the east entrance on your right.

Buses No. 76 or No. 151: Get off at Cangji Xincun stop, walk north and turn right at the crossing (the big bridge), and down to the south bank.

A8 Art Tribe

A8 Art Tribe is a creative park 200 meters from the east entrance of Fuyi Warehouse. Comprised of many advertising companies and art studios, it is one of the most fashionable places in Hangzhou.

The park used to be an old industrial zone with reinforced concrete factory buildings, but artists decorated their studios with cobblestones, pottery, plants and colorful paint to breathe new life into obsolete workshops.

Admission: Free

How to get there:

Go east of the east entrance of Fuyi Warehouse for 200 meters, it will be on your left.