33 Hui — The Origin of Jiangmen

Meaning “The Gate of the River,” Jiangmen at its inception as a trading port was an area flooded by the waters of Pengjiang River. Two islands, as mountains submerged in the river, were the land mass in this area. Jiangmen was the river mouth, where the river merged with the ocean. The view of these two mountaintop islands standing opposite to each other created the imagery that inspired Jiangmen’s name. The mountaintop islands were the gate of Pengjiang River.


33 Hui, pronounced “Sanshisan Xu” in Mandarin, is known to be “the origin of Jiangmen.” Meaning “the 33 market,” this area of Jiangmen was established during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. 33 Hui acquired its name due to the 33 steps on the major stairway in the market. This was the stairway that traders embarked upon to reach the marketplace from their arriving boats loaded with goods.



From every turn of the streets at 33 Hui, a sense of assuredness emanated. From the introductory signs there one sensed a pride revived — a dilapidated part of the city being thrusted into the national limelight because a popular Chinese TV drama called Kuangbiao (2023) was set in here.

Toward the dusk hours we headed into a world of old qilou’s, the sprawling arcades that typified the old urban developments of southern China. As the daylight waned, the street lamps casted a yellowish hue upon a busy street scene, unveiling an age-old community that has stood tall amidst the currents of time.


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#历史古迹

Post by Helen Yu (Chestnut Journal) | Feb 4, 2025