In the fifty-seventh year of Kangxi (A.D. 17 18), after quelling the Zhungeer Rebellion, more than 1,000 soldiers were selected to be stationed in Chengdu, and the whole city was built on the basis of fewer cities in that year. In the Qing Dynasty, only Manchu and Mongolian Eight Banners lived in the city. After the fall of Manchu Dynasty, the city was no longer a forbidden area, and people could come and go freely. Some foreign businessmen took the opportunity to open pawn shops near the city and bought a large number of banners' property.
It has formed a unique pattern in which the descendants of Banners, dignitaries and peddlers live in the city. The wide alley here is called Xingren Hutong, the narrow alley is called Taiping Hutong, and the well alley is called Ruyi Hutong (Mingde Hutong).
In the thirty-seventh year of the Republic of China (1948), it was said that the staff at that time marked the wider alley as "wide alley" after measuring it, the narrower one was "narrow alley" and the one with wells was "well alley". Kuanzhai Lane is a large-scale ancient street left over from Chengdu. Together with Daci Temple and Wenshuyuan, it is also called the protected block of three famous historical and cultural cities in Chengdu.
Introduction to the origin of Kuanzhai Lane name:
In the 57th year of Kangxi (17 18), Junggar invaded Tibet. After the Qing court sent 3,000 officers and men to quell the rebellion, more than 1,000 soldiers were chosen to stay in Chengdu forever and build the whole city-Shaocheng, which was designated as the "Eight Banners" military camp and the residence of their families, which was a forbidden area. Among them, the west entrance of the wide alley is a site with red flags, and the west entrance of the narrow alley is a red flag station.
At that time, the name was not Kuanzhai Lane, but Xingren Hutong and Taiping Hutong respectively. It was not until the early years of the Republic of China that this name with obvious northern style was replaced by "Kuanzhai Lane" and has been used ever since. Concentrated North-South Folk Custom Because the children of the Eight Banners live idle and pursue enjoyment, this area has become one of the cradles of leisure culture in Chengdu. Blue brick walls, quadrangles, high gatehouses and flowered skirts have both the characteristics of southern Sichuan folk houses and the connotation of northern folk culture.
Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Kuanzhai Lane