The Shilu area was originally the outer wharf of Suzhou. As a distribution center connecting Suzhou and foreign commerce, merchants have gathered since ancient times. In the late Qing Dynasty, Sheng Xuanhuai, a Westernizationist, built a road here. Because the road was paved with stones, it was named "Stone Road". Shilu is a typical modern business district layout. It is composed of major shopping malls, gourmet restaurants, and leisure plazas, among which the food street, women's street, and Nanhao Street are particularly prominent. The annual ‘Reaching the Immortal’ event is even more of a feast. The magnificent road was re-emerged in early 2004 and was called the "new stone road" by the people.