Zhengyi Road is the central north-south spine of the old town, a long pedestrianised street running from the area around Cuihu down to Jinbi Square. Most of the buildings are modern, but a careful look picks out arcaded façades, brick warehouses, and decorative gateways that hint at the pre-revolution town the French and Burmese traders knew.
The street is best walked in the early evening, when the shops are open and the restaurants in the side streets fill up. The northern end, where Zhengyi meets Renmin Middle Road, is one of the main shopping clusters in the city; the southern end, around the archways, leans more to eating and tea-houses.