The old commercial streets east of the Drum Tower preserve several blocks of Qing and early Republican commercial architecture alongside a mix of modern shops — a palimpsest of Ningbo's trading character across two centuries. The buildings here were largely commercial from their foundation, designed for ground-floor shops with storage and living quarters above, and several retain their original carved timber shopfronts with name plaques and decorative panels.
The street sells a mixture of tourist-oriented goods (Ningbo wood carvings, tea, local food products) and practical everyday items for the neighbourhood's residents. The best find for visitors is the cluster of shops selling Ningbo's traditional chenxiang craft goods — sandalwood and agarwood products including carved beads, incense boxes, and small figures — which are a genuine local craft tradition rather than a generic Chinese souvenir. Prices are negotiable and quality varies; the longer-established shops with older inventory tend to be more reliable.