The Water Lily Street is a historical business street located in the
central area of the old city of Jinan

Jinan

Jinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...

, Shandong

Shandong

' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...

,
China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. With a history that can be traced back for more than 2000
years, the street formerly served as the administrative, financial,
commercial, and cultural center of the city.

Water Lily Street runs through the historical center of Jinan in the
north-south direction. To the north, it ends at the Fu Xue Confucian
Temple and to the south at Quan Cheng Street, a modern shopping
area. The street has a total length of 432 meters and is on average 4.6 meters
wide.

As the street has a long creek with clear water, it became a gathering
place for business people and several wealthy residences were
constructed in the surrounding area. Together with the nearby
Qushuiting Street

Qushuiting Street

Qushuiting Street historical center of the City of Jinan, Shandong Province, China. The history of the street can be tracedback to the times of the Northern Wei Dynasty .-Location:...

 (to the north), Water Lily Street formed the most
prosperous area in historical Jinan.

The street became a residential area and retail shops moved in when a
yamen

Yamen

A yamen is any local bureaucrat's, or mandarin's, office and residence of the Chinese Empire. The term has been widely used in China for centuries, but appeared in English during the Qing Dynasty....

 was established in the 5th year of the Qing

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

emperor Kangxi

Kangxi Emperor

The Kangxi Emperor ; Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi ; Mongolian: Энх-Амгалан хаан, 4 May 1654 –20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty, the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.Kangxi's...

(in the 1660s). At the beginning of
the 20th century, Water Lily Street was still the administrative,
financial, commercial, and cultural center of Jinan.

Many famous retail shops and services were located in the street such
as the Weisheng dentist, an educational bookstore, a pharmacy, Guang
Lisun's grocery.

In 2006, the city government included the renovation of the Water Lily
Street among four sites selected for the renovation of the old city in
keeping with its historical character, culture, business, and tourism.