LIU CHEN/YANG FEIYUE/CHINA DAILY

The area, the name of which translates as "Three Lanes and Seven Alleys", was initially built during the Jin Dynasty (265-420). During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it became the center of a bustling development, as residents of high social status, ranging from government officials to scholars, settled there, before reaching its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Before the 1990s, many of the mansions were subdivided into squatter homes. Some were on the verge of being demolished, as local authorities veered toward real estate development.

In 1991, when President Xi Jinping was secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China — the city's top official — he led efforts to protect and renovate the ancient buildings and heritage sites at Sanfang Qixiang.