A design sketch of Dinggujiao pedestrian street in Chongchuan district, Nantong. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

The renovation of Dinggujiao pedestrian street in Chongchuan district, Nantong, has entered the final stage and is expected to open to the public on Sept 26, according to local media.

With investment of 30 million yuan ($4.4 million), the renovations started in August 2019 and included illegal building governance, traffic optimization, improvement of landscapes and business formats.

In December 2019, the Jiangsu provincial commerce department issued a notification on publishing the list of pilot and cultivated blocks of provincial high-grade pedestrian streets. Nantong Dinggujiang commercial pedestrian street, the original Baxiancheng Market, was included on the list as one of the eight pilot blocks in Jiangsu province.

Completed in 1998, Baxiancheng Market was once the most dynamic private economic market in Nantong's urban area. The name "Baxiancheng" comes from the story of the Eight Immortals.

In the first decade after its establishment, Baxiancheng Market was vigorous and had rich business formats, including garments, shoes, bags and suitcases, cosmetics, computers and digital products, as well as being one of the main places in the city for shopping and entertainment.

In recent years, with the continuous construction of complexes in the urban area, citizens have had more and more places for shopping and relaxation. With the rise of e-commerce, Baxiancheng Market faced new challenges. Transformation and upgrading became inevitable.

Through renovation, Dinggujiao pedestrian street will be built into a modern, international and livable commercial center. Mobile booths, customer rest points and wifi will all be available in the new pedestrian street.