Leftover footings of the Yuan-dynasty locks.

Remnants of the Wanning Bridge Locks.

Lamplight in the tunnels.

One of many, many rooms used for underground storage space.

Hemp rope bundles used as stepping stones.

Many areas of the tunnels are drawing groundwater.

This particular section of the tunnels was completed January 2, 1977, and capped off with a quote from Mao: "Dig deep, store grain, don't claim to be emperor."

The 2005 beautification of Nanluogu Xiang first entailed a little uglification (Dominic Johnson-Hill).

A beautiful door exposed (briefly) by renovation (Dominic Johnson-Hill).

Apparently this is an old iron door from the pre-1949 days, during Nanluogu Xiang's first incarnation as a market street (Dominic Johnson-Hill).

History is still right under the surface (Dominic Johnson-Hill).

Today's Xinhua Bookstore, yesterday's Ruifuxiang silk shop.

Ah, Nanluogu Xiang…

"We must have faith in the masses, we must have faith in the Party. These two principles are fundamental..."

The Yuan dynasty gargoyles (饕餮 tāotiè, or 趴蝮 bāxià, a voracious beast with mouth but no anus, able to consume the highest floods), unearthed in 2000.

Houmen/Wanning Bridge.

Excavation work on the Yuhe (玉河) has been halted following the discovery of old boats in the sediment.