Maoqian Xijie is increasingly lined with trendy shops, galleries and cafes and is sought out by a constant flow of amateur and serious photographers.
Historically the street was lined with walls, providing an overall picturesque historical impression but a poor pedestrian experience. However, in the last 15 years an accelerating trend has been to knock holes and gaps out of the walls to serve as frontages or entrances for the trendy establishments.
More recently this trend has been taken still further, with not only the walls knocked down but the whole ground floor of some buildings being completely retrofitted, presenting attractive glass frontages to the street and hugely improving the pedestrian environment and appeal of the street.
The cache is located in a useful alleyway shortcut leading to the main street in the north.