Chengdu Xinchang Ancient Town Tour Travel Guide

Chengdu Xinchang Ancient Town is a characteristic town full of Bashu cultural elements. Here, you can feel the vibration from the depths of your soul. Everyone will get a good visiting experience and feel the core and spirit of ancient culture. Here, I will share with you a specific strategy guide.

Xinchang Ancient Town, located in the west of the Chengdu Plain, is the earliest organized town in the west of Dayi County. This is an area with mountains, hills and dams. Starting from Chengdu, take the Chengdu-Wenzhou Expressway, get off the expressway at the Wangsi and Xinchang exits, and drive about 5 kilometers. It takes about 1 hour to get there.

Xinchang Ancient Town was built in the Eastern Han Dynasty and emerged during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. It borders Qionglai to the west, Wangsi Town to the south, and Chujiang Town, Huashuiwan and Xiling Snow Mountain to the north. It is one of the famous historical and cultural towns on the Tea Horse Road, with rich and colorful folk culture and farming culture.

Xiling Snow Mountain has abundant water flowing through Touyan River, Eryan River and Sanyan River, surrounding Xinchang Ancient Town.

There are seven ancient streets in the ancient town, namely Xiazheng Street, Shangzheng Street, Taipingzheng Street, Taipingheng Street, Shixiang Street and Heba Street. There are also six alleys including Shuixiang, Zhangyimiao Alley, Xiejia Alley, Shimao Alley, Tongshi Alley and Shangziku Alley, with a layout of two vertical and two horizontal wells. The existing ancient buildings cover an area of ??hundreds of thousands of square meters, and most of the houses were built in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

There are many large courtyards and pavilions, green bricks and green tiles, wooden buildings and wooden columns, carved beams and painted buildings, and lifelike walls in the bank, such as Li's old residence, club, inn, Huangstuo Building, and Cantonese Guild Hall. , Catholic Church, Gospel Church, etc. Liu Chengxun's former residence and Bishan Temple.

Walking in the ancient town, the biggest feeling is that you can hear the sound of running water everywhere. Wherever there is water, there are bridges, including the 100-meter-long Yong'an Covered Bridge, the small stone bridge less than two meters long, and the nine-hole bridge that is nine feet long and one foot and two feet wide.

The water is flowing water, and there is often a stream under the eaves. There are deep forests on both sides of the stream, a few steps, and a few feet of guardrails. People can wash their feet or wash vegetables. It has the charm of a water town in the south of the Yangtze River.

01. Three-inch Golden Lotus Pavilion and Jianghu Gang Pavilion

As soon as you arrive at the entrance of Xinchang Ancient Town, two simple three-story blue brick towers come into view. I heard from the villagers in the ancient town that it is a replica of the ancient pagoda. The two towers are two small museums, namely Sancun Jinlian Pavilion and Jianghu Bang Pavilion.

There are a large number of graphic materials and objects in the Jianghu Museum, which introduce the origin, development and changes of the three major Jianghu gangs in the old society: Paoge Organization, Qinggang and Hongmen (Hongmen).

The Three-Inch Golden Lotus Museum records the history of women’s foot binding in China’s feudal society for more than a thousand years since the Song Dynasty. It displays three-inch golden lotus bow shoes, shoemaking tools and other physical objects. When did the history of ancient women's foot binding begin? It has yet to be verified by history, but it has been generally recognized since the Song Dynasty.

As the saying goes, "A pair of small feet brings a jar of tears." My little girl has had her feet bound since she was five or six years old. She uses a long strip of cloth to break all four toes except the thumb. Bend the soles of your feet toward the soles of your feet to form a "golden lotus" in the shape of a bamboo shoot. The pain can be imagined. "Small, thin, sharp, curved, fragrant, soft, and straight" are the highest standards for foot binding, and they are also the guarantee of a woman's life after marriage, otherwise she will not get married. "Foot-Binding Children's Song" goes like this: Press oil, press plate, warm the sun on the slope, boil hot water, pour green salt. Mom helped me tie my feet.

When I was very young, my grandma had small feet and often limped. Every time I wash my grandma's feet, I feel scared. Thanks to the women's liberation movement, there are no more heart-rending cries of little girls when their feet are tied. This torture that has been imposed on women for thousands of years has been forever forgotten.

02, 3+2 Reading Club

There is also a "32 Reading Club" in Xinchang Ancient Town that attracts me. This is a private library initiated by bibliophiles who share the joy of reading. All books are free to read.

I like this sentence on the book club bar: Share the story of the book and let more people enjoy reading.

The reading club also often holds various reading activities and invites some famous people to come here to share reading stories with everyone. Public welfare classes include: youth classes, rural classes, children's classes, reading sharing classes, etc.

The three girls even took on the task of tutoring many children's homework after school, and were welcomed by many parents. In rural areas, I really envy Xinchang Ancient Town for having such a reading environment.

Originally I only planned to visit here for one day. I stayed here for a week because of the "3 2 Reading Club" here.

Every morning, I walked through the streets and alleys with my camera, visiting every corner of the ancient town. In the afternoon, take a notebook and sit in the corner of the reading club, either reading quietly or writing a few pages of travel notes to process the photos.

"That afternoon and that weekend seemed like just yesterday. In fact, it happened a long time ago. Time can settle. It can also be proved that a group of dream chasers, a place with love and ideals, It proves that extraordinary dreams start from a group of ordinary people."

Dip a glass of mint water, look out the window at the crowds of tourists, and listen to the gurgling river. When I get tired of studying, I chat with girls and help them organize books and clean. Discuss with them the joy of reading and share their joys, sorrows and joys. Or invite them to put on their favorite clothes, dress up beautifully, hold a parasol, come to the small bridge and flowing water, and take beautiful photos of them.

03. The former Qingyuan City

In front of the Jiudong Bridge, there is an antique screen wall with the seal character "Original Qingyuan" written on it.

Xinchang Ancient Town was built in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was called Qingyuan in ancient times. Due to its convenient transportation, it has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. It is a market where merchants from south to north gather. For thousands of years, the throughput of wood, tea, and rice here has been large, and it has been one of the important towns on the Ancient Tea Horse Road and the Southern Silk Road.

Especially during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, it developed from scattered stalls and inns to a market place with many shops and a prosperous market.

At present, many Ming and Qing buildings still remain in the ancient town, and the ancient town still retains the traditional custom of going to the market. Every 2, 4, 7, or 10 days, farmers and people from nearby mountainous areas will come here to go to the market with baskets on their backs. Therefore, some people call Xinchang "the market on the Southern Silk Road that has lasted for thousands of years."

There was once such a couplet describing Qingyuan City at that time: the clear sky met the foggy mountains, Xia Wei and Zheng Yun, a gathering of humanities; the source of living water, outstanding people, and the wise lived well.

04. Liu Chengxun’s Former Residence

Because Xinchang Ancient Town is a gathering of people, outstanding people, and celebrities, there are many former residences of celebrities in the ancient town, including Liu Chengxun’s former residence. Liu Chengxun, a Sichuan warlord in the Republic of China, served as governor of Sichuan Province and commander-in-chief of the Sichuan Army.

The gable of Liu Chengxun’s former residence is not large, only as wide as a sidewalk. It enters the front yard along a narrow aisle, and you can feel the characteristics of Western Sichuan folk houses everywhere. There are many wood carvings on doors, windows and beams with rich patterns and exquisite workmanship.

There is an exhibition about Liu Chengxun's life on display. After graduating from the Sichuan Army Armed Forces School, he gradually became a brigade commander, division commander, and army commander until he returned home and lived a leisurely life. He died in 1944.

Although he was a great warlord in Sichuan, his former residence was still relatively simple and incomparable with the Liu Manor in Dayi County.

05. Bishan Temple, a place of gratitude

As a former important trading town, it is impossible to have a resort with Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. However, Bishan Temple in Xinchang Ancient Town enshrines a real person - Li Wanchun. This Li Wanchun was not a high official, but a small prefect in Bishan, Chongqing during the Ming Dynasty. This temple is called "Thanksgiving Temple" by people in Xinchang Ancient Town. For hundreds of years, this place has become a place for newcomers to worship gods and ancestors.

Maybe Bishan Temple has adapted to local conditions. The gate is very different from other places. There is only an empty gate.

It is said that Bi Peng, a businessman from Xinchang, was doing business in Bishan County, Chongqing. Li Wanchun was the magistrate of Bishan County, and Li Wanchun did a big thing

Li Wanchun was dismissed from his post for being honest, punished corruption, and committed suicide in a rage by throwing himself into the river. After Bi Peng found out, he was grateful for Li Wanchun's frankness and help in his business. He returned to Xinchang Ancient Town and built Bishan Temple to support Li Wanchun and let future generations worship this blue sky master forever.

This temple was rebuilt after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, with strong support from the government and donations from people from all walks of life, because some of the buildings were damaged.

The Main Hall, Guanyin Hall, guest hall and Buddhist temple were rebuilt. The famous monks Yicheng and Wei Xian signed their joint names respectively. Create a religious place for believers and tourists from near and far to entrust their faith, inherit cultural exchanges, and promote economic prosperity.

06. Drink tea and play mahjong to experience a slow life

The biggest feature of traveling to Sichuan is that there are many teahouses in the streets and alleys, and Xinchang Ancient Town is no exception. Local residents almost always have a cup of tea from morning to night, and tourists can drink it from morning to night. As soon as they see someone else's glass empty, they refill it immediately.

You can't fall asleep as long as you drink tea, but Sichuan people actually fall asleep after drinking it. It can be seen that drinking tea has become a lifestyle habit for Sichuan people.

Most of the teahouses here are concentrated in the small rivers that pass through the ancient town. You can drink tea in the private rooms of the teahouse, in the corridor by the river, or in the open-air teahouse.

Where the river corridor meanders, you can enjoy the scenery and listen to the gurgling water. Small round tables, square tables, surrounded by several wicker chairs, daybeds, and even small bamboo chairs, or in a place shaded by green trees, or holding umbrellas above the tables and chairs, sitting around drinking tea, forming a dragon gate array. It vividly reflects the slow life of Xinchang Ancient Town.

Note that tea sets can be placed on the sea of ??tea, or purple clay, or porcelain. Nowadays, electric kettles are basically used, and tourists boil water for brewing.

Most Sichuan people drink tea from this beer mug, and they like to drink strong tea. Most of the tea cups brewed may be related to the generous character of Sichuan people. This kind of cup has a handle, is not hot to the touch, can hold a lot of tea, and is convenient to drink. If you don’t like drinking tea, you can also drink wolfberry, chrysanthemum and lemon tea. Most girls from other places prefer this drink.

The soil and water support the people. People in Xinchang Ancient Town prefer to drink local Sichuan tea. It is relatively close to Qionglai, so Qionglai has more Wenjun tea and black tea. Of course, there are also the bamboo leaves of Mount Emei, the dewdrops on the top of the mountain, and the yellow teeth. There are a lot of Sichuan Red Kung Fu in Yibin.

Drinking tea is not only for setting up the Dragon Gate Formation, but also for chess and card entertainment. Mahjong and Pai Gow, which can be seen everywhere on the streets, are also favorites of Sichuan people. Order a cup of tea while playing cards, and it's still the restaurant staff. When they were not busy, they would start making a million cakes without even taking off their aprons.

The gray-haired old lady will also play mahjong with the little girl at the same table. She was so focused that she didn't even know she was in my shot.

And being shirtless and wearing slippers has become the standard for locals. On the street, in a shop, playing mahjong, time just slips away from your fingertips.

07. A pair of skillful hands weave a better life

There are people on the street who make their own handicrafts and embroidery, which are both workshops and storefronts. When you have a business, stop what you are doing, negotiate a good price, and close the deal. The business was gone and I started working again.

They are not only weaving bamboo baskets and bamboo baskets, but also weaving their own lives and beautiful lives.

Silver needles are flying, colorful threads are shuttled, and a peony is in bud. It can be seen that with every stitch you embroider, someone will love you; it can be seen that Jun Mudan has someone waiting for you throughout her life. There are thousands of green hairs in Hong's hands, waiting for the sun to shine alone, waiting for peonies to dye the copper vase.

08. Show off the various tastes of the world

The most nostalgic thing about Xinchang Ancient Town, and the one that makes people feel the smell of fireworks the most, is "sun". On the street, at the door, there are all kinds of posts, showing off life and the world.

Unlike some commercial man-made "ancient towns" here, these "exhibitions" on the street are not put up for tourists to take pictures. This is the result of the people who have lived here for generations in Xinchang Ancient Town, and it is real life.

I have my own farmland outside the town, with my own day and night work and harvest. When the weather is sunny, t

So, it also makes me reluctant to leave here, as if I have a feeling of going home, a kind of feeling when my mother asked me to pick pebbles, chaff, etc. in the dry ears of grain when I was a child. Grass seed memory.

Dried tofu, dried sweet potatoes, and dried radish are all ingredients needed after the season. After a few days of drying, they will become a future delicacy.

Moss-covered tiles, a pair of red shoes, and a basket of dried sweet potatoes are reflected in my lens, making people wonder what kind of family this is. Maybe the child had just entered middle school and came home for the holidays. His mother urged him to take off his dirty sneakers and wash them quickly while the weather was nice, so that he could ask for leave from Lili, who could take care of the child.

Whether tourists come or not, the ancient town is here and so is life. Maybe this is where the ancient town has been passed down for thousands of years.

Walking through the bustling streets and walking into the quiet alleys, I found the reason why I like this place: I am looking for an ancient town, not for eating, drinking and having fun, but for a home full of fireworks. Feelings and childhood memories.

The gray-haired grandmother was lying in the warm afternoon sun, playing with her grandson or great-grandson's toys, and drying out a pair of red pointed-toe flat shoes on the steps. I greeted grandma and asked: "Grandma, are these your cloth shoes? They are really beautiful."

"I also have many beautiful shoes and clothes.

I used to do it myself, but now I can’t see the stitches. The kids bought them for me. I’ve had flowers embroidered on my shoes before. "

A lazy little cat, my camera has reached its nose, I am too lazy to move.

"Hey, wake up, kitten. I'm tired from walking. Could you lend me your chair to take a rest? "

The little guy ignored me, whined, and dozed off again. Hum! Ignore me, and I will ignore you. Let's go.

09. Everywhere in the ancient town There is a story

There is an old bicycle on the street, with a straw hat on the back seat and two empty polished baskets. For thousands of years, Sichuan people have used baskets to carry life and day. The moon carries the whole family, the future and hope. At first glance, there should be a story.

Sure enough, there are a few brothers sitting in the corner shop. They should be the owners of bicycles and baskets. After finishing the souvenirs, a few brothers would rest in the store and get some food before going home; or a few old friends would meet in a hurry, come to the store, order a few dishes, and have a drink with a few brothers. His face was red from drinking, his trouser legs were rolled up, and there were still some sweat stains on his back. It was this kind of backbone that supported the whole family.

The warm picture appeared in front of me: an old man shaking his head. Putting the cattail fan, bare feet and slippers aside, a puppy was nestled under the bamboo chair.

The two old ladies were tired from walking. They just rested and sold endless vegetables from their own fields on the roadside. They didn't shout or hawk, or they just sat there quietly with their chins supported.

Seeing the scene in front of me, I suddenly had the urge to sing "Little Basket". It was not that this little basket had ever carried a naughty boy who wet his mother's back.

When we met on the street, we still had it. He ran out of the store without having time to take off his apron and started talking to the old brother who passed by. He must have said, "I haven't seen my old sister-in-law in a few days." how have you been? Let the old sister-in-law come to the market next time and let us sisters have a good chat. ”

The little brother who had just finished delivering the goods on a tricycle saw the old lady basking in the sun in the distance, and quickly got off the car to say hello to the old lady. Her kind face was full of smiles, which must be telling me that my little brother Brother, ride slowly and be careful.

A small electric car wearing a red poncho stopped in front of an old house. It was probably my married daughter who was going home to visit her old mother on the weekend.

The old lady's daughter was unpacking and mending all the delicious and delicious gifts for the elderly. The old lady came up to her and talked about the shortcomings of Dong's parents, the Li family.

10. Whether you come or not, the mood of life in the ancient town

There is a bamboo stick clamping the legs of this little bug on the street. It is said that it is a bug inside the bamboo. I don’t know if anyone buys this little bug. Are the insects for fun, for eating, or for medicinal use? I couldn’t understand the old lady’s strong Sichuan dialect, which left me in suspense about this little insect.

A few bamboo shoots, half a basket. Eggs, an old weight, and a few old people. Sitting on the bridge corridor of Yong'an Bridge, everything on the stall in front of grandma was sold out, and it was probably only a dozen yuan, but it was not for anything else. Because of the liveliness here.

Bamboo baskets, bamboo plaques, bamboo baskets, and even pots are all made of bamboo. They are planted on the roadsides, in front of and behind houses, and around ponds in the ancient town. The utensils were probably made from local materials.

There were a few bamboo baskets placed on the roadside. There was no business, just a small-scale operation. When asked how much these baskets cost, they poked their heads out from behind the door. Ask, big or small?

The chair in the barber shop must be old and has a lot of patina. Day after day, I cut off a bunch of troublesome silk. , cut her black hair into white hair.

One, ten, fifteen, this basket belongs to Aunt Li Er, and that pile belongs to Uncle Liu. I haven’t seen anyone in the past few days. I will give it to her later. Go over and see if Auntie is in good health.

Two Luhua chickens were looking for food in the bamboo forest. They were scattered. They were very happy.

We haven’t seen each other for many years. Farm tool stalls appeared in the camera. These farm tool stalls were the places my father took me to most. When I sat on his shoulders, my father always felt that the weight of my hoe gradually became lighter. Getting smaller and lighter. My father is gone, and the hoe is still hanging on the gable of my hometown, stained with rust.

This uncle seems to be a literate person, and he probably cares about everything. When I retire, I just read newspapers.

11. The food in the ancient town will challenge your taste buds

On a road trip in Xinchang Ancient Town, there will be almost nothing delicious for a week. It’s just that the rice dumplings are constantly changing. Some are wrapped in rice dumplings, some are wrapped in bamboo leaves, some are filled with bean paste, and some are filled with jujube paste.

Fried tofu, I don’t know how the tofu in Xinchang Ancient Town is made, but it can be fried so golden and soft, and it tastes super good.

You must try the special pork sausage. The blood clot is soft and smooth, and the fat intestine is oily but not greasy. Of course, remember it’s best if it’s spicy. Wang took the blood out of the basin, cut it into small pieces with the knife in his hand, put it in the pot and "scalded" it, and then took it out of the pot. It was a rancid sausage, but not too bad. You need to chew it. Pair it with chopped green onion, it’s delicious! Addicted!

You can also drink a glass of daughter’s medicinal wine with red bubbles. Different medicinal materials inside have different effects. There are few people in the store drinking bottled wine, and then they get a glass of Maotai red medicinal wine, a plate of peanuts, a plate of edamame, and a handful or two of cucumbers. Let them live together and nourish!

12. Hotel and B&B

When I am not on the street, I stay in the B&B, listening to the gurgling water outside the window during the day and the sound of frogs at night. Occasionally, a few fireflies fly in and light up the night sky.

Being deep and lazy, lying on the patio chair in the yard, with a literary style, flipping through the book in your hand, turning off the phone, you don’t have to worry about your image. You don’t know anyone anyway, so you can stay still all day.

You can also hold a parasol, walk across small bridges and flowing water, walk through winding corridors, and blend in with the crowds in Xinchang Ancient Town. The premise is that your Sichuan dialect must be authentic, otherwise when others talk to you about Trump, you will not hear the dialect and common sayings belonging to Xinchang people.

Walking through the Yong'an Covered Bridge and arriving at the other side of the river. A lot of new houses are being built here, which are much fancier than the old neighborhoods, but I still like the feel of the old neighborhoods.

On the old street, there is smoke from cooking, old people sunbathing, and teenagers going down to the river to touch shrimps and have water fights. It smells like home, feels like home.