Chenghuang Hall

Chenghuang Hall

Chenghuang Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

Guide:

Located at the eastern end of the town street, it was built in the late Ming Dynasty. The hall is spacious, with three sections front to back, featuring majestic architecture, upturned eaves, and a grand presence, making it the most prominent among all temples in the area.

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The first section has five bays, with the mountain gate connected to the Wannian Stage, which bears a plaque inscribed with “Mirror of Ancient and Modern” from the 5th year of the Yongzheng reign (1725) of the Qing Dynasty. A covered walkway in front of the stage connects to the main hall, while the east and west side chambers house an opera-viewing pavilion upstairs, and downstairs contain the “Shrine of Lu Xiazi” and the “Shrine of Duke Zheng,” among others.

The main hall has three bays and is tall and imposing. The roof ridge is decorated with “clouds and dragons,” with a bronze mirror in the center and the four characters “National Peace and People’s Safety” on either side. The upturned eaves are adorned with hanging blue plaques with gold characters that read “Seal of Eternal Guardian Duke Li.”

The stone pillars inside the hall sit atop intricately carved drum-shaped pedestals. The large columns on both sides feature dragons with claws outstretched, appearing to dance and coil in mid-air. At the center of the hall is a square table where the Chenghuang “Eternal Guardian Duke Li” sits, flanked by a seated statue of his son in a ceremonial palace. The statues are austere and commanding, exuding righteousness.

The rear hall consists of three large rooms, with fifteen rooms on each side wing. In the middle is a large courtyard, flanked by flower stands planted with two phoenix trees. To the east of the mountain gate are the Yong’an Bridge and the Water Pavilion, which house the “Zhuge Wuhou Shrine,” the “Heavenly Medicine Shrine,” and the “Tang and Ma Shrines.”

The western side chambers of the hall were used in the early Republican period as guildhalls for the cotton and cloth trades, as well as the Shengsheng Flower Shop. In the 11th year of the Republic of China (1922), the eastern side chambers of the rear section and the upper floor of the main hall were converted into school classrooms. In front of the front hall corridor, small stalls offering fortune-telling, dental services, and divination were set up, bustling with market-goers.

In the early years of the People’s Republic, Buddhist activities continued as before. In 1958, during the mass steel production campaign, earthen blast furnaces were built inside the hall, causing damage to the structure.

Dining / Accommodation / Shopping:

Dining: Bao Lin Restaurant in town sells coiled sausages and displays small jars of yellow wine. The owner, Shen Baolin, is widely known. His fame attracted television crews, making him an ambassador for promoting Chang’an, Shaoxing.

Specialty: Renchang Sauce Garden, established in the 18th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1892), covers an area of 7 mu and is the oldest and largest soy sauce producer in Shaoxing. It is now also a tourist attraction in the ancient town.

Accommodation: There are private guesthouses in town, with beds costing only 15–30 yuan each.

Transportation:

By car: Exit at the Keqiao interchange of the Shanghai-Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway, then drive about 5 kilometers to Anchang Town.

By bus: From Shaoxing Passenger Transport Center or the West Bus Station (near Shaoxing International Hotel), take bus 118. The last bus from Shaoxing to Anchang departs at 8:00 PM, with a fare of 3 yuan and a frequency of every 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can take bus 208 from Keqiao Town directly to Anchang.

Tickets / Opening Hours:

If you’re just visiting the ancient town, no ticket is required.

However, there are six exhibition halls inside, such as the Memorial Hall of Shaoxing Shiyeh, the Anchang Folk Customs Museum, and the former site of Bank of China, with a combined ticket price of 50 yuan.

Individual tickets: 10 yuan for the Shiyeh Memorial Hall and 5 yuan for the Folk Customs Museum.

You can also take a covered boat ride along the ancient town’s canals—single trip 10 yuan per person, round trip 20 yuan per person.

Address: Anchang Town, Keqiao District, Shaoxing City