Lanxi Ancient Street

Lanxi Ancient Street

Lanxi Ancient Street is situated at the junction of the Qiaojian (a branch of the Yangtze River) and the outlet of the Qingtong River. There are few historical records about Lanxi Street, and it is frequently compared to Heyue Old Street. Today, a street section over 500 meters long and 7 meters wide remains, paved with square stones. Most of the storefronts along the street have small tiled roofs and horse-head walls, giving off a strong Huizhou-style charm. Dàtōng was historically known as Lanxi. During the Tang Dynasty, the town was located at what is now the old town area of Guangrong Village, before gradually shifting to its current site. In the eighth year of the Yuanfeng era of the Song Dynasty (1085 AD), Dàtōng was officially established as a town. By the 1930s, the town had a population of nearly 100,000, earning it a place among the "Four Major Commercial Ports of Anhui" alongside Anqing, Wuhu, and Bengbu. Dàtōng boasts numerous cultural and historical sites. Historic landmarks include the Dashijiu Hua’s First Heavenly Gate — Dashige Pavilion, the Five-Li Pavilion, ancient wells from the Ming and Qing dynasties, a Catholic church, and a bell tower. According to historical records, figures such as Zhu Yuanzhang, Hong Xiuquan, Sun Yat-sen, and many scholars and poets once visited Dàtōng. Local specialties such as Dàtōng tea jerky, ginger, and sesame oil have long been well-known.

Dàtōng Town: Dàtōng is a famous ancient town in southern China with a history of a thousand years. It is located southwest of Tongling City, on the southern bank of the lower Yangtze River. To the northwest, it faces Zongyang across the river, while to the south, it borders Guichi and Qingyang via the Qingtong River. It is just 180 kilometers from Huangshan, known as the “World Park,” and 90 kilometers from Jiuhua Mountain, one of China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains. Dàtōng is traversed by the Tongqing Highway, Tonggui Highway, the Yangtze River Expressway, and the He-Tong-Huang Expressway, making it a hub and key passage for entering and exiting the southern Anhui tourism region. It serves as the northern gateway to Anhui’s “Two Mountains and One Lake” (Jiuhua Mountain, Huangshan, and Taihu Lake), and is the location of the First Heavenly Gate of Jiuhua Mountain.

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