Wangkeng Ridge Ancient Trail

Wangkeng Ridge Ancient Trail

The Wangkeng Ridge Ancient Trail is a cultural heritage site protected by Jixi County.

Wangkeng Ridge Ancient Trail (Linxi Huizhou Merchants' Ancient Trail)

Located in Zhoukeng Village, Linxi Town, it leads to southern She County and is 12 kilometers from the county seat. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, it has been an ancient trail used by Huizhou merchants. At that time, people from Jixi often walked along the Wangkeng Ridge Ancient Trail to Shendu in She County before taking boats to Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Hu Xueyan started his business journey to Jiangsu and Zhejiang via this trail. The section of the trail within Jixi spans 5 li, with flagstones approximately 1.6 meters wide. It is largely well-preserved and holds significant value for studying the transportation in Huizhou during the Ming and Qing periods as well as the entrepreneurial journey of Jixi merchants. A tea house and Guan Yu Temple were originally built at the halfway point on the ridge to provide resting spots, free tea, and shelter from rain for passing merchants. Due to years of neglect, both structures have become severely dilapidated. Along the route, there is also a boundary pavilion marking the division between Jixi and She counties. The gate tower on the Jixi side is inscribed with the words “Path to Ancient She,” while the one on the She County side reads “Road to Huayang.”

Linxi Town: Situated at the southern tip of Jixi County, Linxi Town is one of the historic towns of ancient Huizhou. Historically, it was a renowned hub for water and land transport, serving as a distribution and trade center for goods. The town enjoyed commercial prosperity and was rich in cultural heritage. It currently covers an area of 96 square kilometers, with a total population of 10,815 (including 6,903 laborers). The town administers 5 village committees, 43 natural villages, and is divided into 49 villager groups.

Linxi Town boasts distinctive local features and resource advantages. It lies in a low mountain and hilly region, at the junction of the branches of Huangshan and Tianmu Mountains. The area is rich in resources, with mountainous land spanning 5,500... More detailed information about Linxi Town++