Guanqian Folk Culture Village in Pucheng

Guanqian Folk Culture Village in Pucheng

The village is located within Shuibei Street Town, Pucheng County, approximately 23 kilometers southeast of the county seat. It is formed by the combination of three villages: Shangfang, Zhongfang, and Xiavang. Jindou Mountain stands across the creek from the village, and because there is a Jindou Taoist Temple on the mountain, the place is named Guanqian. Behind the village, there are three hills— one with yellow soil and one with white soil, commonly referred to as Golden Hill and Silver Hill respectively, while the third, shaped like a turtle, is called Turtle Hill. The Nanpu Creek and the Linjiang Creek converge here, hence the reputation “where two waters meet, and three hills stand in beauty, truly a scenic gem of Nanpu.”

Historically, Guanqian was an important water transport hub in Pucheng. It served as a vital route for merchants and officials traveling north to the Central Plains and south to Fujian. Daily, boats came and went like shuttles. Coupled with the beautiful scenery of Jindou Mountain, travelers often moored their boats here. Along the creek, wine shops, singing halls, inns, and warehouses stood in close succession. After the road was opened in 1958, land transport gradually replaced water transport, and the once-thriving prosperity of Guanqian Village gradually declined. However, its quaint streets remain, along with its ancient docks and stilted buildings that catch the eye. The village is built along the hillside and creek, with streets divided into Front Street, Horizontal Street, and Half Street, stretching over 1,000 meters in total. Within the village are the Tianhou Palace, Shui- (possibly a truncated name), Guan Di Temple, the ancestral halls of the Zhou, Zhang, Ye, and Xie families. The existing Zhang Family Ancestral Hall was built during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era (1573–1620), renovated in the 56th year of the Kangxi reign (1717) of the Qing Dynasty, covers an area of over 400 square meters, and is well preserved; the Ye Family Ancestral Hall was built in the 2nd year of the Daoguang reign (1822) of the Qing Dynasty, covering over 400 square meters, and is also well preserved; the Xie Family Ancestral Hall still exists. There are also four uniquely designed street pavilions. To the west of the village lies the Chanji Temple. Six kilometers downstream along the creek to the south of the village lies Jiushidu, a famous scenic area in Pucheng and now one of the county’s renowned attractions.

Source: People's Government of Nanping City

Shuibei Street Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Pucheng County. In 1958, it belonged to Guanqian Commune; in 1961, it was split off and renamed Shuibei Commune; in 1981, due to a naming conflict, it was renamed Shuibei Street Commune; in 1984, it became a township; in 1993, it was upgraded to a town. Located in the southeastern part of the county, on the middle and upper reaches of the Nanpu Creek, it is 25 kilometers from the county seat. The town covers an area of 328 square kilometers and has a population of 23,000. It is accessible by road. The town administers 24 areas: Shuibei, Shangfang, Zhongfang, Huangbi, Zhuxi, Shuangdun, Yanbi, Qiaoting, Xinqiao, Wengcun, Maozhou, Chenyuan, Zhudun, Luoyuan, Shibu, Pengwei, Caocun, Jiling, Shuwei, Peidun, Donglu, Fuqiao, Shangshanqiao, Xiavang … Detailed information about Shuibei Street Town ++