Tianzhou Ancient Town

Tianzhou Ancient Town

Tianzhou Ancient Town is situated on the north bank of the Baidong River in Tianzhou Town, Tianyang District, Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Tianyang District neighbors Tiandong County to the east, connects with Debao and Jingxi Counties to the south, extending all the way to the China-Vietnam border, neighbors Youjiang District to the west, and adjoins the world-renowned longevity destination of Bama Yao Autonomous County to the north. The land along both banks of the Youjiang River in the area is flat, the southern region consists of large limestone mountain areas, and the north is characterized by earthen hills and forested belts. The entire county presents a tourism distribution pattern of “mountains and waters” in the south, “human culture” in the central area, and “forests” in the north. It also lies on Baise’s classic red tourism route and serves as a key passage from Yunnan to Beihai.

Covering an area of 1,500 mu, Tianzhou Ancient Town has a total construction area of approximately 900,000 square meters and a total investment of 2.5 billion yuan. It is a large-scale cultural tourism complex project that integrates commerce, residential living, and cultural tourism, using ancient architecture as the platform and the culture of the Zhuang ethnic group as its “soul.”

The ancient town features a wide variety of functional buildings, including large shopping malls, five-star tourist hotels, inns, bars, restaurants, KTVs, spas, clubs, quadrangle courtyards, sacrificial altars, ancestral pagodas, Buluotuo Square, Tusi government offices, Zhuang ethnic cultural history museums, and more. These elements are combined with the local historical, cultural, and rich natural resources to shape the distinctive character of Tianzhou Ancient Town. With its diverse architectural styles, flowing water, small bridges, and ever-changing scenic views, the town is a 5A-level tourist attraction that meets various needs such as dining, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment.

While inheriting regional culture and enhancing the quality of regional tourism, Tianzhou Ancient Town maximizes commercial value to drive regional economic development. In 2013, the Tianzhou Ancient Town project was listed as a major project promoted at the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region level. In October 2013, the construction of Tianzhou Ancient Town officially commenced. On November 6, 2014, the ancient town officially opened its streets to welcome visitors, with districts such as Buluotuo Avenue, Baidong River Night Market, and the Catering Culture Street successively opening. On April 25, 2015, the ancient town officially opened to the public, with zones such as Bauhinia Square and Moon River Bar Street officially launched. The town’s Welcome Plaza, Wellness Plaza, Ya Wang Pavilion, and the grand gateway with ethnic architectural features had been completed. Cultural displays such as bronze drums, lion dances, embroidered balls, Zhuang brocade, Zhuang ethnic banquets, and Moon Maidens, along with captivating performances, were presented to visitors. By the end of June 2015, the total number of tourists received at Tianzhou Ancient Town had reached 1.7 million, and the total commercial turnover reached 50 million yuan. Tianzhou Ancient Town is gradually becoming a new hotspot for tourism in western Guangxi, serving as the urban cultural center of Tianyang District, and China’s premier ancient town tourism destination showcasing Zhuang culture is steadily taking shape before the world.

The cultural positioning of Tianzhou Ancient Town is to deeply explore the local Zhuang culture, with Zhuang culture as the soul of the project. While promoting and inheriting this culture, it maximizes the transformation of resource advantages to drive the development of Tianyang’s tourism industry and realize the modernization process of Tianyang City.

The design of Tianzhou Ancient Town’s tourism products and the development of its tourism projects should firmly grasp the five cultural trump cards of Tianyang: “Buluotuo culture, Wazo Tusi culture, Zhuang ethnic song fair culture, lion dance culture, and red culture.” These should be deeply explored for their cultural connotations, and cultural elements should be closely integrated with market demand to develop tourism products that feature both cultural highlights and market appeal.