Ningchang Ancient Town

Ningchang Ancient Town

Ningchang Ancient Town is among the first group of historical and cultural towns designated by the Chongqing Municipal Government. Nestled in Wuxi County, the town is built against mountains and beside water, with narrow flagstone streets and ancient structures such as stilted houses and overhead passageways stretching 3.5 km along the Houxi River, earning it the nickname "Seven-Li One-Sided Street." With over 4,000 years of salt-making history, in ancient times it was a paradise where “no need to weave or spin, yet clothes were had; no need to farm or sow, yet food was plenty.” It flourished as the homeland and capital of the ancient Wuxian Kingdom during the reign of Emperor Yao. The town thrived because of its salt industry; historically, it was home to commanderies, supervisory regions, prefectures, and counties, enjoying such glory as “a spring flows white jade, and gold travels thousands of miles,” “goods from Wu and Shu converge here,” and “benefits shared across Qin and Chu, blessings bestowed through Han and Tang dynasties.” Thus, Ningchang Ancient Town is the birthplace and cradle of ancient human civilization in the Three Gorges region, often hailed as the world’s “Ancient Salt Capital” and the originator of artisan workshops worldwide. Moreover, the 1506 salt workers’ revolt that erupted here predates the European labor movement by over 300 years, making it a precursor to the global workers' movement.

Ningchang Ancient Town boasts profound cultural heritage, traditional folk customs, and serene, picturesque landscapes. It is a newly developed cultural tourism attraction in Chongqing, a premium destination along the Xi’an–Three Gorges north-south travel corridor, a highlight among new Three Gorges ancient towns, a unique gem at the intersection of Chongqing, Shaanxi, and Hubei, a top-tier ancient town on the “Golden Triangle” golden tourist route of Fengjie–Wuxi–Wushan, and China’s “Ancient Salt Capital and Hometown of the Wu and Ba Peoples.”

Ningchang Ancient Town is one of China’s early salt-producing sites. According to *Annotations and Maps to the Huayang Guo Zhi*: “During the Yu and Xia periods, the Wu Kingdom prospered through the salt industry,” dating back approximately 5,000 years. Natural brine springs flow from caves in Baoyuan Mountain to the north of the town. Since the pre-Qin era, when the salt industry flourished, Ningchang Ancient Town established supervisory regions, prefectures, and counties due to its salt production, becoming one of China’s top ten salt capitals during the Ming and Qing dynasties.