Ciqikou Ancient Town

Ciqikou Ancient Town

Ciqikou Ancient Town is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Ciqikou Ancient Town, a millennia-old town and a microcosm of Chongqing, is located by the Jialing River in Shapingba District, Chongqing. It covers an area of 1.5 square kilometers with a population of 18,000.

Ciqikou Ancient Town is located within the urban area of Chongqing and administratively belongs to Shapingba District. The ancient town lies in the suburbs, bordered by the Jialing River to the east, Shapingba to the south, Tongjiaqiao to the west, and Shijingpo to the north. Just 3 kilometers from the bustling city center, it was first built during the Song Dynasty. Covering an area of 1.18 square kilometers, this key historical and cultural district of Chongqing has endured a thousand years of change.

It is a well-preserved traditional street.

Ciqikou got its name from its porcelain production. In 1918, local merchants raised funds to establish the “Shu Porcelain Factory” on Qingcaopo, which produced high-quality porcelain in a variety of styles using new techniques. The factory gained a growing reputation, and its products were sold across the province and beyond. Gradually, the name “Ciqikou” replaced “Longyin Town.” More than 20 ancient kiln sites have been discovered. Commercial activities were concentrated at the main dock and the nearby Jinrong Main Street. Today, Ciqikou Ancient Town retains a relatively complete collection of ancient architecture and features traditional performances such as oil pressing, silk reeling, sugar making, dough figurine crafting, and Sichuan opera, as well as a variety of traditional snacks and teahouses. The annual Ciqikou Temple Fair, held during Spring Festival, is the most distinctive traditional event in the town, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. It is the closest ancient town attraction to downtown Chongqing.

Ciqikou is a rare, classic traditional cultural and historical district. It is a picturesque destination rich in culture and scenery, boasting the unique landscape of “one river, two streams, three mountains, and four streets.” It is also a convenient place for leisure, entertainment, and reliving the old Chongqing dreams.

Ciqikou was first built during the Xianping era of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty (998 AD). It was also known as Longyin Town because Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yunwen, is said to have hidden and practiced Buddhism in Baolun Temple in the town. In the early Qing Dynasty, it became known as Ciqikou due to its thriving porcelain production and transport industry. As an important land-and-water port along the Jialing River, it was once bustling with activity — “thousands bowing by day, ten thousand lights shining by night” — and was praised as “Little Chongqing.”

Ciqikou has a rich historical and cultural heritage and is an extremely important part of Chongqing’s status as a historic and cultural city. It showcases distinctive aspects of Bayu culture, religious culture, Shaci culture, Hongyan culture, and folk culture: the rugged charm of ancient Bayu traditions, traditional teahouses preserving old-world charm, and the time-honored culture of river ports; the coexistence of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in the Nine Palaces and Eighteen Temples; the solemn historical sites of Hongyan martyrs from the war of resistance; the unique performances of Sichuan opera and fire dragon dances; a wide variety of exquisitely crafted traditional tourist products; and the famed local trio of spicy blood curd hotpot, thousand-layer bean curd sheets, and salted peanut snacks for you to savor and shop. “One stone-paved road, a thousand years of Ciqikou” — its vivid ethnic and regional characteristics demonstrate strong vitality and immense appeal, drawing over 3 million domestic and foreign visitors each year.

Originally named Baiya Market, Ciqikou began in the Xianping era of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty (998–1003 AD). It became a bustling commercial port during the Ming Dynasty, epitomized by the saying “thousands bowing by day, ten thousand lights shining by night.” In the early Qing Dynasty, it was named Ciqikou due to its production of blue-and-white porcelain. It was historically called Longyin Town.