Wanling Ancient Town

Wanling Ancient Town

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

Surrounded by mountains and water, Wanling Ancient Town is flanked by the lofty Wanling Mountain and the serene Laixi River. The name “Lukou” comes from a heartwarming folk tale. Legend has it that a long time ago, there was an accomplished monk named Zhen’ao who wandered across the land. When he reached the Laixi River region, he discovered the area’s spectacular scenery—majestic mountains, dense woods, and a riverbank where deer carried flowers, birds sang in the forest as if paying homage to the phoenix, clear streams with playful fish, all signs of an auspicious place. He decided to settle here and build a temple for further spiritual practice. While scouting for a site on the high bank, he found six deep caves. Relying on his spiritual wisdom from years of Zen practice, he deduced they connected to the river. He instructed his young disciples to pour husks into the holes to test his theory. Two hours later, husks floated up from the middle of the Laixi River. From then on, people began calling the place “Leakhole River” or “Six-Hole River.” The present name “Lukou” evolved from these terms.

The Four Great Gateways

Taiping Gate is the eastern gate among the four main gateways of Dalong Fort in Wanling Town. Its name means “peace under heaven and tranquility for all,” and it once served as the political center of the ancient town. Hence, it is considered the foremost of the four gates. In counter-clockwise order, the others are Riyue Gate, Shizi Gate, and Hengsheng Gate.

Shizi Gate is the best-preserved gateway of Dalong Fort and serves as its western entrance. It features a double-door system, consisting of an outer and an inner gate, with thick planks and sturdy bars, making it highly secure. The circular holes on the inner wall were used to insert the bars to ward off invaders. This site was once a battleground; during the White Lotus Rebellion in the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, rebels breached the outer gate but failed to break through the inner one.

Hengsheng Gate, the southern gateway of Dalong Fort in Wanling Ancient Town, faces Riyue Gate from afar. Its name conveys the idea of “the sun rising and the moon enduring.” The old Ming-Qing street inside the fort reaches its highest point here, symbolizing that those who pass through will enjoy rising fortunes—officials gaining promotion, merchants prospering, and life ascending to higher realms.

Riyue Gate is the northernmost of the four main gates of Dalong Fort. Its tower houses a Riyue Pavilion, and just inside lies Yan Yu Alley. “A bridge spans the ancient ferry where mist and clouds gather; a fortress stands tall as sun and moon patrol.” Within the gate is an ancient jar-shaped well, 12.2 meters deep, with a hidden passage leading to the riverbed, covered by stone slabs weighing over a ton. Built during the Jiaqing reign, this well served as a wartime measure to secure water and transmit messages during prolonged sieges.

Erya Academy was established by Yu Maojian, Minister of Justice during the Ming Dynasty. In the 27th year of the Jiajing reign, he was penalized with a salary cut for defending the impeached official Xia Yan, who had criticized Yan Song. The following year, Yu resigned and returned to his hometown in Rongchang. Captivated by the beautiful landscapes along the Laixi River, he settled in Wanling and built this “Erya Academy” to educate his children in farming and scholarship. “Erya” refers to refined and profound speech. Near the town lies the joint tomb of Yu Maojian and his wife.

Tuowan Wharf was built in 998 AD (the first year of the Xianping era under Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty), boasting over a thousand years of history. Though damaged and repaired many times, its original structure remains. During the Southern Song Dynasty, tribute goods from Wanling such as royal honey, royal jelly, and cosmetic pollen were shipped from Tuowan Wharf down the Laixi River to the capital Lin’an.

The Huguang Guild Hall was funded and constructed in the ninth year of the Jiaqing reign by immigrants from Huguang as a community center. It consists of five parts: the shrine hall, council chamber, side rooms, theater stage, and courtyard. The main hall houses a statue of Yu the Great; side rooms were for guild leaders’ meetings; the theater and courtyard hosted gatherings or cultural events; side rooms were for studying or lodging. As the guild worshipped Yu the Great, it is also known locally as “Yuwang Palace” or “Yu Temple.”

A water mill is a human-powered saving device from ancient times. It involved placing a milling stone in a low area and channeling water from a higher elevation to turn the stone and grind grain. Although no longer used for milling, the surviving water mill has been restored as a decorative waterwheel for visitors.

The Zhao Clan Ancestral Hall was built in 1804 (sixty years after the clan’s migration to Sichuan) and renovated in 1908 (the 34th year of the Guangxu reign). Though refurbished multiple times, it retains its grand scale. The first level hosted gatherings and education; the second was for family meetings and enforcing rules; the third enshrined the deified emperors of the Song Dynasty and ancestral tablets for solemn ceremonies. The hall features lifted beams and interlocking brackets, carved beams and painted rafters, engraved stones and gilded decorations; its flush-gable roof and firewalls sit atop blue brick walls resembling soaring eagles. It showcases the culture of Qing-era migrants.

Dalong Bridge was constructed in the early years of the Zhengde reign during the Ming Dynasty. This stone slab bridge has a surface paved with large bluestones, each weighing around 10 tons. Spanning 116 meters in length and 1.75 meters in width, it has 24 spans connecting the east and west banks of Wanling. Originally, the central pier featured carved dragon heads and tails, which were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The current bridge, though restored several times, retains its original appearance and is a municipal cultural relic protected by Chongqing Municipality.

Shibati (Eighteen Steps) earned its name from the eighteen steps on its staircase. In the past, it was a bustling hub where merchants gathered and rival factions competed. Despite renovations over centuries, the Shibati steps have remained unchanged, bearing witness to the town’s transformation.

Yan Yu Alley lies within Riyue Gate of Dalong Fort. With towering walls on both sides and a narrow passage, it resembles a “line of sky.” On rainy or foggy days, when mist shrouds the river outside the gate, the alley becomes misty and dreamy, evoking the ambiance of the Jiangnan region, hence the name “Yan Yu” (Mist and Rain). In 2011, it was named Chongqing’s Most Beautiful Alley.

The Film and Television Culture Base was built in 2012 as the primary shooting location for the TV series “Tian Chuan Sichuan.” Covering nearly 20,000 square meters, it includes structures such as the county yamen, prefectural government compound, Zhao family residence, village head’s home, Huizhou-style dwellings, Cantonese-style homes, Ningxi residence, shops, city gate towers, city walls, and a earth god temple—showcasing the architectural style of Huizhou from the Qing Dynasty.

Baiyintan (Silver Beach), originally called “Dalong Beach,” is the fifth beach in the Laixi River’s legendary “Twenty-Four Mother-Looking Beaches.” It earned its name from the silver-like waterfall formed by a dam in the river. The beach features hundreds of round holes, which are glacial potholes formed during the Ice Age and later shaped by flowing water into varying sizes.

The Dalong Fort City Wall was built in the fifth year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1800 AD) to protect residents. This castle-style structure stretches 246 meters. Constructed using massive stones bonded with glutinous rice, mud, husks, and egg whites, the wall is surrounded by four major gateways. Though over two hundred years old, the towering and sturdy wall remains largely intact.

Zhao Family Dragon Bridge is located about 1 km southeast of Wanling Town. Built in the eighth year of the Jiaqing reign by Zhao Jingwen and others via funding from Pan Siqu, it is a stone arch bridge. The total span is 12 meters, height 3 meters, inner arch span 3.5 meters, length 8 meters, and width 2 meters. The bridge deck is flat, with dragon heads and tails sculpted on the facade. Inscriptions inside the arch such as “Spring, third month, eighth year of Jiaqing, assembled by donors” remain clearly visible.

The Embroidery Tower, also called “Qinfang Pavilion,” was originally the residence of a wealthy He family. The second floor was dedicated to the family’s daughters. In ancient times, young ladies of affluent families rarely appeared in public; their daily lives were confined to the embroidery tower. The building’s doors reflect a strict hierarchy—the central gate for elders and honored guests, the secondary gate for family members, and the small gate for servants.

The Ming-Qing Old Street was expanded during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty on the foundation of a Ming-era water wharf, preserving some Ming architecture. Stretching 502 meters with 102 stone steps winding down from the hilltop to the Laixi River, it resembles a dragon drinking water. The layout is ingenious and the design unique, featuring blue bricks, tiles, and flagstones, paneled doors and walls with lattice windows, upturned eaves, and interlocking brackets.

The Wanling Ship Lock was designed and built in 1942. Before its construction, ships traveling the Laixi River to Baiyintan faced obstacles, requiring transshipment or manual towing. To ensure supplies for wartime Chongqing, this lock was built to raise or lower boats with the water level, speeding up transport. Hence, it is also called the Anti-Japanese War Ship Lock.

In 2010, it was awarded the honorary title of “Fifth Batch of China’s Historical and Cultural Famous Towns” by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the National Cultural Heritage Administration. In December 2014, Wanling Ancient Town Scenic Area in Rongchang District, Chongqing, was officially approved as a national AAAA (4A) level scenic spot by the National Tourism Administration.

Source: Baidu Baike

Wanling Town: Under the jurisdiction of Rongchang District, Chongqing, Wanling Town is located at 29°29′26″N, 105°38′43″E, in the eastern part of Rongchang District. It borders Zhuxi Town of Dazu District to the north and east, Fenggao Subdistrict to the south, and Changzhou Subdistrict and Guchang Town to the west. It is a fortress-style ancient town that thrived on water and commerce. It is 8 km from downtown Rongchang, 6 km from Rongchang North Station on the Chengdu-Chongqing High-Speed Railway, and 90 km from central Chongqing. The Ronglu Highway runs through the town.

Wanling Town covers an area of 24.97 square kilometers, governs 3 villages and 1 community, with a total population of 11,805... More detailed information on Wanling Town++