Tanghe Ancient Town

Tanghe Ancient Town

Tanghe Ancient Town is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Tanghe Ancient Town is located in Jiangjin County, Chongqing. This quaint and historic small town, known for its splendid ancient architectural culture, simple and unadorned folk customs, and picturesque surroundings, was among the first to be designated as a historical and cultural town by Chongqing Municipality. Located in the southwestern part of Jiangjin City, Chongqing, at the junction of Chongqing and Sichuan, it lies within the Heishishan–Gunziping Scenic Area (a provincial-level scenic spot in Chongqing), borders Baisha Town to the northeast, is adjacent to the Chengdu–Chongqing Railway and the Yangtze River’s golden waterway, and neighbors Hejiang County in Sichuan to the southwest. The planned Chongqing–Yunnan Corridor runs through the area. It is 65 km from Jiangjin and 112 km from Chongqing.

Tanghe Ancient Town has a long history. Human habitation dates back 2,000 years. Since the Ming Dynasty, when the Wangye Temple was built, houses were gradually constructed, forming a settlement that flourished during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era. The town gets its name from the Tanghe River, which flows around it. Tanghe has always been under the jurisdiction of Jiangjin: during the Qing Dynasty, it belonged to Sixianli; in the 10th year of the Republic of China, it was part of Shizhen Township; in the 30th year of the Republic of China, it became an independent township; after liberation, it remained a township under Yongxing District. In 1994, when districts and townships were merged, Tanghe was established as a town. In 2001, Jiangjin readjusted the size of its townships, and Tanghe remained a town, governing six villages and one residential community, covering an area of 64 square kilometers with a population of 18,000. As a key transportation hub and trade distribution center for Chongqing, Sichuan, and Guizhou, the Tanghe area had long been a bustling place with continuous boat and horse traffic and numerous merchants, accumulating a rich and splendid civilizational history.

Tanghe Ancient Town currently preserves nearly 40,000 square meters of Ming and Qing dynasty ancient architecture, mainly distributed across three areas: the Tanghe Old Streets, Shilongmen Manor, and Tingzhong Ancestral Hall. The Tanghe Old Streets cover 2.8 hectares and feature more than 15,000 square meters of ancient buildings showcasing various architectural styles and characteristics from the Ming and Qing dynasties to later periods. The streets are built along the mountainside, winding up in steps from the riverbank docks. The main street, about 600 meters long, connects Hengjiezih and Miaoxiangzi, two smaller lanes, and is guarded by three fortress gates. Buildings along the ascending streets mostly have bluestone foundations, brick-and-wood walls, exquisitely upturned eaves, carved beams, painted rafters, and are laid out in charming disorder—an absolutely stunning sight.

Amidst the overlapping rooftops of the old town, several rare Huizhou-style buildings in the Bashu architectural tradition stand out, causing wonder and admiration. The Wangye Temple, built in the Ming Dynasty, still retains its original appearance. Both the main hall and the opera stage feature soaring upturned eaves and painted walls. The stage’s plaque still displays depictions of pine, bamboo, and plum, along with seal and regular script characters, reflecting its former grandeur. Across the street from the Wangye Temple is Longmen Number, a gathering place for local boatmen in ancient times. With its horse-head gables, rolled awnings, bracket sets, and mortise braces, the building showcases exquisite craftsmanship and design, evidence of its heyday as a guildhall for the boatmen’s association. At the highest point of Tanghe Ancient Town stands the majestic Qingyuan Palace, built in the 13th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, only remnants of its walls remain today.

The Zhu Family Western-Style Building, constructed along the street, is uniquely distinctive. It skillfully blends Chinese and Western architectural techniques, embedding Western architectural elements into the midst of traditional Chinese structures. Witnessing this fusion of Eastern and Western cultures in this remote mountainous area is truly astonishing.

Over the centuries, the town has developed unique and profound folk customs. During festivals, temple fairs, opera performances, and rituals honoring deities create a lively atmosphere. Shops selling straw raincoats and bamboo hats, roadside embroidery workshops, bamboo mat weaving houses, fiery red blacksmiths’ forges, old-fashioned teahouses and taverns are everywhere. Sichuan Opera performances, stone carving skills, weddings in bridal sedans, bamboo rafting on the Tanghe River, and leisurely fishing boats all paint a picture of a relaxed and idyllic life.

Stepping into Tanghe, visitors can’t help but be drawn into the well-preserved natural landscape and the charm of traditional historical culture. The town is home to the magnificent Gunziping, dense forests, precipitous caves, verdant bamboo along the riverside, ancient clusters of Alsophila spinulosa (tree ferns), as well as numerous historical and cultural relics, all adding enchanting allure to the ancient town. It has become a rare gem on the Chongqing–Sichuan–Guizhou Golden Triangle tourism route, which the nation is actively developing.

The distinctive features of Tanghe Ancient Town include: long history, beautiful environment, abundant cultural relics, unique customs, and pristine wilderness. “Long History”: human habitation began in the Western Han Dynasty; the market was established in the Ming Dynasty and flourished in the Qing Dynasty. “Beautiful Environment”: the Tanghe River that flows around the town is flanked by lush bamboo, layered green hills, and meandering clear waters. “Abundant Cultural Relics”: including 18 municipal- and town-level protected sites such as Ming and Qing ancient architecture, temples, steles, manors, ancestral halls, guildhalls, fortress gates, plank roads, and ancient bridges, as well as the nationally renowned 32111 Drilling Team Heroes Memorial. “Unique Customs”: the traditional old streets, along with age-old local customs, folkways, and sentiments, create a unique and colorful tapestry.

“Pristine Wilderness”: Chongqing’s largest cluster of Alsophila spinulosa evokes a sense of ancient mythology. Tanghe Town boasts the provincial-level Gunziping Scenic Area, is one of Chongqing’s ten most famous historical and cultural towns, and contains the city’s largest cluster of primitive tree ferns. With its stunning natural scenery, ancient and simple folk customs, splendid historical and cultural heritage, it holds great value for historical preservation, architectural art, and tourism.