Zhongshan Ancient Town

Zhongshan Ancient Town

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

What a quaint and natural ink painting this is — on the riverside stone embankments, rows of wooden stilted houses with black-tiled roofs are leisurely aligned, meandering down naturally in a staggered formation, resembling a coiled dragon resting peacefully amidst verdant hills and clear waters. The nearby Sunchi River flows quietly beside the old street, serene and tranquil, with gentle ripples adding poetic charm to this classic ancient scene.

Locally known as Sanhechang, also called Longdongchang, Zhongshan Ancient Town is connected to the national scenic area of Simian Mountain. Nestled against the mountain and facing the water, the town’s architecture lines the riverbanks and consists of three small streets: Longdong, Huangzhongba, and Gaoshengqiao. In the past, Sanhechang was a bustling river port and a commodity distribution hub for the mountainous regions of Sichuan and Guizhou. Today, 82 surviving characters from a Southern Song Dynasty inscription document an outing by Li Jiyong, Yu Zixian, and others. There are also ancient tombs at the Pipa Rock Tomb Cluster.

The shops in the ancient town are its most representative feature. The commercial streets formed along the mountain slope stretch over 1,000 meters in length, layered and stepped. The covered walkways that span the streets are almost all “enclosed-style” buildings that block wind and rain without letting in sunlight — a design that takes full account of the unpredictable weather of eastern Sichuan. Most buildings are two-story stilted houses, with the ground floor used as shops and the upper floor for living. The shopfronts are spacious and easily combinable. The entire ancient town is roofed with grey tiles, featuring red-painted wooden board walls reinforced with bamboo strips, supported by round columns. It exudes an authentic, simple charm unique to Bayu-style homes.

The ancient town currently has 209 households, and traditional folk businesses such as blacksmiths, herbal medicine shops, and barbershops still thrive. At this time of late winter, the warm afternoon sun shines obliquely into the narrow old street, casting a golden hue onto a corner of the dark gray pavement, instantly bringing the ancient town to life. Walking along the old street paved with dark bluestone slabs, wandering through the winding alleys and stairways, the breeze that sweeps across the town is occasionally filled with the faint fragrance of medicinal herbs. The sparks flying from the blacksmith’s furnace and the rhythmic clang of hammering blend harmoniously into an unpolished yet artistic atmosphere. Under the eaves by the street, an elderly barber sits leisurely, like a painting that adds to the unique scene of peace and contentment in the ancient town. Historic architecture is the root of a city and an essential part of personal experience.

Zhongshan Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Jiangjin City. Around 1949, it was named Sanhe Township, became a commune in 1958, renamed Zhongshan Commune in 1980, established as Zhongshan Township in 1984, and became a town in 1993. Located in the southern part of the city, it is 48 kilometers from the municipal government. The area covers 56 square kilometers with a population of 18,000. It has road access. It administers 13 village committees: Xinpu, Xujia, Youjia, Yankou, Tonglin, Changle, Shatian, Shengtian, Zhengba, Niuyan, Chuandong, Longxiang, and Yur*, as well as one neighborhood committee: Sanhe. Local industries include hydropower, food processing, and woodwork. Major agricultural products are rice, silkworm cocoons, and live pigs. Forest resources... More details about Zhongshan Town++