Tea Horse Ancient Road - Leshanfang

Tea Horse Ancient Road - Leshanfang

Tea Horse Ancient Road - Leshanfang is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

In history, Qishu was an important hub for salt transportation and a necessary route for salt transport from Zigong to Yibin. During the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty, local salt merchants Yan Changying and Li Zhenheng funded the construction of a road here to open up the salt transport passage and erected a merit stele named “Leshanfang.” Leshanfang became a significant waystation along this salt-horse ancient road. Its establishment pushed back the earliest historical record that mentions the name “Zigong” by 60 years. It plays an irreplaceable role in the study of salt transport and salt industry culture in Zigong during the Qing Dynasty, as well as urban development history, and stands as yet another cultural symbol of Zigong.

Leshanfang faces southwest to northeast, covering an area of about 16.5 square meters. It is a stone structure featuring a three-tiered, two-pillared single gate, standing 4.9 meters tall and 3.25 meters wide, with a gate opening 1.2 meters wide and 1.76 meters high. The front of the stone archway is covered entirely in carvings. The main gate embeds a stone tablet recording the road construction, above which is a plaque inscribed with the three characters “乐善坊” (Leshanfang), and the plaque reads “Upright and Peaceful.” The couplet on the pillars reads: “Building roads for millions to pass, Opening journeys for generations ahead.” The finial is intricately carved with openwork designs, while the back has no decorative patterns. The central part of the stone tablet also contains a tablet recording the road construction, with the inscription reading: “Road Construction Tablet by Yan Changying, Martial Virtue Cavalry Officer, and Li Zhenheng, Official of the Prefectural Rank, Two Benevolent Gentlemen.” The final line reads: “Composed respectfully by Huang Jinzhao, a presented scholar and candidate instructor; calligraphed reverently by Chen Lanfen, a government student. Autumn Month, First Year of Xianfeng Reign, Great Qing (1851).” Leshanfang is exquisitely designed, offering a sense of dimensionality, texture, verticality, and symmetry. Lighting is carefully considered, maintaining oblique illumination from sunrise to sunset so that both sides are evenly lit with suitable brightness. The architecture is meticulously constructed, with fine attention to structural detail, levelness, center of gravity, and vertical lines.

The carvings on Leshanfang are exquisitely crafted, with vivid depictions of flowers, birds, figures, lions, elephants, and spiral ornaments. The plaques and couplets on Leshanfang feature round-bottom carving techniques, giving them a solemn, dignified, and vigorous appearance. They remain intact and clearly visible to this day. In 2009, through emergency restoration efforts by the Ziliujing District Government, effective measures were taken to enhance the stability and resistance to weathering of Leshanfang.

In July 2008, the Ziliujing District Bureau of Culture and Sports designated Leshanfang as a cultural relics site. In February 2009, the Zigong Municipal Government announced Leshanfang as a Sixth Batch Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Leshanfang in Qishu neighbors the Feilong Gorge Scenic Area, a national-level water conservancy scenic spot, national 2A-level tourist attraction, and provincial forest park. It is located in the center of the old street of Qishu Township (commonly known as Qishu Dong) at the border between Zigong City and Yibin City. The old street of Qishu Township has well-preserved numerous buildings from the Qing Dynasty and Republican era. Together with Leshanfang, they complement each other, forming a rural tourism belt that plays an important role in developing rural tourism and boosting local economic growth. It is a new destination for historical exploration and leisure travel.