Aiyi Ancient Town Scenic Area

Aiyi Ancient Town Scenic Area

Aiyi Ancient Town Scenic Area is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Aiyi Ancient Town Scenic Area is located in Aiyi Town on the banks of the Xushui River in the Xicheng District of Gongjing, on the upstream and upwind side of Zigong—the "Southland Lantern City" and "Hometown of Dinosaurs." It sits along Aiyi Ancient Street Six, about 2 kilometers from Gongjing’s urban area and 10 kilometers from downtown Zigong. The scenic area is adjacent to National Highway S305, with expressways such as the Chengdu-Chongqing, Chengdu-Zizhong-Luzhou, and Leshan-Longchang all within a 30-minute drive.

Aiyi Ancient Town gained its fame through salt and flourished because of the salt flats. It marks the origin of Zigong’s well salt industry and is an important part of the city’s historical and cultural heritage, as well as a key area of the Gongjing Ancient Town. It is also within the Zigong UNESCO Global Geopark and is known as the “First Salt Transport Flat” and the starting point of the “Eight-Mile Qinhuai.” The town of Aiyi, where the ancient town is located, is now recognized as a China Historical and Cultural Town, a tourism-focused pilot town in Sichuan Province’s Hundred Towns Construction initiative, and its core areas—Lijiaqiao Community and Zhulin Village—are designated as Traditional Chinese Villages. The town hosts 15 cultural heritage sites at various levels (including 2 national and 2 provincial), 18 cultural heritage protection spots, and 29 other historic ruins or sites. The production base of Gong Fan, one of Zigong’s “Three Treasures” and a Time-Honored Chinese Brand, is located in the core protected area.

The core area of the scenic zone spans 3.11 square kilometers and serves as a cultural tourism hub showcasing the historical legacy of Zigong’s “Well Salt Culture.” It was designated as a national AA-level tourist attraction in 2016.

Source: Zigong Municipal People's Government

Aiyi Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Gongjing District, Zigong City. Established as the Aiyi Commune in 1959, it was restructured as Aiyi Township in 1982 and merged with Aiyi Subdistrict to form Aiyi Town in 1995. Located in the northwest of the district, it is 4 kilometers from the district government. Covering an area of 15.3 square kilometers with a population of 20,000, it is traversed by the provincial Ziyang-Yaan Highway. The town administers 10 village committees (Gaokan, Shigun, Zhulin, Baishu, Meng’ao, Tangbian, Gunlong, Zhuangfang, Shatang, and Liufang) and 7 neighborhood committees (Ganzijiao, Jiucizu, Aiyi Street, Lijiaqiao, Tudihe, Qianjin, and Damatu). Local enterprises include those in machinery, building materials, and chemicals. The main agricultural products are rice, … More details about Aiyi Town++