The Scenic Beauty of Ma‘an

The Scenic Beauty of Ma‘an

Ma‘anchang in central Yilong is located 38 kilometers from Yilong County. It sits on a small saddle-shaped mountain pass south of Sanxingzhai, which stands at an elevation of 318 meters. As early as the Sui and Tang dynasties, there were several small inns on this pass, serving as resting spots for traveling merchants and peddlers from the Ba, Yilong, Ying, and Peng regions. Over time, the area gradually prospered, with increasing numbers of shops, eventually forming a small market town. Because it was situated among desolate hills and forests, it was initially named Huangshanchang (Desolate Mountain Market).

During the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, Ma‘anchang was renamed Yong’an Town. “Yong’an” conveys everlasting peace and long-term prosperity, symbolizing good fortune and celebration. At that time, Yong’an Town was under the jurisdiction of Dayin County. In the first year of the Guangde era of Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty (763 AD), Dayin County was renamed Pengchi County. Later, Yong’an Town was abolished, and the place returned to being called Ma‘anchang. Ma‘anchang lies like a giant python stretched across the foot of Ma‘an Mountain, neighboring market towns such as Xinsi, Qilong, Liuya, Fulin, Shuanglong, and Shifo. It serves as a key distribution hub for goods in central Yilong. The narrow streets appear neat, attractive, and exquisitely built. At the head of the market stands an ancient temple called Ma‘ansi, which now houses the Ma‘an Primary School.

Both Ma‘anchang and Ma‘ansi derive their names from the nearby Ma‘an Mountain. At the northern and southern ends of the town, there are temples on each side—the northern end features the three-story, four-cornered, double-eaved “Zhangye Tower.” Legend has it that the tower was built to commemorate the achievements of Zhang Fei, the third brother of the Three Sworn Brothers—Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei—from the Shu Han period in the Peach Garden Oath. Unfortunately, it was demolished during the “Cultural Revolution.” About 50 meters past Zhangye Tower, there are four abruptly rising firewalls, each approximately 10 meters high. Between the walls are two temples—one is called the “Yuwang Palace,” and the other the “Dragon Mother Palace.” Each firewall has a round arched stone gate in the middle, through which the street passes.

On the “saddle” rock of Ma‘an Mountain behind the market, there used to be a three-story Guanyin Pavilion, surrounded by ancient trees that reached to the sky, with green grounds covering the earth, revealing the gray-brown roof and ochre-red railings. Visitors could ascend the pavilion for scenic views, leaning on the railings to gaze at distant and near high mountains and rugged strongholds like Longcheng, Jingu, Liangzhong, and Sanxing. Exiting through the gate of Guanyin Pavilion, one would step onto a stone stairway path, slowly descending to reach the left firewall of the Yuwang Palace, which leads straight to the center of the street. This paints a general picture of the ancient market of Ma‘an.