Weng'an Caotang Millennium Ancient Town

Weng'an Caotang Millennium Ancient Town

Weng'an Caotang Millennium Ancient Town is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Caotang Ancient Town area is located in Houchang Town, Weng'an County, in the northeastern part of the county town, 16 kilometers from the county seat. National Highway S305 integrates Houchang Town into Guiyang’s one-and-a-half-hour economic circle. Weng'an is 89 kilometers west of the provincial capital Guiyang and 150 kilometers north of the historic city of Zunyi, and has been incorporated into Chongqing’s three-hour economic circle, becoming a secondary central area connecting Guiyang with Zunyi, Chongqing, and Chengdu, with distinct geographical advantages.

Houchang Town in Weng'an County has a history of over a thousand years. It was a renowned commercial hub in Guizhou’s history, known as the "Pearl of Central Guizhou," one of the "Four Famous Towns of Northern Guizhou," and one of the "Top Ten Rural Markets in Guizhou." Houchang has long been a place of thriving commerce and abundant resources. The Caotang Chetang tribal history can be traced back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and since the Han Dynasty, it has been under the administration of the central dynasties. Over thousands of years, various ethnic cultures have coexisted and merged. In modern times, it served as an important stop on the Red Army's Long March and is now a national patriotic education base. Additionally, the folk traditions of dragon and lion dancing in Caotang have a long history, earning it the title of "National Folk Art Dragon and Lion Village."

In recent years, Weng'an has combined historical and cultural imprints of Houchang to deeply explore outstanding merchant culture, Tusi culture, dragon and lion culture, humanistic culture, and red culture. It has restored ancient buildings such as the solid wood double-sided Grand Theater, the Cabinet Scholar’s Mansion, the First Jinshi Building of Qianshan, the Tusi Government Office, and the Huguang Guild Hall. It has also constructed and renovated historical relics including the Houchang Conference Exhibition Hall, the Zhuangke Gate, the Jian’an Gate, the Houchang Conference Site, and Mao Zedong’s Former Residence. A retro-style national-level tourist area, the "Caotang Millennium Ancient Town Tourist Area," has been developed, focusing on the Houchang township as the protected zone and the Houchang Red Culture New Village as the core area.

As a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, the Caotang Millennium Ancient Town Tourist Area is among the 100 key tourist destinations being developed in Guizhou Province. In 2014, it was honored as China’s Most Valuable Cultural (Heritage) Tourism Destination. Currently, Weng'an is striving to become a premium tourist destination that outshines others in central Guizhou and a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction. It is leveraging resource advantages, implementing in-depth development, and comprehensively enhancing the cultural depth of the Caotang Millennium Ancient Town.

Ticket: Joint ticket 80 RMB per person, single attraction ticket 30 RMB per person.

Discount: 1. Half-price ticket 40 RMB per person. Applicable to local residents of Weng'an County, children between 1.1 and 1.4 meters tall (including 1.4 meters), and seniors aged 60 to 69. Passengers with half-price tickets must present relevant personal identification upon entering the scenic area.

2. Free admission. Applicable to children under 1.1 meters tall, seniors aged 70 and above (with senior ID or ID card), tour guides, travel agency team leaders and managers (with professional qualification certificate), journalists (with press card), active-duty Chinese military personnel (with officer or soldier ID), and people with disabilities (with disability certificate). Eligible visitors for free admission must be accompanied by one full-price paying visitor. Upon entering the scenic area, relevant personal ID must be presented for verification. One full-price ticket allows entry for one eligible free-admission person.

Ticketing Hours: 9:00–16:00

Travel Routes: 1. Bus: Take bus No. 4 from Weng'an County Town directly to the Caotang Millennium Ancient Town Tourist Area in Houchang Town, fare 2 RMB; 2. Self-drive: The distance from Weng'an to the Caotang Millennium Ancient Town Tourist Area in Houchang Town is 14 kilometers, about a 20-minute drive.

Customer Service Hotline: 0854-2789999

Emergency Assistance Hotline: 0854-2781061

Tourism Supervision Hotline: 0854-2918719

Industrial and Commercial Complaint Hotline: 12315

Price Reporting Hotline: 12358

Ancient Town Grand Theater

Qishan Academy

Qianshan Jinshi Building