Walking to the West Gate – China’s No. 1 Folk Village

Walking to the West Gate – China’s No. 1 Folk Village

This scenic area is located about 5 kilometers northeast of Toutaoqiao Town, Hangjinhou Banner, in the western part of Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia. It is 15 kilometers from National Highway 110 and the Beijing–Lhasa Expressway, offering convenient transportation. Situated in the triangular area between Linhe, Shanba, and Dengkou, the project had a total investment of 50 million yuan and was completed by the end of 2010. The total area covers over 3,000 acres, including approximately 1,000 acres of water surface, as well as interlaced wetlands and sand dunes. The overall environment features lush vegetation and abundant water resources.

Hangjinhou Banner is a typical region of “Walking to the West Gate” culture. It is precisely because of the nearly two-hundred-year development of irrigation agriculture in the Hetao area that a large population from inland regions migrated “to the West Gate,” forming a distinctive cultural zone where Mongolian and Han cultures intersect, and where northern cultures from Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Henan blend together. To explore this historical and cultural heritage and create a unique tourist attraction, the scenic area’s main brands are Shanxi Jin Merchant culture, “Walking to the West Gate” culture, and the great fusion of Central Plains culture with Mongolian culture. Drawing mainly on the historical origins of Hetao culture, the area organically combines and harmoniously coexists the early pure Mongolian nomadic culture with the farming culture and Central Plains culture created by immigrants during the Ming and Qing periods’ “Walking to the West Gate” migration. It dramatizes the legendary stories derived from “Walking to the West Gate” and creates a world-renowned immigrant history of blood and tears, establishing a new folk tourism market in the Hetao region.

The main functional areas of the scenic spot are divided into: the “Walking to the West Gate” Folk Custom Experience and Sightseeing Area, the Hetao Agriculture and Water Conservancy Development Exhibition Area, the Farming Culture Exhibition Area, the “Walking to the West Gate” Historical Reenactment and Experience Area, the Wedding Ceremony Area, and the Youth Coming-of-Age Ceremony Area.

The core area’s main structural framework consists of one street, three lanes, and nine major spaces. That is, one main street serves as the Farmhouse Specialty Snack Street, three sub-lanes are respectively Shaanxi Lane, Shanxi Lane, and Gansu Lane, and the nine major spaces showcase the architecture, folk customs, and culture of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu during the “Walking to the West Gate” period through residences, shops, temples, theaters, wedding ceremony venues, farming culture displays, youth coming-of-age ceremonies, and small museums. The architectural style is primarily solemn, grand, simple, and rustic, imitating the pre-Qing and late-Ming ancient buildings.

Toutaoqiao Town: Established as a town in January 2000, it is located in the southwestern part of Hangjinhou Banner. It borders Chagan Obo Township to the west, Nanxiaozhao Township to the east, neighbors Toutaoqiao Town to the south, and adjoins Sandaoqiao Town to the north. The total area is 80.7 square kilometers, with 3,317 households and a population of 12,136. It administers nine administrative villages: Dongfanghong, Dongfeng, Dongqu, Dongsheng, Qingfeng, Qinglong, Taiyangsheng, and Xiqu.

The town has flat terrain and fertile soil, with great potential for land development. The arable land area is 69,310 mu, the economic crop planting area is 19,399 mu, and the planting area is 2,500 mu. The total power of agricultural machinery… Toutaoqiao Town detailed information++