Tangjiaguan

　　Tangjiaguan is located 13 kilometers east of Dongping Town, the county seat of Anhua, along the Huai-Tao Highway. Across the Zishui River, nestled among lush green mountains and clear waters, you’ll find a row of ancient stilted houses — this is the thousand-year-old town of Tangjiaguan.

　　Situated on the northern bank of the middle reaches of the Zishui River, Tangjiaguan now has a population of over 1,600 residents, with as many as 60 different surnames, including some rarely seen in China. Their ancestors not only brought commodity information from all over the country, but also diverse local folk cultures. The interweaving of these various cultural customs has created Tangjiaguan’s unique cultural phenomenon.

　　Tangjiaguan boasts a rich array of historical, cultural, and humanistic landmarks, including the Jiezifu Furnace, Xinglong Pavilion, Wangye Temple, Huilong Temple, Jiuxiang Nunnery, the Ji Family Ancestral Hall, the Liao Family Ancestral Hall, the Xiangxiang Guildhall, the Shaoyang Guildhall, the bluestone-paved streets, the Jesus Church, the Gospel Church, and the Wanshou Palace. Among them is the “Liao Ruyuan Charcoal Shop,” where Comrade — once stayed while conducting underground work in Anhua. The profound cultural heritage blends seamlessly with the beautiful mountain and river scenery, forming the distinctive cultural character of Tangjiaguan.

　　According to experts, ancient architectural complexes as historic and well-preserved as Tangjiaguan’s are rare in China. Currently, the ancient town of Tangjiaguan has been listed as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit in Yiyang City, and is now applying for provincial-level key cultural relics protection status.