Houliu Ancient Town

　　   Houliu Ancient Town is situated by Lotus Lake, 23 kilometers south of Shiquan County. The town is surrounded by water on three sides, forming a peninsula-like shape. It is simple, unsophisticated, and has a long history. The Bamu Tian area, located on the lower street of Houliu, was identified by provincial archaeologists as a Neolithic site after excavation. A large number of stone axes and other stone tools were unearthed here in the 1960s and 1970s, indicating that ancestors had already settled and thrived here during the Neolithic Age, creating a splendid ancient civilization.

　　   The Han River serves as a north-south transportation hub. According to records, the Houliu Wharf was an important waterway hub in ancient times, with dozens of merchant ships docked on the river every day. Workers were busy loading and unloading cargo, while ships sailed downstream or upstream, presenting a scene of bustling activity. Judging from the ruins of the thousand-year-old Stone Buddha Temple and the Fire God Temple, Houliu Ancient Town was already very prosperous before the Ming Dynasty. Historically, Houliu was known for its tung oil production. People built stone embankments along the river and established oil workshops to produce tung oil, hence the name "Oil Workshop Bank." During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were more than ten oil workshops in the town, shipping over 400 baskets (approximately 50 tons) of tung oil annually via waterways to Wuhan. Tung oil was packed in bamboo baskets, and Houliu was covered with bamboo forests, where the bamboo weaving craft was highly refined. Although merchant ships no longer ply these waters, bamboo forests remain one of Houliu’s defining features. According to local elders, in the past, the streets of Houliu were bustling with merchants, trade flourished, and the main streets were lined with well-known inns, restaurants, and pharmacies.

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　　   Today, Houliu retains its ancient town charm relatively intact. The narrow, long, and simple flagstone streets, the continuous rows of wooden storefronts along the street, as well as the thousand-year-old Chinese honey locust tree, the Fire God Temple, and the ruins of the ancient Stone Buddha Temple all seem to tell the story of Houliu’s former glory.

　　   The location of Houliu Ancient Town is now known as Houliu Water Town, situated in the southern part of Shiquan County, on the western bank of the Han River, 22 kilometers from the county seat. It is a bay of over 500 acres formed by the backflow of water from the Xishui Hydropower Station reservoir and the return flow of the Zhongba River, closely connected to Houliu Ancient Town. The lake features rippling blue waters, leisurely wild ducks, wide views, and pleasant scenery.

　　   The scenic area enjoys convenient transportation, with the high-grade Shizi (Shiquan–Ziyang) Highway passing through it. Waterway transportation is also highly developed, giving it a very advantageous geographical location. The thousand-year-old ancient town charm remains faintly visible, and the cultural relic site of the Fire God Temple is largely well-preserved. The story of Wang Fantang, a notable figure from the War of Resistance, is widely known. In terms of tourism location, it is eastward to Yanzi Cave Scenic Area and westward to Zhongba Grand Canyon.

　　   Houliu Water Town offers visitors a leisurely and pleasant recreational space, characterized by South Shaanxi charm, Han River culture, and water-based activities. The scenic area is filled with lush green mountains and serene waters, featuring well-preserved ecological environments. It boasts abundant water landscape resources as well as rich flora and fauna, making up a rare natural ecological treasure trove. Currently, the renovation of Houliu Ancient Town and the construction of tourism infrastructure in the water town are underway.