Zhangdu Hanging Attic

　　The Hanging Attic is situated in Zhangdu Town, southwest of Jing County, and is a uniquely distinctive ancient residential building. It features a tile-roofed wooden structure with shops in the front and residences in the back. One side of the houses faces the river, supported by wooden pillars suspended over the Qingyi River. The river flows quietly beneath them, exuding a strong flavor of the Jiangnan water town. As the buildings are connected one after another, stretching for one or two li, and use over a thousand wooden pillars, it is called the "Thousand Legs of Jiangnan."

　　 Across the river, gray-tiled wooden houses are lined up along the bank, resembling a long wooden raft floating downstream. At night, when the lights are on, their reflections shimmer on the water, creating a spectacular scene of "ten thousand glowing homes" above and below the water, complementing each other beautifully. Viewed individually, each house resembles a lantern hanging from a pole, hence it is also called the "Hanging Lantern Attic." Since the main beams of the houses are supported by wooden pillars suspended in the air, it has earned a third name — the "Hanging Attic." A single architectural complex having such rich and vivid names is a testament to the ingenuity of its builders and the deep affection people hold for it.

　　 There are no precise historical records regarding when Zhangdu Town was first established. According to historical accounts, during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, Zhang Zongdao laid out the foundation of the town and left behind the auspicious saying, "a town that will never fall." In fact, even as early as the Tang Dynasty, when the poet Li Bai visited Jing County, he referred to Zhangdu as the "First Town West of the River," indicating its long history. Blessed with a superior geographical setting of mountains at its back and water in front, and with the Qingyi River being the most bustling transportation route of its time in Jing County, the traditional Chinese concept of "building houses against the mountain and settling villages by the water" led to rapid population growth in Zhangdu Town. It quickly flourished and became the second-largest commercial hub of ancient Jing County (the largest being Matou, now within the territory of Qinxi Township). Today, in the reconstructed streets of the Hanging Attic, one can still glimpse the prosperity of those times. The six stone stairways leading down to the river remind us of the bustling crowds shuttling between the docks and the streets back then. The town’s residences, wooden shop fronts, and workshops stand in close rows, nestled along the riverbank and built facing the water, twisting and extending in an ancient charm. Residents here "open the door to the street and push the window to see the river," reflecting a harmonious unity between people and nature, making this ancient town exceptionally enchanting.