The Three-Provinces Stone of Bailang

　　Bailang Street is nestled against the mountains to the southwest and encircled by water to the northeast. Between the mountains and the water are thousands of acres of fertile farmland, with fields crisscrossed by paths and surrounded by irrigation ditches, resembling a typical Jiangnan village. Crossing the Danjiang River to the east leads to Jingziguang, a key town in Xichuan County, Henan Province; traveling upstream reaches the county seat of Danfeng in Shaanxi. Though this street, jointly administered by three provinces (Shaanxi, Henan, and Hubei) and covering an area of less than one thousand square meters, has long served as a major thoroughfare and strategic hub connecting these regions through history. Bailang Street is divided into a front street and a back street, with a total length of less than one kilometer. Most of the buildings are residential, housing around fifty to sixty households—mostly families where the men farm and the women engage in business. Stalls are set up daily during market days, making the area bustling and lively. Because it is under the joint governance of three provinces, businesses compete with each other and each has its own unique character, earning the street the nickname “Bailang – the Little Hong Kong.”

　　The most famous attraction on this street is the “Three-Provinces Stone.” In the center of the street lies a bluish stone about one foot in length and five inches thick, with a three-pointed shape. Its three edges align with the provincial borders of Hubei, Henan, and Shaanxi, hence the name “Three-Provinces Stone.” This stone sits right at the heart of Bailang Street’s commercial district, with department stores from all three provinces forming a tripartite layout around it: to the south are shops from Hubei Province, to the northwest and northeast are those from Shaanxi and Henan, respectively. Shoppers here can freely browse and choose items among the three different stores. The shop staff from each province also actively compete by sourcing goods and attracting customers. Although the population of Bailang Street is not large, it attracts many people who come to buy goods or sell mountain produce. During agricultural off-seasons, merchants from surrounding areas within dozens of miles flock to this small street. The Three-Provinces Stone serves as a boundary: the area to the north belongs to Shaanxi, the east to Henan, and the south to Hubei. Due to land exchanges and sales in historical China, the boundaries between the three provinces are irregularly interlocked. While much of the region may be overlooked, the Three-Provinces Stone at this tri-provincial junction has drawn considerable public interest.