Longxi Ancient Town

　　Longxi Town, Wushan County, Chongqing, is situated in the northwest of the county seat. It is connected by road to the Wushan–Wuxi Highway and lies approximately 91 kilometers from the county center. During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, it was part of Longxi Bao. In 1943, it became Longxi Township; in 1958, it was reorganized as a commune; in 1983, it reverted to township status; and in 1992, it was upgraded to a town.

　　The ancient town is located on a peninsula where the Daning River and Changxi River meet. The Daning River is navigable year-round, and the Daning River basin has been an important salt-producing area in China since the Warring States period, bustling with merchants in ancient times.

　　The red-tinted Longxi Ancient Town was also a base for the Lower Eastern Sichuan Guerrilla Unit, with a memorial monument erected within its borders. The town’s Eastern Sichuan Liaison Station remains well-preserved. Within the ancient town, there are both well-maintained historic residences and intact remnants from the Cultural Revolution, such as mud sculptures of Mao Zedong’s poetry, struggle sessions platforms, and slogans. The fact that so much has been preserved is quite remarkable.

　　The ancient town has three old streets—upper, middle, and lower—and features many surviving historical relics and buildings. The oldest among them include the "Tianci City," built over 700 years ago during the Southern Song Dynasty by soldiers and civilians resisting the Yuan army, and the flood prevention river embankment dating back to the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty.

　　The streets of Longxi Ancient Town are paved with stone slabs from the Daning River, giving the area its distinctive character. A local saying goes, “As long as the street, so long the buildings; no sun at noon, no wet feet when it rains,” which best captures the tranquility and serenity of the ancient town.

　　Architectural structures from various periods in modern and contemporary history include the underground liaison station of the Lower Eastern Sichuan Guerrilla Unit, old houses and Western-style buildings from the late Qing Dynasty and Republican era, as well as state-owned facilities from the planned economy period of the last century—such as the health clinic, food supply station, supply and marketing cooperative, and cinema. Among these, the Su Family Western-style house from the Republican era has been included in Chongqing’s notable list of modern and contemporary architecture.

　　At the highest point of the ancient town’s residences stands a watchtower, built to guard against bandits using a mixture of stone and rammed yellow earth. Longxi Ancient Town is situated in the northwest of Wushan County and currently covers an area of 3.2 square kilometers. The village residential area spans approximately 40 acres, with a permanent population of just over 560 people.

　　Nowadays, the ancient town has become relatively quiet. Many locals have built uniform apartment buildings nearby, leaving only a few elderly residents who choose to stay on, holding onto the old ways.

　　The stone arch bridge over the Changxi River in the ancient town. Located at the junction of Wushan, Fengjie, and Wuxi counties, Longxi Ancient Town combines cultural relics and diverse architectural styles. It was once locally known as the “Little Shanghai.”

　　The scenery of the ancient town is picturesque, with beautiful mountains and clear waters like a song. Five mountain ridges converge here, commonly referred to as the “Five Dragons Playing with a Pearl.” The town is covered with ancient trees, and the millennial phoenix tree near the ancient wharf has witnessed a century of prosperity.