Sanxing Stone in Bailang Town

　　At the southern edge of Shangnan County lies a town jointly administered by Hubei, Henan, and Shaanxi, called Bailang Street, which has been a commercial hub since ancient times. Nestled against the mountains to the southwest and surrounded by water to the northeast, the area between the two boasts thousands of acres of fertile farmland with lush green fields reminiscent of the scenery in the south of the Yangtze River. Crossing the Danjiang River eastward from here leads to the key town of Jinzikou in Xichuan County, Henan Province; traveling upstream takes you directly to Danfeng County in Shaanxi Province; while going downstream brings you to the famous Danjiangkou Reservoir in Yun County, Hubei Province. This street, jointly managed by the three provinces and covering a total area of less than 1,000 square meters, has long served as a vital thoroughfare and strategic junction for all three regions throughout history. Bailang Street is divided into a front street and a back street, spanning less than 1 kilometer in total. Most of the area consists of residential houses, with around 60 to 70 households. Many families follow the traditional model of men farming and women engaging in trade—setting up stalls and holding markets daily, making the place bustling with activity. Due to its tri-provincial administration and intense commercial competition, people often refer to Bailang Street as the “Little Hong Kong.” The shops from the three surrounding provinces form a triangular layout: those from Hubei Province are located to the south, while those from Shaanxi and Henan Provinces are situated to the northwest and northeast, respectively. Visitors can freely shop around the stores in all three provinces, as each competes to source goods and attract customers. The street sees a steady flow of people coming to buy goods or sell mountain produce. During agricultural off-seasons, merchants from the surrounding areas flock to this small street. The most famous attraction here is the “Sanxing Stone.” This roughly one-foot-long, five-inch-thick tricorn-shaped bluestone is placed in the center of the street, with its three tips pointing toward the borders of Hubei, Henan, and Shaanxi, hence its name. Nowadays, the Huoxing Temple has been demolished, and the theater building has been repurposed—the former liveliness and prosperity have become historical relics. The symbolic center of the tri-provincial junction has also gradually shifted from the Huoxing Temple to the Sanxing Stone in Bailang Street. Travelers and pedestrians alike come to this stone to experience the unique thrill of “placing one foot in three provinces.”