Hangzhou  Tangqi Ancient Town

🌿 In Linping, Hangzhou, there is an ancient town called Tangqi, which got its name from being situated near a pond. Tangqi Ancient Town spans both sides of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and has always been the water gateway to Hangzhou. ✅ Since the Yuan Dynasty, Tangqi has been a bustling town with a gathering of merchants, becoming a large town. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was once the richest area around and was known as the 'foremost of the top ten famous towns in the south of the Yangtze River'. 🌈 When we arrived, it was the end of winter and nearing spring, and the weather was still a bit cold. One must see the Guangji Bridge over the Grand Canal here in Tangqi - the Guangji Bridge in Tangqi Town. The bridge's design is quite beautiful and spectacular. There are also ancient relics such as the Guo Pu Well, the Qianlong Imperial Stele, and the Taishi Di Alley - indeed, it is a southern ancient town. 🌿 There are many alleys in Tangqi Ancient Town, known as 'seventy-two and a half alleys'. The towering firewalls are covered with vines, and the ground is mostly paved with bluestone slabs, quiet and quaint, with wandering thoughts, all the way to the canal side, where the wind is disheveled. 🌿 Along the canal, there are veranda streets and 'Beauty Lean', where the 'Beauty Lean' by the river is a long row of wooden structures, now with red lanterns hanging above. One can imagine in the misty rain of the south of the Yangtze River, the beautiful silhouette of a woman, the winding long veranda streets that are accessible in every direction, perfect for going out without the hindrance of rain. Feng Zikai once said: 'Jiangnan is a place of beauty, and Tangqi Water Town is one of its representatives.' ✅ A gentle breeze brushes the face, fresh and elegant, returning to tranquility, feeling the tremor of the soul at that moment - this water town is where the soul belongs.