Jinping Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Apr)

The isolated island of Han culture by the Qingshui River

Guizhou Qiandongnan ~ The isolated island of Han culture by the Qingshui River! Many people never thought that there is a Huizhou-style ancient city waiting in the boudoir among the towering mountains of Guizhou Qiandongnan, which is full of Miao and Dong villages ~ Longli! Compared with Zhenyuan, Qingyan, and Bing'an, Longli, one of the 'Four Ancient Towns of Guizhou', is much more low-key. The 'ancient city in the rice field' depicts its soft image for travelers, and the 'Han neighbor of Miao and Dong in the forest' reveals Longli's unique gene in Qiandongnan. The locals believe that this military fortress built in the Ming Dynasty has a history that can even be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. It used to be the place where the poet Wang Changling was exiled, and its name was Longbiao at that time. Among the many ancient cities full of stories in southern China, Longli Ancient City, located on the border of Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, is unique. Due to the military operations and cultural input of the Ming Dynasty in the southwest, Longli has a lot of soft details in its strong character. Longli Ancient City was built in the 19th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1386), originally named Longli, and renamed Longli in the Qing Dynasty, meaning 'the reason for prosperity!' Although the ancient city is not large, the labyrinth-like streets may have to be walked two or three times to be slightly familiar. The appearance of the ancient city read in the Ming and Qing novels is laid out in the streets! Because it had to follow the needs of the battle at that time, Longli was designed as a military fortress that could both be a soldier and a farmer, and its defense system design was very precise. The overall outline of the ancient city is approximately rectangular, and a moat has been excavated around the city wall, with four city gates in the east, south, west, and north. The city is centered on the old site of the original Qianhu Yamen, and three main streets are built in the east, west, and south. The three main streets are divided into six lanes, and the streets and lanes divide the entire city into nine relatively independent residential areas, which is the local slang 'Three Streets, Six Lanes, and Nine Courtyards'. The ancient city streets are all paved with cobblestones to form a tortoise back-shaped flower street surface, inlaid with various patterns, and after hundreds of years of grinding, it is already quite smooth. The houses in the city are all built of high-quality wood, with a rigorous structure and excellent craftsmanship, overflowing with the remnants of the Tang and Song Dynasties and the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The most characteristic building is the 'Yinzi House' that has survived the disaster. The houses are neatly arranged along the street, all of them are three-room two-bedroom firewall-style buildings, with green bricks, black tiles, horse-head walls, and lime decorations on the walls, which are lifelike. The 'Heaven, Earth, Monarch, Relatives, and Teachers' spirit tablets are mostly offered at the entrance, and the door beams are either the county's 'Suhu', 'Hongnong', or the famous 'Commander', 'Kaike', or the family motto 'The family is in the body'! The inscription on the door beam reveals the uninterrupted spirit of Han traditional culture here. Qingyang Gate is the east gate of the ancient city, and it is now covered with vines. The bell ringing with the wind is crisp and melodious. This three-story four-eave Xieshan Zan pointed roof style Ming Dynasty city tower is quite good-looking, and it has long been a symbol of Longli!