Basic Overview
- Historical Evolution: Huize Ancient City was built in the ninth year of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty (1731) and was presided over by Cui Naiyong, the then governor of Dongchuan. Its predecessor was a soil city, which was built during the period of the first governor Wang Yongxi. It has experienced many earthquakes, wars, etc. in history and has been repaired many times.
- Geographical Environment: It is located in the northeast of Yunnan Province and the northwest of Qujing City. It is located in the border area of three provinces and five states (cities). It is 205 kilometers away from the provincial capital Kunming and 187 kilometers away from Qujing City. The core protection area covers an area of 0.92 square kilometers.
- Urban Pattern: The main streets are crisscrossed along the central axis from east to west and north to south, and then connected to the lanes to form a chessboard road pattern.
- Cultural Features
- Copper Merchant Culture: Huize was mainly characterized by the "copper" culture of smelting, production, processing and operation of huge amounts of Beijing copper in ancient times. It was the main copper production base in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was called the first city of Wanli Beijing Transport and enjoyed the reputation of "Tiannan Copper Capital".
- Guild Hall Culture: During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Chambers of Commerce of various provinces built a total of 108 guild halls, temples, and ancestral halls in Huize. As of 2023, 36 of them are well preserved. The Huize Guild Hall Group, represented by the Eight Great Guild Halls, was listed as the sixth batch of national key cultural relics protection units in 2006.
- Main attractions
- Guild Hall Architecture: Jiangxi Guild Hall, built in the 50th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1711), covers an area of 7545.92 square meters and a construction area of 2594.74 square meters. The entire building faces south and north, and is laid out in depth along the central axis. It has three courtyards and two cross-courtyards, with a gatehouse, a stage, a main hall, and a rear hall. Huguang Guild Hall, commonly known as Shoufo Temple and Dongyue Palace, is a guild hall built by fellow villagers from Huguang in Huize, and is also a key cultural relic protection unit in Yunnan Province.
- Celebrity Residence: Tang Jiyao's former residence, located at No. 14, Sandao Lane, Beinei Street, the county seat, covers an area of 851.1 square meters. It is a traditional residence and a closed courtyard building in the middle and late Qing Dynasty in Huize.
- Food Recommendation
- Eight Bowls of Lamb: Founded in the early years of the Republic of China, it uses Huize's high-quality black sheep as raw materials and adopts a variety of cooking techniques to make it, including eight dishes such as Fenglang Wangyue, Lamb Dried, and Green Onion and Coriander Offal.
- Fried Potatoes: A specialty snack in Huize, potatoes (potatoes) are cut into blocks or strips, fried, and mixed with various seasonings. It has a crispy taste and rich side dishes.