Ciqikou

Ciqikou ancient town block, situated at Shapingba District, was built in Song dynasty, about 1,000 years ago. It has been one of the reserve traditional block announced by the State Council since 1998.

History Background of Ciqikou

Ciqikou covers 1.18 square kilometers with the population of 18,000. The earliest name of it is Baiyachang. This name came from Baiyan (White rock) Temple. In Ming dynasty, the throne of Emperor Jianwen was usurped by his uncle. He escaped and became a monk. After he came to Ciqikou, he used to practice moral teachings at Baolun Temple for 4 or 5 years. In ancient China, dragon stands for emperor. So, the name of Baolun Temple was changed into Dragon Hidden Temple. And the name of the town was changed into Dragon Hidden Town.

Ciqi means porcelain in Chinese. So the name Dragon Hidden Town was changed into Ciqikou because of porcelain. Porcelain became the key industry of the town for a long time. The porcelain produced here were marvelous and had many different types. With the prosperity of porcelain industry, the economy of the town flourished better than ever. Then, the name of the town was naturally changed into Ciqikou.

Three Duo of Ciqikou

Duo means many in Chinese. Talking with old folks living at Ciqikou, you will know there are Three Duo of the town. They are many temples, many celebrities' traces and many teahouses.

Many Temples

There used to be 27 temples in total, including Taoist temples and Buddhist temples. There will be lively temple fair held every Lunar New Year.

Many Celebrities' Traces

There are many celebrities who uesd to be here. One of the most famous one is Emperor Jianwen, the second emperor of Ming dynasty. He used to practice moral teachings at Baolun Temple.

Many Teahouses

One of the most characteristic view at Ciqikou is teahouses. There used to be many teahouses at Ciqikou everywhere. During Wartime Capitial period, there were over 100 teahouses in total. The teahouses here are called "Storytelling Teahouse" by local people. Because you can taste Chinese tea in the house and be told many stories.

"Three Treasures of Ciqikou"

You can taste many local food and snacks at Ciqikou. Maoxuewang, Braised Qianzhang and Stir-fried Peanuts are called the Three Treasures of Ciqikou.