Ningchang Ancient Town

An overview of Ningchang Ancient Town

Ningchang Ancient Town is one of the first famous towns with a long history and profound culture of Chongqing. It is located in the Wuxi County and was built in the embrace of a mountain, facing the river. With a long history, profound cultural foundations, unsophisticated folkways and tranquil scenes of green mountains and clear water, Ningchang Ancient Town is a must for you to experience the simple life of the people in ancient times.

History of Ningchang Ancient Town

Ningchang Ancient Town has a more than 4,000 years history of salt manufacturing. It was already a place of happiness in the ancient times.

In the Tangyao period of the Primitive Society, the Ningchang Ancient Town area was the turf of Wuxian, a pristine tribe. And it thrived because of the salt manufacturing. Therefore, Ningchang Ancient Town is the birthplace and cradle of the ancient human civilization in the Three Gorges area. It can be called the "World Salt City" of the ancient time and the founder of salt manufacturing.

In 1506, the workers' uprising in the saltern was over 300 years earlier than the uprisings in Europe. It can be called the origin of the world workers' movements.

Attractions of Ningchang Ancient Town

Ningchang Ancient Town is located in the deep valley of the Houxi River. To the south and north sides of the town stretch huge mountains while to the east and west sides of the town lie deep valleys. The streets in Ningchang Ancient Town are not wide paved with bluestones. Walking on the old streets, you can see the quaint architectures in the town. Most of these buildings are in the structure of bamboo timberwork. They were built adjacent to the rivers with spilings in the lower part of the buildings. These spilings were used to support the wooden buildings. These houses are called Suspending Buildings. Apparently, they are leaning to one side with the danger of falling down. In fact, however, they are quite firm and secure. The Houxi River flows below these Suspending Buildings and divides the Ningchang Ancient Town into two parts, taking on a beautiful look of water village.

Visiting the Ningchang Ancient Town, you will not find it timeworn. Instead, it gives you an impression of freshness and beauty. The ancient and simple buildings here are fascinatingly quaint. In east of the town, there are two rocks respectively in the shape of a lion and an elephant and a crowd of stones in the shape of men which is called the "Eighteen Arhats".

On halfway of the mountain in south of the Ningchang Ancient Town lies a mountain village. It is a mountain village for Li Zicheng's uprising in the transitional period of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

To the west of the Ningchang Ancient Town erects a mountain with the shape like a pyramid. It is called Er'xian Mountain. On halfway of the mountain hides a cave named Fairy Cave. Exquisite sceneries are shown in this cave.

At the foot of the Baoyuan Mountain to the north of the Ningchang Ancient Town, another cave is inlayed. There is a stone dragon in the mouth of the cave. A spring comes out from the mouth of the stone dragon. This is an authentic artesian well-Bailu Saline Spring. This saline spring is one of the earliest sites producing salt.