Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town

Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town – Overview

Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town situated between two branches of Huayun mountain ranges with an average elevation of 520 meters, the highest mountain is up to 942.9 meters. It located in the terrain of hill with higher of northeast and lower of southwest. Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town named from the steep cliffs in north of the town which almost up to the sky.

Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town lies in the artery road among Linshui country, Hechuan country and Jiangbei district, which was a business town of old Chongqing. Date back to Qing Dynasty reign of Kangxi, there were some little stores here and then became a business place for trade communication. Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town is famous in China.

Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town – History

Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town constructed in Qing Dynasty reign of Kangxi (in 1655) first and named "Jielong place" (it means the place is receiving for dragons). It opened to public in 1755, which belonged to Qing Dynasty reign of Qianlong and divided into the administrative division of Zhen (a Chinese administrative division, like the administrative of town in western). During the year of 1940, it divided into the administrative division of Xiang (the population is smaller than Zhen) and recovered the administrative division of Zhen again in 1994 which belonged to Beibei District. And it was praised as "Chongqing Historical and Cultural Ancient Town" in April 2002.

Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town – Attraction

Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town surrounded by mountains and water, you will enjoy the beauty of quite here.

Although lives through the changes for centuries, Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town still preserves the style of simple and elegant on streets, buildings and folk customs. People build houses by the river embankment and open the window facing the river, which belongs to unique architecture of ancient China. And when you walk on the street, you will see some little new branch of old trees stretched from the steps. All of which will remind you the old time.

The material of buildings here mostly used wood or plank; fence is used to make the walls. The window is carved like many ancient flower or fruit. You could hardly imagine the beauty of the houses except you come here.

When you go outside the town and have an overlook at it, you will find some black tile roofs crossing in the town and slow flowing rivers surround the town. What a wonderful and picturesque place!

Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town – Folk Custom

There is a tradition of "147 Gathering" which called "Ganji" in Chinese. "147 Gathering" means the date end of numbers of 1, 4, and 7 every month like the 11th November, the 14th November, the 17th November, and the 21st November. The town will become a busy place on those days, people get together to transact the Merchandise trade. All the goods will be sold together in the specified place. If you wonder to have a look at the wonderful scene, you could just need to say two words of "Ganji".

There is another tradition called "Welcome the immortals". In Chinese history, there is a team of immortals living in the heaven like the God in the western culture. It is said that the immortals will come the earth to deal the affairs at 24:00 on New Year's Eve. Thus the people in the town will welcome the immortals lighting firecrackers. Then the patriarch asked families worship together.