Yuantong Ancient Town

元通古镇

Yuantong Ancient Town, Chongzhou City, is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. It is 38 kilometers away from Chengdu City. The planned urban area is 3.5 square kilometers, and the built-up area is 1.7 square kilometers. The ancient town has a history of 1650. It is one of the four major market towns. The Wenjin River, Wei River, and Bo River converge and run through the entire territory of Yuantong. In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, Yuantong was known as "Little Chengdu". Merchants from Huguang, Jiangxi and other provinces also came here to do business and build guild halls. The shrewd people of Yuantong built a market town by the river. Enter through a gate of the Yuantong Town Grain Station and climb to the roof of a 6-story building. From the roof, you can see that large areas of green tile roofs are lined up along the Wenjing River, living by the river, and a street in the middle runs through them. It is a taste of the Jiangnan water town. It is more appropriate to use "ancient" to summarize Yuantong Ancient Town. Take a rest in the stilt house next to the old stone arch bridge at the end of Banbian Street, watch the river flowing by, and imagine the prosperity of Yuantong 1600 years ago, which makes people sigh "time flies". It is located on the tourist route of Dujiangyan, Chongzhou, Chengdu. People who go to the Jie Zi Wenjinjiang Jiguanashan Jiulonggou tourist spots usually leave in a hurry and seldom walk into it. It is the Yuantong Ancient Town, which was known as "Little Chengdu" in the Qing Dynasty.

Attractions Location: No. Juyuan Village, Yuantong Town, Chongzhou City, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province

Opening hours:
All day (Monday to Sunday, January 1st to December 31st)

Contact Details: 028-82263651;028-82262653

Time reference: More than 3 hours


Recommended itinerary for Yuantong Ancient Town tours

1-day tour: In-depth experience of Yuantong Ancient Town

  • Full day: Chengdu → Yuantong Ancient Town (1 hour by car/1.5 hours by bus) → visit Qilin Street/Huang Family Courtyard/Yongli Bridge → return

A one-day tour of "Living Along the River During the Qingming Festival" to experience the only existing ancient commercial town of the Qing Dynasty in the western Sichuan basin.

Accommodation: Chengdu City | Food: Yuantong Three Wonders (Oil Pudding, Pressed Duck, Tofu Pudding)

Souvenirs: Bamboo Crafts, Huaiyuan Rattan Weaving


2-Day Tour: Yuantong + Jie Zi Ancient Town

  • Day1: In-depth Tour of Yuantong Ancient Town
  • Day2: Jie Zi Ancient Town (30 minutes by car) → Fengqi Mountain → Return

Tour the two ancient towns and compare the commercial culture of Yuantong with the poetic landscape of Jie Zi.

Accommodation: Linhe Inn in Jie Zi Ancient Town | Food: Tang Ma Bing, Frozen Cake

Souvenirs: Sichuan Bonsai, Ginkgo Products


3-Day Tour: Chongzhou Cultural Triangle

  • Day1: Yuantong Ancient Town
  • Day2: Yanhuachi (20 minutes by car) → Lu You Temple
  • Day3: Bamboo Art Village (15 minutes by car) → Return

From ancient buildings to intangible cultural heritage, experience Chongzhou's 2,300 years of cultural accumulation in all aspects.

Accommodation: Bamboo Art Village B&B | Food: Catholic Church Chicken Slices

Souvenirs: Daoming Bamboo Weaving, Sichuan School Painting and Calligraphy


4-Day Tour: Chengdu West Suburb Loop

  • Day1-2: Yuantong + Jiezi Ancient Town
  • Day3: Dujiangyan (1 hour drive)
  • Day4: Qingcheng Front Mountain→Return

A perfect combination of World Heritage and the ancient town of western Sichuan, a dual experience of humanity and nature.

Accommodation: Qingcheng Mountain Hot Spring Hotel | Cuisine: Four Wonders of Qingcheng

Souvenirs: Qingcheng Taoist Tea, Dongtian Rujiu


5-Day Tour: Dayi-Chongzhou Essence

  • Day1-2: Yuantong + Yanhuachi
  • Day3: Anren Ancient Town (40 minutes by car)
  • Day4-5: Xiling Snow Mountain→Return

From the forest park in western Sichuan to the secret realm of snow-capped mountains, experience the three-dimensional landscape of the Chengdu Plain.

Accommodation: Anren Mansion Hotel | Food: Landlord Spare Ribs

Souvenirs: Cultural and creative products of the Republic of China, Liu's Manor stamp album


6-Day Tour: Shu Cultural Corridor

  • Day1-3: Yuantong + Anren + Pingle Ancient Town
  • Day4-5: Sanxingdui (2 hours by car)
  • Day6: Jinsha Ruins→Return

From the ancient town of Bashu to the ancient Shu civilization, complete a three thousand year cultural journey.

Accommodation: Guanghan City Hotel | Food: Lianshan Twice-cooked Pork

Souvenirs: Bronze Cultural Creations, Sun Bird Gold Ornaments


7-Day Tour: Panoramic Loop of Western Sichuan

  • Day1-3: Yuantong + Dujiangyan + Qingcheng Mountain
  • Day4-5: Wolong Panda Base (3 hours by car)
  • Day6-7: Siguniang Mountain → Return

From the cultural ancient town to the natural heritage, experience the charm of Western Sichuan in a panoramic way.

Accommodation: Rilong Town Scenic Hotel | Food: Tibetan Earthen Hot Pot

Souvenirs: Qiang Embroidery, Dried Matsutake


User Reviews

By Evan's Diary |

I have been to many ancient towns before, and most of them are very similar, with only a few ancient houses, shops lined up on both sides of the street, and a strong commercial atmosphere... At the end of last year, I went to Jiezi Ancient Town in Chongzhou to make a project proposal. I felt it was really average. At that time, I made a promise that I would never visit an ancient town again. I didn't expect to be slapped in the face so soon...

Since I was already in Chongzhou and it wasn't far away, I decided to go for a walk (otherwise, how would I kill so much time? - -). The tourist center of the ancient town is on the other side of the river, so the first sight of the ancient town is from the other side. It really feels like a partial Qingming Shanghe Tu! The sun just came out again, so I strolled around the ancient town for half an afternoon. The ancient town is indeed very beautiful when viewed from the other side of the river, but the interior is actually similar to most ancient towns, haha!

By Slow reaction |

A very old town with many historical relics.

By Konishi |

I felt the atmosphere of the Qingming Shanghe Tu, it's beautiful

By @Muyudiewu |

It is a famous ancient town. Yuantong Ancient Town was once an important wharf on Wenjing River. It was once prosperous. It is more appropriate to use "ancient" to summarize Yuantong Ancient Town. Take a rest in the stilt house beside the old stone arch bridge at the end of Banbian Street, watch the river flow by, and imagine the prosperity of Yuantong 1,600 years ago. It makes people sigh that "time flies". Yuantong Ancient Town was once an important wharf in history. There are three rivers converging here, so it is named Huijiang. There are eight existing historical sites and ancient scenes in the town: Yongli Bridge, Luo's Mansion (now supply and marketing cooperative), Huang's Mansion (now town government), Huang's Ancestral Hall (now national tax office), Yuantong Catholic Church, Wang Guoying's former residence, Tiegan Bridge, and Gongnongbing Bridge. The market began in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was prosperous in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

By Qinling 007 |

It is a very quiet town 38 kilometers away from Chengdu. There are tea houses, hotels, etc. along the river bank, which is suitable for leisurely savoring.

By Qingqingfeng |

A slow-paced town where you can quietly appreciate the passage of time.

Many people recommend Xia's Teahouse, but the attitude of the owner is really not good. The building looks okay at the entrance.

By Zhu Destroyed |

Give a shout out to Yuantong, an ancient town with a low degree of commercialization, simple and beautiful, with a slow pace

By KEN |

I like this ancient town because it gives me peace and quiet. It allows me to blend into the calmness of the peaceful years. The ancient architectural sentiments here allow me to complete a ritual of time precipitation. In fact, I initially liked this place just because it is beautiful.

By Male chauvinism |

It is not as commercial as Jiezi Ancient Town, but it is a must-see. The bamboo weaving culture and the undeveloped towers in the ancient town make me linger in this town with local cultural characteristics...

By Watching snow during the Spring Festival |

Open slowly! It is an experience. If you have a certain state of mind, you will definitely have such an experience! If you come to Yuantong, you will definitely find your heart. Remember that the double-days in the Gregorian calendar are market days. If you want to experience it, you must stay here!

By |

A very ordinary small ancient town, nothing special...

By Heavy rain causes flooding |

Yuantong Ancient Town, not far from Huaiyuan Ancient Town, is an ancient town within the jurisdiction of Chongzhou.

The houses in the ancient town are very old and distinctive.

The water in the ancient town is particularly good.

By The temptation of flower photos |

It's just so-so, a small ancient town, relatively quiet, you can take a walk around, there is a river, you can play in the water in the summer.

By Yangmingshan |

An old place that has retained its ancient atmosphere and has not been commercialized

By Annie |

There is no need for outsiders to go there specifically. Locals highly recommend it. There are few people and it still retains some ancient traces, unlike some so-called ancient towns that are newly built. There is a great teahouse on the old street. We drank tea there for an afternoon and took many photos. There are also food, and tofu curtains and twice-cooked pork with garlic sprouts are the specialties.

By Cold Spring |

Yuantong Ancient Town is located 11 kilometers north of Chongzhou City, where Wenjing River, Wei River and Bo River meet. It is one of the ten ancient towns in Chengdu. However, the ancient town has not been overdeveloped, and commercialization is not as heavy as other ancient towns. It basically retains some original and distinctive ancient buildings. Most of the brick and tile houses on the streets are still decades or hundreds of years old. There are eight ancient sites and ancient scenes in the town, including Yongli Bridge, Luo's Mansion, Huang's Mansion, Yuantong Catholic Church, Wang Guoying's Former Residence, and Ancient Pawnshop. The ancient town does not require tickets, and there are not many tourists. It is very suitable for friends around Chengdu to drink tea, see the architecture and culture of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and slowly feel the charm of the ancient town.

You can buy Yuantong tickets at Chengdu Chadianzi Bus Station. The fare is 13 yuan for the Chengdu to Huaiyuan bus. You can take the Huaiyuan bus (306) from Chongzhou Bus Center to the Yuantong Bridge.

By Qianyuhang |

A very authentic ancient town. The new commercial street was still under construction when I went there. . . .

There has been almost no renovation here, and the ancient wooden structure houses in Sichuan are still preserved. At first glance, it looks like a vegetable market.


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