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Jiaguan Ancient Town, located in Qionglai City, Sichuan Province, is one of Qionglai's three major ancient towns, boasting a history spanning over 2,000 years. The renowned Southern Song poet Lu You, while serving as the prefect of Linqiong, visited Jiaguan several times and left behind several poems.
Historically, Jiaguan Ancient Town was one of the important post stations on the Sichuan Ancient Tea-Horse Road and the Southern Silk Road. The pass is located on the side of a mountain, with water flowing through it. In the middle of a river, there are three bridges standing side by side and houses on both sides. In ancient times, merchants gathered here and horse caravans came and went.
Although it is no longer prosperous nowadays, there are still many relics left in the town, including ancient streets, ancient temples, ancient stone bridges, and ancient watchtowers waiting for us to explore. In addition to various historical sites, there are many things worth exploring in Jiaguan, such as thousands of acres of tea mountains, rapeseed fields, and super delicious Mabang cuisine.
Jiaguan Ancient Towncheck the details
Jiaguan Town, located in the southwestern mountainous region of Qionglai County, 37 kilometers from the city center, is a key town on the western Sichuan tourist loop. Bordered by Mingshan, Ya'an, and Lushan, it offers convenient transportation. Anciently, it served as a frontier for the Shu Kingdom and, along with Pingle and Guyi, is one of the three major ancient towns of Linqiong. It was also a post station on the renowned Tea-Horse Road and the world-renowned Silk Road. Jiaguan Town is surrounded by picturesque mountains and is traversed by the Baimo River, which flows through the town. Three ancient bridges connect the new and old towns. The emerald waters reflect the water, and willows line the banks. Locals fish, wash clothes, and pick vegetables by the bridges, creating a scene that exudes a sense of antiquity and a touch of the charm of a Jiangnan water town. Compared to popular tourist destinations like Fenghuang Ancient Town and Lijiang Old Town, Jiaguan Ancient Town offers stunning scenery and a sparsely populated tourist destination. Free from the hustle and bustle, it embodies a calm and tranquil atmosphere, a perfect place to relax and unwind. In the fast-paced world of urban life, people often yearn for a peaceful and tranquil life. I hope one day I can walk hand-in-hand with my beloved, enjoying the tranquility of slow living while chatting about small details. Jiaguan Ancient Town boasts three truly unique bridges: Wanfu Bridge, Yongshou Bridge, and Qingyuan Bridge. Their names alone suggest a profound meaning. These three bridges blend seamlessly into the town's landscape, becoming an integral part of the town and a prime spot for scenic viewing.
Recommended months: Spring and autumn are the best
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If you were to ask which ancient town around Chengdu is most like the misty Jiangnan region, it would definitely be Jiaguan Ancient Town; if you were to ask which place around Chengdu is most like the "Border Town" written by Shen Congwen, it would definitely be Jiaguan Ancient Town.
There are no tourists coming and going here, no hustle and bustle of crowds, only tea farmers carrying baskets on their backs going to the market, and children returning home from school, walking through the quaint streets and crossing the primitive stone bridges. Grandpas with leaf tobacco in their mouths are fishing by the river, and aunties are washing clothes on the bluestone slabs. As they look up and down, ripples are created.
In the middle of the river, houses are lined up on both sides and three bridges stand side by side. Baimo River passes through the town. There are three ancient bridges on the river connecting the two banks: Wanfu Bridge, Yongshou Bridge and Qingyuan Bridge.
The original Wanfu Bridge was destroyed by floods in 1948. The current Jiaguan Bridge was rebuilt on the site of the Wanfu Bridge in 1979.
About 20 meters downstream from Jiaguan Bridge, there's a row of stone piers running parallel to the bridge. From there, you can photograph the ancient town and its watchtowers upstream through the bridge's arches. Photographing pedestrians crossing the river on these piers is also quite captivating. Perhaps this is the "contrast view" technique used in ancient garden architecture.
Aerial photo of Jiaguan Yongshou Bridge, with Qingyuan Bridge in the distance.
Qingyuan Bridge, now called Xiongguan Bridge.
The Qingyuan Bridge Stele, carved from red sandstone, has a strong sense of history after a century of wind erosion.
The picture below was taken with a telephoto lens from a watchtower upstream. In the near distance is Qingyuan Bridge (Xiongguan Bridge), in the middle is Yongshou Bridge, and in the distance is Jiaguan Bridge (formerly Wanfu Bridge). Qingyuan Bridge can accommodate cars, but Yongshou Bridge has steps and can only accommodate people.
The Qingjiang Bridge on the left side of the Diaolou feels a bit historical
A newly built covered bridge on the right side of the watchtower
Today, the main bridge for vehicles to enter the ancient town is Tongche Street Bridge.
In addition to the six old and new bridges in the town, there are several large and small stone slab bridges and stone pier bridges upstream and downstream of the ancient town, which have their own unique flavor.
Qionglai is one of the world's oldest tea-producing regions and the birthplace of dark tea. With a history spanning over 1,100 years, Qionglai dark tea is known as the "Source of Chinese Dark Tea." Jiaguan is also one of Qionglai's major tea-producing areas, with a vast tea plantation stretching 10,000 mu (approximately 1,000 hectares) to the south of the ancient town.
Walk through the ancient streets, cross the stone bridge over the water, feel the atmosphere of city life, wander in the ten-mile tea mountain, breathe the fresh air in the tea garden, and experience the fun of tea farmers picking tea.
Zigong has its salty cuisine, while Qionglai has its horse-beating cuisine. Jiaguan Town, known as the "Water Town of Western Sichuan," was historically a renowned water and land port and trading hub, serving as a crucial post station on the Ancient Tea Horse Road and the Southern Silk Road. Its 2,000-year history has fostered the authentic horse-beating cuisine of Jiaguan, particularly its meat dumplings, cured and smoked pork, chicken crossing the river, and tender tofu pudding. These dishes are known as the "Four Specialties of Jiaguan," characterized by their delicious flavor and unique flavor. Fried chicken crossing the river with fried blood curd, pig intestines and native eel in tofu pudding, meat dumplings with tea leaves and fried eggs, and stir-fried konjac with smoked pork and pig's trotters are all representative examples of horse-beating cuisine.
You can only eat the meat dumplings on Nan'an Street in Jiaguan Ancient Town during the market on the third, sixth and ninth days.
The local specialty fried blood curd costs only five or six yuan a bowl and goes really well with rice!
Cross-River Chicken
Earth eel
The three most recommended restaurants in Jiaguan Ancient Town are Zouji Restaurant, Linjiang Restaurant, and Jiaguan Restaurant. They are all time-honored establishments serving authentic Mabang cuisine, and the flavors are truly delicious!
The ancient town has not been commercialized much and there are not many tourists, so the price level is still relatively low. Even if you order one of each signature dish, the cost per person is only about 30-50 yuan. It is delicious and cheap, very cost-effective.
In addition to the ancient town and tea mountains, there are actually many places to visit in Jiaguan. In Yuba Village, 500 meters upstream of Qingjiang Bridge, there is a large rapeseed field. Every March, the green tea gardens and golden rapeseed fields alternate with each other, and the crisscrossing paths are very beautiful.
The ancient Tea-Horse Road in Jiaguan Ancient Town is currently basically well preserved, mainly in Gongdian Village. It starts from the south bank of Tongche Street Bridge on the east side of the ancient town, goes downstream along the Baimo River, and passes through a rapeseed field to reach Group 2 of Gongdian Village.
Starting from Changsheng Bridge next to the village, it extends all the way up to the top of Xiaoguer Mountain, crosses Longdonggou, and then goes to Wugang, hidden among the lush tea trees, intermittently.
The Changsheng Bridge Stele next to Group 2 of Gongdian Village was established during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. Today, there is no trace of the Changsheng Bridge, only this stone stele remains.
The renovated Ancient Tea-Horse Road
An unrecognizable ancient monument on the roadside
A small temple in Longdonggou whose name is unknown
An ancient road passing through tea plantations
Wugang Golden Turtle Temple
During the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty, a descendant of the Gao family fled the war and arrived in Jiaguan Town, Qionglai City, Sichuan Province. To protect their family and property during this turbulent time, the Gao family built a sturdy watchtower, 9.2 meters long, 5 meters wide, and 12 meters high, for self-defense.
The Jiefang Aqueduct was built in the 1970s. The water in the aqueduct can irrigate 580,000 mu of land in Lushan, Qionglai, Mingshan, Pujiang and other counties (cities) and provide drinking water for the population living around some branch canals. After more than half a century, it remains intact and stable and is still in use today.
——The following photos are from the Mala Community Qionglai Forum
I met you again on the small alley in the tea mountain. I only saw flowing water but no people. I really like the feeling of Jiaguan Ancient Town. It is so close yet so far away, and everyone is entertaining themselves. The locals live the life of locals, and we are just passing by.
