One of the top ten ancient cities in China

Shangqiu Ancient City is located in Suiyang District, Shangqiu City, Henan Province. It is a national historical and cultural city, a national key cultural relics protection unit, a national AAAA tourist attraction, one of the top ten ancient cities in China, a national water conservancy scenic spot, and the most beautiful tourist attraction in China. The first of the top ten ancient cities with great potential.

The construction history of the ancient city of Shangqiu can be traced back to the Qi era 4,400 years ago. The existing existing above-ground Guide ancient city broke ground in the 16th year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1503 AD) and lasted eight years. It was completed in the sixth year of Zhengde (1511 AD) and has a history of more than 500 years. Underneath the ancient city of Shangqiu are the capital of the Song Dynasty during the Zhou Dynasty, Suiyang City during the Qin and Han Dynasties, Song City during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Yingtian Prefecture Nanjing City during the Northern Song Dynasty, Guide Prefecture City before the 16th year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty, etc. 6 A capital city, an ancient city. Shangqiu Ancient City is the only existing large-scale ancient city ruins in the world that integrates Bagua City, Shuicheng City and Chenglaicheng City.

The terrain in the city is turtle-shaped, with 93 streets. Overlooking the whole city, it looks like a checkerboard. The architecture is based on the theory of the five elements interdependent and mutually reinforcing each other, and most of them are zouma gate towers and courtyard buildings. From the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, there were two great scholars (prime ministers), five ministers, and more than a dozen ministers, governors, imperial envoys, general soldiers, and famous literati in the city. Therefore, there were many official buildings and official residences. The original wells and toilets were in the shape of plum blossoms and had a reasonable layout. There are two water gates built on both sides of the south gate to drain water into the moat. The wide moat has rippling blue waves surrounding the city. Under the water are the Suiyang Ancient City of the Han and Tang Dynasties, the Nanjing City of the Song Dynasty, and the former Guide City of the Yuan Dynasty. There are more than a dozen unique castles on the small islands in the river. Towers and pavilions. The existing ancient city was built in the sixth year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (1511 AD). The city is square inside and round outside, resembling ancient coins. The perimeter of the Brick City is 7.25 miles. The city gate is of arch type and is well preserved to this day. Outside the original city gate, there is also an urn city. The urn city is in a semicircle. The city gates do not conflict with the main gate. The north gate faces west, the east gate and west gate face south, and the south gate faces east. Therefore, the ancient city of Shangqiu has "four gates and eight gates". "Open".

The entire existing ancient city of Shangqiu has strict planning, reasonable layout, and simple shape, which is rare in the world. It is a famous historical and cultural city with great scientific research value, and it is also the only prefecture-level ancient city with the best preservation in China.

A large number of famous historical figures emerged from the ancient city of Shangqiu: Song Xianggong, Song Wengong, Nanzi, Zhuangzi, Huizi, Yuan Xian, Sima Geng, Luan Bu, Guan Ying, Shen Tujia, Liu Wu, Wei Yuan Zhong, Zhang Fangping, Zhu Derun, Teng Bin, Shen Li, Hou Fangyu, etc.

The main attractions of the ancient city that are famous at home and abroad include: the Suihuang Mausoleum, the first of the three emperors, the Tang Dynasty loyal martyr Zhang Xun Temple, the Yingtianfu Academy, the first of the four major academies in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the Guide Mansion City Wall in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. , the Zhuang Regret Hall built by Hou Fangyu in the Peach Blossom Fan, the Mu Family Courtyard, one of the mansions of wealthy merchants in Guide Prefecture during the Qing Dynasty, and the largest existing Confucian temple building in Henan Province. The Guide Prefecture Confucian Temple was the place where Confucius lectured during the Spring and Autumn Period. The natural landscape of Langzhong Ancient City is unique and beautiful. The Jialing River with "stones, daisies and jades are dependent on each other" surrounds Langzhong Ancient City. It is surrounded by green mountains. It is an ink painting of "the river lights embrace the city on three sides, and the surrounding mountains lock in the haze". , completely natural. The ancient city is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side. It is home to outstanding people and is known as the "Langyuan Wonderland". From a Feng Shui perspective, Langzhong is undoubtedly a Feng Shui treasure.

During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, Langzhong was an important town in northern Ba. In the middle of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period (330 BC), the Ba Kingdom moved its capital from Chongqing to Langzhong. After the unification of the Qin Dynasty, Langzhong County was established in 314 BC. It has a history of more than 2,300 years. From ancient times to the present, the county system of Langzhong has not been changed and the county name has not been changed. It is one of the few counties in the country that still maintains its original name. Langzhong has always been the political, economic, military and religious center of northern Sichuan. All feudal dynasties set up counties, prefectures, prefectures and Taoist offices in Langzhong. The Qing government also established the capital of Sichuan Province in Langzhong for 17 years.

The architectural style of the ancient city of Langzhong reflects the ancient Chinese concept of residential Feng Shui. Due to the closed geographical environment, the ancient city's style has been naturally protected. The ancient streets in the city are criss-crossed, and there are more than 20 of the 91 streets and alleys. The streets and alleys still maintain the architectural style of the Tang and Song Dynasties. These streets and alleys have unique styles in terms of their layout, space treatment, building appearance, construction methods, detailed decoration and material selection. The residential houses in Langzhong Ancient City belong to the Ming and Qing styles. Some have the sparse and elegant style of the Ming Dynasty, while others have the exquisite and complicated characteristics of the Qing Dynasty. Most of them are characterized by elegant and exquisite carvings and paintings. Most of the architectural layouts are quadrangles, with winding corridors and winding paths in some courtyards, which are simple and elegant, with the characteristics of southern gardens.

Towers often rise from the ground at street intersections. Pingyao Ancient City is located in Shanxi. It is a famous cultural city with a history of more than 2,700 years. It is one of the ten most complete ancient cities in China.

The ancient city of Pingyao was built during the reign of King Zhou Xuan from 827 BC to 782 BC. It was built for the Western Zhou Dynasty general Yin Jifu to garrison here. Since the Qin Dynasty government implemented the "prefecture and county system" in 221 BC, Pingyao City has been the seat of the county government and continues to this day. The ancient city of Pingyao has gone through many vicissitudes and changes, and has become the most complete prototype of an ancient Chinese county town during the Ming and Qing dynasties in China.

Pingyao was formerly known as "Ancient Tao". In the early Ming Dynasty, the city wall was built to defend against foreign invasion from the south. In the third year of Hongwu (AD 1370), the city wall was rebuilt and expanded on the basis of the old wall. , and fully tiled. The Pingyao City Wall has a total circumference of 6,163 meters and a wall height of about 12 meters. It divides Pingyao County, which covers an area of ​​about 2.25 square kilometers, into two worlds with completely different styles. Within the city wall, the streets, pavements, and market buildings retain the Ming and Qing style; outside the city wall, it is called the New City. This is a wonderful place where ancient and modern buildings are integrated and complement each other, making people daydream about it. A bird's-eye view of the ancient city of Pingyao is even more amazing. This city wall is flat and square, shaped like a turtle, and has six gates, one in the north and south, and two in the east and west. The south gate of the city is the turtle head, and the two wells outside the gate symbolize the eyes of the turtle. The north gate is the turtle's tail, which is the lowest point in the city. All the accumulated water in the city flows out through this. There are four barbicans on the east and west sides of the city, facing each other. The upper west gate, lower west gate, and upper east gate all open to the south, shaped like turtle claws extending forward. Only the outer gate of the lower east gate barbican opens straight to the east. It embodies the profound meaning of hoping to use the power of the Turtle God to make the ancient city of Pingyao as solid as a rock, forever solid, safe and sound, and to last forever. There are also 72 watchtowers on the city wall, and there are 3,000 crenellations on the outside of the top of the wall. Legend has it that they are a symbol of Confucius's 3,000 disciples and 72 sages. The ancient city of Jingzhou, also known as Jiangling, is located in the hinterland of the Jianghan Plain in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the lower reaches of the Han River. It is one of the famous historical and cultural cities in China. Jingzhou has a long history and splendid culture. It is the birthplace of Chu culture and one of the centers of Three Kingdoms culture. According to legend, when Yu conquered the nine states, Jingzhou began to exist. In the Zhou Dynasty, the first king of Chu was granted the title of Danyang, and his country name was Jing. In the early Spring and Autumn Period, King Cheng of Chu changed the name of Jing to Chu.

Jingzhou has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. During the Three Kingdoms period, Wei, Shu and Wu fought to capture Jingzhou, leaving behind many touching stories and a large number of Three Kingdoms sites. During the Three Kingdoms period, Jingzhou was a fiefdom of Liu Biao, and later returned to Western Shu and was guarded by Guan Yunchang. The Ancient City of Chu Jinan is a national key cultural relic protection unit and was the capital of the Chu State during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It lasted for more than 400 years, and 20 generations of kings established their capital here. It was the largest metropolis in the South at that time. The earth-built city wall at that time still exists today.

The ancient city wall of Jingzhou hovers among the lakes and mountains, rising and falling according to the terrain, winding along the lakes and pools, winding and stretching, like a swimming dragon. The ancient city has a history of more than 2,000 years. , the well-preserved ancient city wall was built in the third year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty. The East Gate Tower (Binyang Tower) still stands on the city wall. The moat has been rebuilt, the Kowloon Bridge lies on the blue waves, there is a large stainless steel statue of a phoenix bird taking flight in the east gate square, and there is the Jiangling Monument Garden inside the east gate. Various inscriptions record the history and changes of the ancient city. The ancient city of Xiangyang is located on the south bank of the Han River in Xiangyang City. It spans Hanmiang to the south and Jingluo to the north. It is located at a strategic location with convenient water and land transportation. In the Spring and Autumn Period, it was the northern Jin garrison of the Chu State. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was not used as the pastoral office of Jingzhou. It was a must-have for military strategists of all ages. land.

The ancient city of Xiangyang was first built in the Han Dynasty, rebuilt in the Tang and Song dynasties, and added to in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The city wall is slightly square in shape, with a circumference of 7.5 kilometers and an area of ​​about 2.5 square kilometers. The city wall is about 8.5 meters high and 10 to 15 meters wide. The wall is made of rammed earth and bricks on the outside. There are 6 city gates built on all sides of the city wall. Outside each gate there is an urn city (commonly known as the moon city) for garrisoning troops and storing weapons. There are towers built on the city gates. There are also third floors built in the southeast and southwest corners of the city. The north city wall is adjacent to the Han River, and the remaining three sides have moats with a width of 180 to 250 meters. It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. It is known as "Iron-made Xiangyang"; in ancient times, it was both a military fortification and an embankment to resist floods. Although the ancient city of Xiangyang has experienced wars and wars, it still retains the old structure of the early Ming Dynasty. The outline of the whole city still exists, especially the north city wall is the most complete; the small north gate tower rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty still stands at the top of the city, with double eaves and nine ridges, and is extremely majestic. , the streets and markets near the city still retain their ancient appearance. Climb the tower and look into the distance. To the north is the surging Han River with lingering blue waves; to the south is the Xian Mountain, with rolling hills and a panoramic view of the city and the city; to the southwest is the Chu Mountain, which is like a screen with its peaks forming a series of natural wonders. Yangchunmen Park and Xiangyang Park have been built around the moat. The historical sites and gardens have been combined to become a tourist attraction.

The ancient city of Shexian County is located at the foot of Huangshan Mountain. It was governed by Huizhou Prefecture in ancient times. It is the birthplace of Huizhou culture and the quintessence of Chinese Peking Opera. It is also the main producing area of ​​Huizhou ink and She inkstone, the four treasures of the study. It was awarded the title of National Historical and Cultural City in 1986, and was rated as a national AAAAA tourist attraction on November 21, 2014.

She County has a long history. She County was established in the Qin Dynasty. From the Sui Dynasty to modern times, She County, as the first county in Huizhou, has always been the political, economic and cultural center of the Huizhou region. Huizhou is a place that can truly be called “a place with abundant resources, natural treasures, outstanding land and outstanding people”. The traditional culture here, Huizhou culture, is famous for its profound humanistic heritage and its various forms of expression including architecture, sculpture, painting, seal cutting, bonsai, weaving, book printing, Neo-Confucianism, medicine, etc. Huizhou Town, the current county seat of Shexian County, is the original Huizhou City. There are two mountains running across the city, dividing the ancient city into two: the ancient Shexian Fuguo City in the east, which is surrounded by mountains and looks like a half moon; the ancient Huizhou Fucheng in the west, facing Lianjiang River, the terrain is open. The city was built in the Ming Dynasty, and now only a few gate towers and part of the city wall remain. There are a large number of historical streets and ancient buildings scattered throughout the towns and villages inside and outside the city. Among them, residential houses, ancestral halls, and archways are known as the three architectural wonders of Huizhou. Huizhou's residential sites pay attention to Feng Shui, and the layout follows the theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. They are exquisitely decorated and full of cultural flavor. The Qiankou and Chengkan residential buildings in the west of the city are the most representative. Ancestral halls and archways in Huizhou also have their own characteristics. The most famous ones are Tangyue Stone Archway Group, Xu Guo Stone Archway, Luodong Shu Temple, etc., all of which are national cultural relics. The ancient city of Lijiang was built in the late Song Dynasty and the early Yuan Dynasty. It is located in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River. It has a long history, beautiful scenery and majestic natural environment. It is the descendant of the ancient Qiang people and the hometown of the Naxi people. The Old Town of Lijiang is 2,400 meters above sea level. It is the central city of Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County. It is one of the famous historical and cultural cities in China and a national key scenic spot.

Lijiang County, surrounded by mountains and rivers, is said to be named "Dayan Town" because it resembles a large inkstone. Exploring its past, people discovered that this once-forgotten "Ancient Naxi Kingdom" had been populated by humans since ancient times. This place is located on the main transportation route between Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. Frequent business travel activities in ancient times made the local people prosperous, and it soon became a famous market and important town far and near.

Walking into the ancient streets paved with colorful stones in Lijiang and wandering around Sifang Street in the north commercial center of the town, you will see the gurgling water in the canals, the weeping willows on the riverside, bridges in front of the shops and houses, or there are bridges behind the houses. Creeks, countless trickling streams in the streets and alleys, winding through the walls and around the houses. Dayan Town in Lijiang, which is surrounded by mountains and rivers, has neither a tall walled city nor a grand avenue, but it is simple and picturesque, with natural harmony everywhere. The houses in the town are undulating due to the topography and flowing water. People use wood, stone and soil to build beautiful and practical houses, integrating the traditions of Han, Bai and Tibetan houses to form a unique style. What is common in the local area is the "three squares and one screen wall" style house, that is, a three-sided courtyard surrounded by a main room, a side room and a wall. Most of the houses are decorated with a fish-shaped or leaf-shaped piece of wood called "hanging fish" under the eaves protruding from the two gable walls, in order to pray for "good luck". Many courtyard gatehouses are exquisitely carved, and the courtyards are paved with pebbles, tiles, and tiles. The front hall usually has six lattice doors and windows, and the carvings in the center of the windows are mostly flowers of the four seasons or auspicious birds and animals. Most of the eaves in front of the hall are relatively wide, making it a warm and comfortable space for activities. The ancient city wall of Shouxian County was built in the Song Dynasty (1068-1224). It is a Song city with a checkerboard layout. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has been continuously renovated according to the needs of war defense and flood control. It is one of the seven best-preserved ancient city walls in China, and is 100 years older than the ancient city of Pingyao, Shanxi.

Shou County, known as Shouchun in ancient times, moved its capital here in the 22nd year of King Kaolie of Chu (241 BC). It has been a county 10 times and a state and county seat many times. The ancient city has a solid foundation and solid walls, and is majestic. It is well preserved to this day. The current city wall was rebuilt by Xu Jun, the governor of Jiankang in the 12th year of Ningzong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1206). The words "built by the governor of Jiankang and Xu" can also be seen on the wall bricks. The city is slightly square in plan. The city wall has a circumference of 7141 meters, a height of 8.3 meters, a bottom width of 18-22 meters, and a top width of 4-10 meters. The wall is made of rammed earth, with bricks on the outside, and a 2-meter-high stone strip at the bottom of the outer wall. The foundation is laid, the whole body is tilted inward, and the layers are gathered together. Outside the city lies Hao in the southeast, about 60 meters wide. It is surrounded by Feishui in the north and Shouxi Lake in the west. A stone embankment about 8 meters wide is built at the foot of the outer wall to protect the city. The city has four gates: Binyang in the east, Tongfei in the south, Dinghu in the west, and Jinghuai in the north. All four gates have gate-protecting urns. Among them, the outer gate of the west gate faces north, the outer gate of the north gate faces west, and the inner and outer gates of the east gate are parallel and staggered. It is said to be a "crooked gate" and has dual functions of military defense and flood control.

Closely related to the city wall, there are beautiful legends such as "the love of the licking calf", "Liu Rengan defends the city on the day of his death", "face to face with gongs and opposite to drums", "people in the door", "people's hearts are not enough and snakes swallow elephants", etc., which accompany various cities. It has been passed down to this day. In 1958, the Shouxian People's Government announced it as a county-level key cultural relics protection unit, and now it is a national-level key cultural relics protection unit. The ancient city wall is the only relatively well-preserved Song Dynasty city wall among the seven ancient city walls in the country, with brick walls and stone foundations and a circumference of 7,147 meters. The city has four gates: east, west, south and north, with "Binyang" in the east, "Tongfei" in the south, "Dinghu" in the west and "Jinghuai" in the north. The four gates originally had gate-protecting urns. The city wall is simple, majestic and majestic, like a blue dragon surrounding it. It is a key protected cultural relic in Anhui Province. Shouxian County is located in the middle of Anhui and controls the Huaihe River. In ancient times, it was the strategic point between the north and the south, and it was a place that military strategists fought over repeatedly. The Battle of Feishui between the former Qin Dynasty and the Eastern Jin Dynasty in 383 AD took place here. This war once again created an example in our country's military history of defeating a large number with a small number, and left to future generations historical anecdotes such as "throwing a whip to cut off the flow", "the wind roared and the cranes roared, and the grass and trees were all soldiers".

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Later Zhou Dynasty and the Southern Tang Dynasty fought fiercely in Shouchun. At that time, Zhao Kuangyin (later Taizu of the Song Dynasty), who was a general of the Later Zhou Dynasty, accompanied Zhou Shizong Chai Rong on his personal expedition, and encircled Shouzhou and achieved great military exploits. . The story of "Zhao Kuangyin was trapped in Nantang" is still circulated among the people of Huaihe and Huaihe Rivers. The traditional famous pastry "Dajiujia" in Shouxian County, which won the Ministry of Excellence Award, originated from this story. The ancient city of Dali is one of the first 24 historical and cultural cities in my country approved by the State Council in 1982, and is also one of the 44 key scenic spots in the country. It is located in the east of Nanzhao and the ruins of the capital of Dali. It was first built in the 15th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty ( 1382 AD), it has been built many times in the past dynasties. Dali is known as "a country famous for literature". The long history has left many important cultural relics and monuments, which can be summarized as the "three ancients", namely the ancient city, the ancient tower and the ancient monument.

Dali City has a radius of 12 miles. The city wall is 2 feet 5 feet high and 2 feet thick. There are gates in the east, west, south and north with towers on them and turrets at the four corners of the city. The outer wall of the city wall is made of bricks, with battlements on the upper side and a ditch on the lower side. The city is well-organized and laid out in a checkerboard shape, with 5 streets from south to north and 8 lanes from east to west. What remains today are parts of the city walls of the north and south cities and the south city tower. The main street in the city runs from north to south; green tile roofs are lined on both sides of the street, and houses, shops, and workshops are connected, giving it a simple style. It is worth mentioning that the typical Bai folk houses are generally "three rooms and one screen wall" or "four in one and five patios". The so-called "three rooms and one screen wall" means that each household has a main room in the courtyard. It is a two-sided room; opposite the main room is a wall. Whenever the sun shines on this wall from afternoon to evening, it is reflected into the courtyard, making the entire courtyard bright. Therefore, it is called "Zhaobi". The so-called "four in five patios" means that there are houses on all four sides, and there are four small wells at the intersection of the four corners. Together with the large patio in the center of the courtyard, there are five patios in total. Decoration is another characteristic of Bai folk residential architecture. They pay great attention to gate towers, cornices, and painted brackets. They are quite distinctive. Doors, windows, and screen walls are often decorated with Jianchuan wood carvings, marble, color paintings, and ink paintings. They are exquisite in craftsmanship, fresh and elegant, and are popular in southwest folk houses. In architecture, it is first-rate.

Dali residents love flowers. There is a saying here that "three households have one well, and one household has several pots of flowers". Most residential houses have flower beds in their courtyards, where camellias and other flowers and trees are planted. Every year on the 14th day of the second lunar month, during the Flower Festival, every household puts their potted flowers and trees at the door to create a "flower mountain" to attract people from all over to enjoy. Because of their love for flowers, people also name girls after flowers. "Golden Flower" is the nickname for Bai girls, and Dali is also known as the "Hometown of Golden Flower". Phoenix Ancient City was built in the 43rd year of Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1704). It is a national historical and cultural city and was once praised as the most beautiful small town in China by the famous New Zealand writer Rewi Alley. It is adjacent to Dehang Miao Village in Jishou, Mengdong River in Yongshun, and Fanjing Mountain in Guizhou. It is the only way between Huaihua, Jishou, and Tongren in Guizhou.

Fenghuang Mountain City is located on the bank of Tuojiang River, surrounded by mountains and majestic passes. The green Tuojiang River flows slowly along the city wall, and the emerald foothills of Nanhua Mountain are reflected in the river. There are several fishing boats and cruises in the river, drums and bells ring in the mountains at dusk and morning, smoke curls up from the stilted buildings on the cliffs, Huan Shagu laughs loudly by the pier, and the hundreds of years old stilted buildings on both sides of the strait have a unique flavor. A feeling of being far away from the world comes leisurely. Phoenix is ​​like "a Chinese landscape painting with thick ink and light colors". When you stroll through the slate streets made of strips of stone in the ancient city, the ancient buildings on both sides hug the terrain and line up in rows. The pavilions and pavilions overlap one another, like giant dragons flying and fish spreading their wings.

In the sound of drizzle, it seems that the cowhide spikes of the pilgrims are hitting the street, making a "ding-ding" sound, which makes people feel like they are in another world. Phoenix has beautiful scenery, a long history and many places of interest. Inside the city, the ancient city towers and ancient courtyards of the Ming and Qing Dynasties still have their style. Outside the city, there are Nanhua Mountain National Forest Park, Qiliang Cave, an art palace under the city, Huangsiqiao Ancient City built in the Tang Dynasty, and the world-famous Southern Great Wall... When strolling outside the East Gate , step onto Hongqiao and look out, in addition to the antique ancient buildings, you can also see the famous "Eight Phoenix Scenes". The continuous and towering Nanhua Mountain lies across the south of the ancient city, like a green barrier, with green pines and cypresses, a cloud of smoke, winding stone paths, clear springs, flying eagles and beasts, and the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers. It is a famous tourist destination. There are also scenic spots such as Dongling Yinghui, Xiqiao Night Moon, Longtan Fishing Fire, Fange Huitao, Nanjing Woodcutter Song, Qifeng Tingxiu, etc., which make the mountain city even more beautiful.

This place not only has beautiful scenery, but also has outstanding people and celebrities. In order to safeguard national dignity and kill foreign lawless missionaries, Tian Xingshu, the first-rank imperial envoy of Guizhou Province; Zheng Guohong, a national hero who fought bloody battles against the British and will be remembered forever; Xiong Xiling, the first democratically elected prime minister of the Republic of China and the "Hunan prodigy"; literary giant Shen Congwen; traditional Chinese painting master Huang Yongyu .