Huanglongxi, the thousand-year-old ancient town | Chengdu, 2023 | China

Huanglongxi ancient town, situated in the southeast of Shuangliu District in Chengdu, China, which marks the convergence of three counties, cradled by two rivers (Fu and Luxi rivers). Muma Mountain and Er'es Mountain stand sentinel across the water.
Boasting a history spanning over 2,100 years, its landscape features one lake, two rivers, three temples, seven streets, and nine alleys.
The streets and alleys of Huanglongxi Ancient Town retain the Qing Dynasty's traditional fishbone road network. Streets, paved entirely with stone slabs, stretch about three meters wide. On either side, row-style residential shops with front and back spaces from the Qing Dynasty era still stand.
Here, 76 well-preserved residences and three courtyards grace the landscape. Key cultural relics such as Jinhua Nunnery, Sanxian Yamen, and the ancient stage hold sway. Meanwhile, a tapestry of folk customs, from fire dragons to Fuhe boatmen's chants, floating river lanterns, and night watch traditions, enliven the town.
A trove of 31,200 square meters of traditional structures endures, including 13,700 square meters of quintessential Qing Dynasty wooden architecture, distinguished by their unique attributes and paramount preservation value.
"One street, three temples, three counties, and one government office" crystallize as the ancient town's most renowned cultural legacy. Huanglongxi's allure has radiated through the ages, with Buddha's birthday heralding a continuous stream of pilgrims and visitors, painting a vivid portrait of prosperity.
Along Huanglongxi's main Street, spanning over 200 meters from north to south, "Gulong Temple," "Chaoyin Temple," and "Zhenjiang Temple" grace the landscape. These ancient sanctuaries, cloaked by sprawling ancient trees, have become the emblematic vista of Huanglongxi Ancient Town. Ancient streets, temples, trees, dwellings, piers, Buddha caves, weirs, government offices, customs, folk traditions, and cliff tombs constitute the town's ten world-renowned ancient marvels.
Of course, food is indispensable in Huanglongxi. Sesame cake, pearl bean curd, charred pork elbow, scrambled eggs with wild vegetables, braised yellow spicy diced dices, vegetarian stir-fried wild gray vegetables, etc. are all traditional delicacies here, whether they are white and moist in color, The delicate taste of pearl bean curd, fat but not greasy, and sweet and fresh roasted pork elbows all leave a deep impression on people. In addition to these traditional delicacies, various Internet celebrity delicacies are also scattered in the streets and alleys of the ancient town, allowing people to feast their eyes as well as their mouths.
There is also an allusion to the origin of the name of Huanglongxi Ancient Town. The upper reaches of Luxi River originate from Longquan Mountain, and most of the streams that flow down to form a river are mountain streams. During the flood season, streams become laden with large amounts of sediment and appear yellow in color. Jinjiang water from the Fu River originates from the Minjiang River and is clear and transparent. The intersection of the two rivers appears distinct. It is precisely because the Luxi River carrying sediment flows into the Fu River by subduction, it looks like a "dragon soaring" from a distance. The local people even vividly describe it as "Yellow Dragon Crossing the Qingjiang River", which has been passed down from generation to generation. With the oral transmission of myths and legends, over time, people felt that this was a blessed place where the Yellow Dragon appeared, so they called it "Huanglong Creek". Of course, this is just one of its allusions. Some people think that it is because the Yellow Dragon saw Wu Yang. During the incident, a tripod in the shape of a dragon and elephant was cast and sunk into the water, etc. These undoubtedly added to the mystery of the ancient town.
A stick of Noodle, also known as Changgen Noodles, are a famous traditional snack with Han characteristics in Huanglongxi Ancient Town, Chengdu, Sichuan during the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The characteristic of Yi Yi Yi Noodles is that "there is only one noodle in a pot, one noodle can hold a bowl, and one noodle can be as long as you want." The pastry chef was about one step away from the pot and pulled out the plated noodles from the oil basin with his left hand. The thumb and index finger cooperate with each other, and the right hand is gently pulled out to stretch the finger-thick noodles. The slender noodles are like dragons and phoenixes dancing in the air, stretching up and down, and falling into the water, which is breathtaking.
#Huanglongxi #chengdu #china

[@yaoliang1580]

This is the most popular of all the ancient towns near chengdu. It's very beautiful but overcrowded with tourists especially on weekends and public holidays

[@horizons295]

Yes, a nice small ancient town with many famous snacks:)