Forgotten Ancient Town of Zhejiang: Once One of the ‘Ten Famous Towns of the Grand Canal’, Now with Free Entry but Few Tourists
When people think of ancient towns in Zhejiang, they immediately think of towns like Wuzhen and Xitang, etc., which are like popular internet celebrity towns. But when it comes to Tangqi Ancient Town, many foreign tourists may be unfamiliar with it, and even don't know where it is. However, it is actually a town with a history of a thousand years.
Tangqi Ancient Town was founded in the Northern Song Dynasty, and began to gather merchants from the Yuan Dynasty, gradually forming a small-known town. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, because it was located beside the Grand Canal, it developed to its peak, and it was regarded as one of the 'Ten Famous Towns of the Grand Canal in Jiangnan'.
To choose to start from Wulin Square in Hangzhou and take a water bus to Tangqi Ancient Town. The Wu Linmen pier has boat tickets for a day trip to Tangqi. The second way is to take a bus to Tangqi Ancient Town.
After getting off the bus, you can see the Seven-hole Bridge – Guangji Bridge, which spans across the Grand Canal, not long after. The bridge still maintains a scale of 78.7 meters long and 5.2 meters wide. The stone balustrade is plain, with carved cloud patterns on both ends and stone pillars. The bridge underneath is constructed with stacked air holes, which looks particularly characteristic of Jiangnan style.
The ancient bridge standing on the Grand Canal witnesses the history and vicissitudes of Hangzhou and the Grand Canal, and it is currently one of the few remaining seven-hole stone arch bridges on the Grand Canal. It is also a masterpiece of ancient bridges in China. Standing on either side of the old street, you can admire the grandeur of the ancient bridge, and if you stand on the bridge's bridgehead, you can enjoy the entire view of the ancient town.
The sides of the bridge are typical Jiangnan water town scenery, with riverside corridors and pavilions still serving as places for local people to rest and chat. The corridors are also residential areas for many local residents. Compared to the commercially intensive Wuzhen, this place seems to have more life and smoke, and it won't be disturbed by the arrival of tourists.
Of course, if you are a travel enthusiast who likes to take pictures, you can go to the bustling main street to take a stroll. Here, shops are lined up, from beginning to end, gathering the flavors of Tangqi and Hangzhou's small snacks, such as green bean cake, meat roll, wheat meat ball, sandy cake, duck, peach blossom wine and plum blossom cake. Numerous cheap and affordable snacks will surely win your heart.
After eating and drinking, you can even go around Tangqi Ancient Town, because there used to be seventy-two alleys. Even though the scale is not as large as before, it still hides many authentic scenes. The deep courtyard houses, the Qianlong twice stopped in Jiangnan, the Qianlong imperial tablet, the Guo Pu ancient well and the Water Nymph Temple are still preserved.
It can be said that Tangqi is now, regardless of its fame or scale and highlights, cannot compare with Wuzhen and Xitang. However, with its unique riverside market and profound cultural heritage, it still stands out, moreover, it is free for the public, which makes it very satisfactory and pleasant. Tangqi Ancient Town has undergone the traces of a thousand years, exuding a unique cultural atmosphere, which makes the town itself into a story to be tasted carefully.
How to get to Tangqi Town:
First, take a water bus from Hangzhou Wu Lin Square, the Wu Linmen pier has boat tickets to Tangqi for a day trip. Second, take a bus to Tangqi Ancient Town.
