Qingyan Ancient Town

Qingyan Town is an ancient town in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1636-1911), and 29 km away from Guiyang. It is one of famous four ancient towns in Guizhou province. It was first built in 1378, and has a history of over 600 years. The town features its architectures in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1636-1911), such as temples, pavilions with carved beams and painted rafters etc, and it is praised as one of the most charming towns in China. The buildings in ancient town are backed on mountains, with an appropriate layout, exquisite stone carving and woodcarving; this is a town full of local color.

Featured architectures

There are many featured buildings with a long history. The town is not built on a flat surface, but on a rugged hillside. Looking out from high, the layout of the whole town will give you a stereoscopic sense of beauty.

The most surprised thing is that apart from temples, there are a Christ church and a Catholic cathedral here, you may not find out that how it can be coexisted at the some time, but it has existed for hundreds years indeed.

Ancient memorial arch is another feature in the town. It was said that there are eight stone memorial arches originally, but now three was left.

Theatrically, the church standing for western culture is opposite the memorial arch, and they are an intensive contrast, but are unified so perfectly.

Stone memorial arch

In history, there are eight memorial arches in four gates separately, but only three were left. There are two inside and outside of the south gate, and one outside of the north gate. These three memorial arches have the same style of Qing Dynasty, with 9.5 meters high and 9 meters wide. They are built without foundation trench, and leaned on four rectangle plinths erecting on the ground directly. They have stood there for more than 100 years. So it is also “an uncommon artwork”.

Qingyan folk house

With a typical karst landform in Guiyang, the fork houses in suburbs are built by stone chips as tile and the wall built by stones. Big stone house links to small stone house, which is special scenery in local area. The residents here use local materials, and stone can be used for pavement, bounding wall, garden, stone mill and stone vat. So Qingyan Ancient Town is praised as “Qingyan stone city”.

Zhuanyuan Mansion

For locals, what makes them so proud is Zhuanyuan (means Champion) Mansion. It was the former residence of the first ancient champion for liberal arts in Guizhou. The building is courtyard dwellings, and it faces north. From historical materials, there are no much political achievements recorded, but his legendary exam experiences. He ranked 297 from his first exam to No.1 in his final exam. For this reason, many parents took their children come here to pray in the day before college entrance exam and wish a good luck.

There are other scenic spots like Wenchang Pavilion and North City Gate.

Wenchang Pavilion

It was built in the reign of the emperor Wanli (1573-1620), and it was a place for student to study, gather and worship the emperor Wenchang.

North City Gate

It is also called as “Xuan Wu Gate”, and it was used to be a place to convey emperor’ decree.

Local custom

In the first month of the lunar new year, there are many performances like dragon dance, performing festive lantern, Tiaochang of the Miao nationality from 9th to 20th, Jan., kinds of dragon and lamp activities on15th Jan. There also have Kwan-yin Hui on 19th, Feb. and 19th, Sep. etc.

Delicious food

Famous food like Qingyan tofu, rice tofu, simmered pig feet and rose candy etc.

Rose candy can be traced back as early as 1874. It has been passed on over one hundred years in the town. Today rose candy is popular at home and abroad.

Qingyan Shuanghua Vinegar is famous too. The liquid of the vinegar is quite thick, with its color of dark red, and has a good taste. It is recognized as the superior flavoring.