Qingmuchuan Ancient Town 青木川古镇Qīngmùchuān Gǔzhèn

Why go to Qingmuchuan Ancient Town

Qingmuchuan, in the far west of Ningqiang County near the point where Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan meet, grew up as a trading town for the mountain border region. Walk the curving Huilongchang old street, where more than 50 old shophouses and courtyard homes survive, among them Rongshengkui, a three-storey merchants' entertainment house, then climb to the Furen Middle School on the hillside to the south.

The story

Huilongchang, the 'returning dragon' market, is named for the way the street winds like a dragon between hills and river, and it was busiest from the 1920s to the 1940s. In those years the town was controlled by Wei Futang, who had the street rebuilt in a single style, built a part-Chinese, part-Western family residence and founded the Furen school for local children.

What to see at Qingmuchuan Ancient Town

• Huilongchang Old Street 回龙场老街: The curving market street at the heart of the town, whose timber shophouses follow a bend of the Jinxi River. The old-street building group is one of the town's nationally protected sites, so it is the place to start.
• Rongshengkui 荣盛魁: A three-storey, boat-shaped timber building on the old street that belonged to a local merchant family. Its odd shape makes it one of the easiest buildings in town to pick out.
• Wei Family Residence 魏氏宅院: The courtyard home and office of the local figure Wei Futang, a nationally protected compound laid out as a symmetrical Chinese timber house. It shows how a wealthy family lived in this border town.
• Furen Middle School 辅仁中学: The hillside school founded by Wei Futang, still a working school and part of the town's nationally protected heritage. It is worth the short climb for the view back over the roofs.

How to visit Qingmuchuan Ancient Town

Park at the town's east or west entrance and go on foot: the old street, its side lanes and the Wei residence are all within a short walk of each other. Take the old street from one end to the other, then cross to the hillside for Furen Middle School; the view over the river bend (see the tips) fits best at the end of the day. The town is compact, so a full day is comfortable, and staying the night lets you see the street without the day-trippers.

How to get to Qingmuchuan Ancient Town

High-speed trains from Xi'an North reach Ningqiang South in about 1.5–2 hours, but Qingmuchuan is well over 100 km further west by mountain road, roughly 3 hours by hired car; buses from Hanzhong and Ningqiang are infrequent, sometimes only one a day. Coming from Sichuan, Yaodu station on the Lanzhou–Chongqing railway, served by only a few trains a day, is about 8 km away.

Where to stay

Stay in Qingmuchuan itself, in guesthouses along or near the old street: the town is a long way from any city, and the street is at its best early and in the evening.

What to eat

• Cured pork 腊肉: Smoke-cured pork is the best-known local product and turns up on menus and in shops along the old street.
• Futang banquet 辅唐宴: A set-menu feast of local dishes named after Wei Futang, served at restaurants in the old town.
• Huilong fish 回龙鱼: A local fish dish named for the old street and, like the banquet, listed among the town's signature meals.

Tips for visiting Qingmuchuan Ancient Town

• Stay the night: the town is far from any city, and the old street is quietest early in the morning and in the evening.
• For a view over the whole town and its river bend, climb the hillside on the far bank of the river from the old street.
• At the Furen school, note the gate shaped like a brush holder, which echoes the shape of Penholder Mountain opposite.

Nearby

• Jianmen Pass 剑门关 70 km
  The cliff-walled gate on the old road to Shu that Li Bai said one man could hold

Also within 30 km: Yangba Scenic Area 阳坝 (30 km).

On the map

Open Qingmuchuan Ancient Town on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia: Ningqiang County