Shuhe ancient town: a taste of a thousand-year history

2013-08-23 14:07

By (People's Daily Online)

Shuhe ancient town: a taste of a thousand-year history

Beautiful scenery of Shuhe ancient town in Xunyang county, Northwestern China's Shaanxi province. [Photo/Chinapic.people.com.cn]

Located 53 kilometers to the east of Xunyang county, Northwestern China's Shaanxi province, Shuhe ancient town was once a famous port in China's maritime history, and is known as "little Hankou".

Entering the ancient town, you can feel the flavor of old streets full of stores and visitors, touch the stone walls of the thousand-year-old castles, enjoy the beauty of ancient dwellings, and sigh at the remains of magnificent ancient buildings.

The repair of ancient buildings should strictly follow the "Protect the original, repair as the old" principle. There were eight commercial associations in Shuhe in ancient times; with architectures of both south and north styles. The famous ones left are Yangsi Temple and Huangzhou Hall.

Yangsi Temple is also called "General Yangsi Temple"; it is a place to worship a Southern Song Dynasty peasant uprising leader Yang Mo. According to a legend, he did not die after jumping into a lake; hence people regarded him as water god. Shuhe River is a major traffic artery in upper reaches of Hanjiang River. Numerous boats take Yangsi Temple as a place to rest and discuss business.

Huangzhou Hall was built by merchants from Huangzhou in the middle of Emperor Qianlong's reign in Qing Dynasty. Also called "Huguogong" (literally, a house to protect the country), it is the largest and most elegant architectural art hall in southern Shaanxi.

The Mosque, built in Emperor Jiajing's reign in Qing Dynasty, has a history of more than three hundred and seventy years. It is the largest and oldest mosque in Xunyang county.

Ancient town in C China

Entrance fee to ancient town hurting tourism

Luodai Ancient Town

New 'Ancient Town' Rises Along the Grand Canal