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Qingyan:
¡¡¡¡Where an ancient atmosphere prevails
¡¡¡QQingyan is one of Guizhou¡¯s four major ancient towns. A frontier garrison
built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the town retains its original design
of outer and inner cities, 0 each with magnificent city walls, watch towers
and battlements Within the town, well-preserved stone-slab lanes and archways
testify to its past glory. |
| ¡¡¡¡To enforce the imperial court¡¯s administration in the southwestern
border area, a post station was set up in Qingyan in 1373,followed by the
establishment of a garrison In 1381,an army of 300,00 men was sent to today¡¯s
Yunnan and Guizhou Those assigned to Qingyan built their first earthen fortress,
indicating the emergence of Qingyan Town, In later warring years, the local
residents all moved into the fortress for safety, and helped strengthen
the town¡¯s defence with massive mason works, leaving Qingyan a rich legacy
and numerous Ming-and Qing-dynasty cultural relics. |
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¡¡¡¡It would be no exaggeration to call Qingyan¡°a
stone town¡±, Almost everything is made of stone-houses, walls ,roads, archways,
stoves and other utilities, Dwellings lining the stone-paved lanes are built
with distinguished doors, decorated with Guizhou-flavour New Year paintings.
In this small town, Western cultural influences have blended with Chinese
civilisation, while Catholic and Christian churches co-exist with Buddhist
and Taoist temples. |
¡¡¡¡Among its 37 tourist attractions are nine monasteries, eight
temples ,five towers, three caves, two halls, a palace and an academy, Its
three archways, situated at the North , South and Guangmen gates¡ªall 9.5
metres high and nine metres wide¡ªare exquisitely carved with terrapins and
dragons.
¡¡¡¡The teahouse at the top of the Guangmen Tower offers a good place to rest.
While sipping the locally produced tea ,visitors can take in a panoramic
view of the ancient town , its temples and churches, brought to life by
children leading their buffaloes and women with shoulder poles carrying
their vegetables along the stone-slab roads¡ |
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