I have heard the name of Qingyan ancient town in Guizhou for a long time. It is said that it is a very popular scenic spot near Guiyang, and I have always wanted to find an opportunity to go for a walk. Coincidentally, some time ago, we went to Pingba, Guizhou to see cherry blossoms and stayed in Qingyan Ancient Town for two nights.
We spent two nights and one morning shopping, eating, climbing the city wall and glancing at the ancient town, many ancient buildings and streets, delicious snacks and warm and simple Qingyan people, which gave us a three-dimensional and comprehensive impression of Qingyan.
Qingyan ancient town, located in the south of Guiyang, is said to be one of the four ancient towns in Guizhou. The ancient town was built in the 10th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1378). It used to be a military fortress, with walls and gates, and many buildings with a long history, with exquisite design and exquisite craftsmanship.
Today's Qingyan ancient town is dominated by commerce, and most of the houses facing the street have become shops, eating and playing. The roads paved with bluestone slabs crisscross, and the streets are polished by time.
Look at the old buildings, stroll through the smooth streets and feel the breath of nature.
From the map, the north-south direction of Qingyan ancient town is slightly longer, and the east-west direction is slightly narrower. An ancient city wall connects the south gate, the west gate and the north gate, and the east seems to have merged with the modern street. The South Gate and the North Gate are the places where we go the most. The stone gate is spectacular and heavy, with a sense of history.
Most of the roads in the city are paved with bluestone slabs, criss-crossing, and the alleys are winding. North Mingqing Street and South Mingqing Street are the north-south main roads, and Qingyan Ancient Road is the east-west main road, with many small streets and alleys distributed in it. Just figure out the general direction and walk around at will. The ancient town is small, so don't worry about getting lost.
The south gate is also called Dingguang Gate, and there is Dingguang Lake outside the city. Standing on the wall, a few peach blossoms are in full bloom on the island in the middle of the lake, which is particularly enchanting.
From the wall at the south gate all the way to the west, climb a steep stone staircase and you will arrive at Wangfeng Pavilion, which should be the highest point of the ancient town, with a panoramic view of its streets, courtyards, pavilions, temples and churches.
There are Buddhist temples, Taoist temples, Catholic churches and Christian churches in the ancient town, which can be described as diverse gatherings.
The former residence of the champion, the former residence of celebrities and other famous buildings in the ancient town recorded the history here in a special way.
Before we went to Gaodang Village in Zhenning, we were deeply impressed by the stone houses with stone walls and tiles. When we arrived at Qingyan ancient town, we found that it was also a museum with slate walls.
Stone walls made of slate are a very common sight in Qingyan ancient town, and most of the courtyard walls of houses and shops are like this.
In an alley named "Backstreet", the scenery of this stone wall is even more extreme: on the wall made of stone slabs of different sizes and shapes, natural patterns are formed at will, forming a round and smooth surface.
This organic unity of clutter and neatness, combined with the winding extension of alleys, has a special aesthetic feeling and is impressive.
Shopping and tasting food, a few small things, let us feel the simplicity of Qingyan people.
People who come to Qingyan will definitely not miss the special foods here, such as braised pig's trotters, cake porridge, tofu balls and rice tofu ... There are many delicious local specialties here, so please try and enjoy it.
The first night we lived near the south gate, and the second night we lived near the north gate. We ate many times, went shopping many times and visited the ancient town of Xiaoqingyan.
It was already dark when we arrived at the ancient town on the first night. As soon as I got off the bus, my eyes were full of signs of various shops. In front of the brightly lit restaurant, there are all kinds of special snacks and delicious food.
The most popular signs are "time-honored brand" and "Guzhen trotters", and the fragrance wafts in. Braised trotters with moderate hardness and excellent chewiness have become a must-eat food for every meal. Before leaving the ancient town, we must buy some and pack them and take them home.
Uniquely, many food shops in the ancient town are mostly named after "menstruation", and there are many trotters shops named after "menstruation" for old menstruation, green menstruation, Wang menstruation and aunt.
I couldn't help but ask the shopkeeper curiously, only to know that "menstruation" is a kind and close word in the local language, just like "auntie" that we Kunming people often say, which is enough to show that braised pig's trotters are deeply rooted in Qingyan.
There are also many food stores named after surnames in Chen Ji, Fan Ji and Wang Ji.
When going to the ancient town scenic spot with high degree of commercialization, many people worry that the price is high and the merchants are treacherous. When we first arrived at Qingyan, we also had such worries.
After a few small things, let us feel the simplicity of Qingyan people. In commercial scenic spots, such an atmosphere makes people feel warm.
On the first night, living near the south gate, we went to the food street next to the inn for dinner. We were attracted by the enthusiasm of a shopkeeper, and several people chose to eat here.
According to the recommendation of the shopkeeper, we ordered braised trotters, cake porridge, rice tofu and fried tofu jiaozi, which was delicious.
After eating and drinking enough, we paid the hostess with our mobile phone. The host quickly came over and said that the partner who left first at the same table had already paid, so we couldn't charge any more.
We are hiking friends, accustomed to the attitude of AA system and unfamiliar with each other. They didn't tell us that they had paid the money, but the shopkeeper insisted that we couldn't charge any more.
A very simple and simple action is a sought-after move for our customers who may spend at one time.
Paying for the meal was still a trivial matter, and it happened the next night. On this day, we lived near the north gate, and there were several restaurants with big doors near the inn. We went to a restaurant called "Wang Menstruation", where there were braised trotters, spicy chicken horns and crisp whistle ... As always, delicious experiences were all in it.
Unexpectedly, there were new problems when paying the bill. Now it's all paid by mobile phone. Just finished, our mobile phone received a short message from the bank, saying that the transaction was unsuccessful, only to remember that we used the wrong bank card.
He explained it to the shopkeeper quickly, but he said calmly that he had received it. He showed him a short message and asked him if he needed to pay again. He said seriously: It doesn't matter if the transaction really didn't succeed, just treat Yunnan people as Guizhou people. Yungui is a family, and Yunnan people from afar can't suffer. ...
I was surprised at his attitude and words. Obviously it's our problem, but his behavior is touching, which makes us feel better about Qingyan ancient town.
Later, i query realized that the payment was successful, and another channel was mobile payment. Of course, this is another story.
We went to an ancient town and a scenic spot. Besides seeing the scenery, we also want to experience the local customs there.
In Qingyan ancient town in the southern suburbs of Guiyang, we enjoyed the century-old buildings, bluestone streets and slate walls, tasted delicious braised pig's trotters and sweet cake porridge, and fell in love with the warm and simple Qingyan people.
My first impression of Qingyan ancient town is very good.
(2021March 19 -2 1)