Qingyan Ancient Town

Chinese Name: 青岩古镇 (Qing Yan Gu Zhen)
Location: Xixiayuan Street, Huaxi District, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province 
Ticket: Entrance ticket CNY60.00
Estimated tour time: 4-5 hours
Recommended time to visit: March to October, opening hours: full day
Nearby attractions: Jiaxiu Pavilion, Hongfu Temple, Qianlingshan Scenic Area, etc.

Qingyan Ancient Town, one of the four ancient towns in Guizhou Province is located in the southern suburb of Guiyang, capital city of Guizhou Province. It was built in 1378, the 10th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, and was formerly a military fortress. The town is interlaced with exquisitely designed and crafted ancient buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is honored as the hometown of Chinese poetry, a town with Chinese characteristics and a national 5A tourist attraction.

● Highlights of Qingyan Ancient Town

Qingyan Ancient Town has a history of more than 600 years with rich cultural and historical heritage and charming regional characteristics. It was first built in the 11th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1378 AD) to host troops and got its name from the blue rocks. It is a mountainous military town evolved from the military city defense and is known as the southern gate of Guiyang City. For hundreds of years, after several times of construction and expansion, the earthen walls were changed to stone wall, and the streets and lanes were paved with stone. The city walls were built with boulders on cliffs. There are four gates in the east, west, south and north. The town covers an area of 3 square kilometers and has nearly 100 cultural relics and scenic spots.

Geographical environment

Located 29 kilometers south of Guiyang City, Qingyan Ancient Town is about 10 kilometers long from north to south and 8 kilometers wide from east to west, with a total area of 92.3 square kilometers. Qingyan Ancient Town is by the hillside, the city gates and walls were all built with stones. Qingyan ancient town belongs to subtropical monsoon climate, with an average annual precipitation of about 1,250 mm, sunshine duration of up to 2,200 hours, and average temperature between 14℃ and 15℃. It is suitable for sightseeing throughout the year.

Architectural features

Climbing up the hill on one side of the town offers a panoramic view of the town. The town was built not on a flat surface but on a rugged hillside. Looking from above, the layout of the whole town gives people a three-dimensional beauty that is difficult to see in other ancient towns. In addition to Buddhist and Taoist temples, there is even a Christian church and a Catholic church. It forms an unique style that different religions exist in harmony.

Cultural characteristics

Qingyan Ancient Town is a provincial level cultural relic protection unit, a famous historical and cultural town and a national level civilized market. It has historical culture, architectural culture, religious culture, farming culture, food culture, and traditional revolutionary culture and is inhabited by many ethnic groups.