Lizhuang Ancient Town

Chinese Name: 李庄古镇 (Li Zhuang Gu Zhen)
Location: No.1, Wenxing Street, Lizhuang Town, Cuiping District, Yibin City, Sichuan Province. 
Ticket: Electric cart CNY20.00
Estimated tour time: 1-2 hours
Recommended time to visit: all year round.
Nearby attractions: Shunan Bamboo Forest, Xingwen Stone Forest,Xijiashan Folk House, Zigong Dinosaur Museum, etc.

The historical and cultural town of Lizhuang is located 19 kilometers east of Yibin City on the south bank of the Yangtze River. It covers an area of 67.2 square kilometers, 0.46 square kilometers of the core protection area of Lizhuang Ancient Town, with a total population of approx. 31,256.

Lizhuang Town is known as the First Ancient Town on the Yangtze River with a long history of over 1500 years. It has been successively awarded as a National Historical and Cultural Town, a Town with a Beautiful National Environment, one of the Top National Characteristic Towns, etc. It was one of the four cultural centers (Chongqing, Chengdu, Kunming and Lizhuang) in the rear area of the II World War in China. Many well-known institutions of higher learning and research institutions successively moved from Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai and other places in east China to Li-Zhuang Town, and did not move back to their original place until 1947 after the victory of the war. This has had a profound influence on the society, economy and culture of Li Zhuang.

Lizhuang ancient architectural complex is large in scale and rigorous in layout, reflecting the architectural characteristics of folk houses, temples and halls in southern Sichuan during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1912). There are a large number of characteristic temples, halls and ancient opera house, such as the Ming Dynasty architecture Xuanluo Hall, Dongyue Temple, The Zhangs' Ancestral Temple, Huiguang Temple, Jade Buddha Temple and other ancient buildings, which are of high archaeological and appreciation value, and the wood and stone carving art on them is more representative.

In addition to those luxurious buildings, there are also ordinary folk houses in the old streets. The most well-preserved one is Xizi Lane. This is an old street built in the early Qing Dynasty(1636-1912), though not a big street, it attracted numerous tourists with its architectural features.

Yibin City is also know as Chinese Liquor Capital. The famous liquor Wuniangye is produced here.