City Walk Routes in Sanhe Ancient Town

City Walk routes are quite popular nowadays. Many people dislike crowds and find the “special forces” route too tiring. So, City Walk routes have gained popularity. There are some City Walk routes in Sanhe Ancient Town. Here are some recommendations for you. Check out the details if you are interested.

1、Relax and enjoy a romantic journey through the streets and alleys

Route: Liutong Xinglongzhuang → Guxi Street → Duoyue Bridge → Wangyue Pavilion

Distance: 1.4 kilometers

Time: About 10 minutes (excluding visiting time)

Walk south along the streets and alleys, and you will see Liutong Xinglongzhuang, a famous merchant of the late Qing Dynasty, also known as “Liu’s Rice Shop”, with an architectural style of Huizhou architecture. The owner, Liutong Xing, was the president of the Sanhe Chamber of Commerce. His five brothers were in business with him here. The name of the business was “Tongxinglong”, which meant that the business would prosper and flourish together.

Walking into Liutong Xinglongzhuang, the entire courtyard is divided into five sections and eight wings, with 32 rooms. Each room uses wax figures and scenery to showcase the prosperity and bustle of Sanhe as a water and land transportation hub. A two-story building on the street houses shops selling rice, cotton cloth, and various other businesses downstairs, while the upstairs was where the owner lived.

Duoyue Bridge is a bridge with a unique design of pavilions and corridors. Each corridor is connected by four pavilions and three sections of corridors. The two middle pavilions are four-cornered, pointed-top pavilions, while the pavilions at both ends are four-cornered, hipped-roof pavilions. The pavilions are high and the corridors are low. From the front, they are staggered in height like a rhythmic melody.

Inside the pavilions, there are beauty rests for tourists to rest. Duoyue Bridge is one of the unique attractions of Sanhe Ancient Town, with its novel structure, exquisite workmanship, and beautiful shape.

Wangyue Pavilion, built by the water, is also known as “National Essence Pavilion”. It is about 37 meters high. Inside the pavilion, there are nearly a thousand ancient art treasures and over a hundred plaques collected. Climbing to the top of Wangyue Pavilion, you can see the scenery of the ancient town in its entirety. You can also see the vast expanse of Chaohu Lake in the distance.

2、A collision of ancient and modern culture

Route: Sanxian Bridge → Yiren Alley → Yang Zhenning’s Former Residence → Bashan Street

Distance: 220 meters

Time: 5 minutes (excluding visiting time)

Sanxian Bridge, located in the northeast of Gunan Street, has a history of over a thousand years. It was named “Sanxian Bridge” because of its geographical location, “one bridge spans two banks, the rooster crows in three counties”. The ancient bridge blends seamlessly with the Huizhou architecture at the head of the bridge, creating a magnificent sight. Today, Sanxian Bridge is one of the characteristic attractions of the ancient town, attracting a steady stream of visitors who come to take photos.

People from Lao Feixi should all know that there is an alley in the ancient town that is “less than 50 meters long and less than 1 meter wide”. This is the famous Yiren Alley. It is said that this was the path that the famous physicist Yang Zhenning took to school. Next to it is his mansion – Yang Zhenning’s Former Residence. When Yang Zhenning was a child, he came to Sanhe with his mother to live and study. In 1991, Sanhe, Feixi, suffered a flood and the former residence was severely damaged. It has been repaired many times since then. The newly renovated former residence has white walls, black tiles, wooden doors and grilles, and carved flowers, which are full of ancient charm.

Today, Yang Zhenning’s Former Residence consists of five sections of houses. The first two sections are exhibition halls, displaying pictures and literary materials about Mr. Yang. The third section was where he lived. The fourth and fifth sections use sound, light and electricity to showcase Yang Zhenning’s scientific achievements.

Bashan Street Intangible Cultural Heritage Folk Street is one of the characteristic ancient streets and alleys that the ancient town has focused on developing. Here, you can not only immerse yourself in the charm of traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage, but also marvel at the exquisite works while marveling at the superb skills of traditional Chinese culture.

Many intangible cultural heritage themed shops, such as Duniplay, Buzhiyuci, Paper Kite Shop, and Qiaomujian, are on display for tourists to visit and check in.

3、Travel through millennia and feel the history

Route: Ancient City Wall → Wanniantai → Sanhe Battle Cloud Hall → End of journey (return to the visitor center)

Distance: About 980 meters

Time: About 14 minutes (excluding visiting time)

In the past, when there was no television, no internet, and technology was not yet developed, local people would gather here to perform. Yes, this is the center of Sanhe Town – Wanniantai.

Sanhe Ancient Town has always been a strategic location for military strategists. The most notable event was the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period in the late Qing Dynasty, when Taiping Heavenly Kingdom generals Chen Yucheng and Li Xiucheng led their troops to besiege and attack Sanhe. They eventually annihilated over 6,000 Xiang troops there, known as the “Sanhe Great Victory” in history.

To commemorate this battle, later generations built a Sanhe Battle Cloud Hall, covering an area of about 2,000 square meters, near Wanniantai. The hall vividly recreates the fierce battles of that time through the use of objects and historical materials.