The ancient town of Tong Yuan, chongzhou city, 38km away from Chengdu, with a planned urban area of 3.5km2 and a built-up area of 1.7km2, has a history of 1650 years. Tong Yuan is a famous ancient town, which was once an important pier on the Wenhe River in history. It is appropriate to generalize the ancient town of Tong Yuan with "ancient". Rest in the diaojiao building near the old stone arch bridge at the end of half a street and watch the river flow.

Imagine the prosperity of Tong Yuan 1600 years ago, which makes people sigh that "the deceased is like a husband". The ancient town of Tong Yuan was once an important wharf in history. There are three rivers here, so it is named Jiang Hui. There are eight historic sites in the town: Bridge, Roche Mansion, Huang Mansion, Huang Ancestral Hall, Catholic Church, Former Residence, Tiegan Bridge, Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Bridge, which started in the Eastern Han Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Chengdu backyard, Minshan vestibule.

Main attraction

West uterus

With the development of history, Xizi Palace has gradually become a temple to commemorate Cang Xie, the legendary inventor of Chinese characters. Cang Xie, a historian and creator of Chinese characters in the era of the Yellow Emperor, is known as the "master of word-making". The world appreciates Cang Xie's contribution, which leads to the customs and habits of cherishing words, respecting words and paper, and not throwing them away at will. Goode said: respecting words is like respecting saints, cherishing words is like cherishing gold, cherishing words can be blessed, and those who cherish words all their lives are blessed.

Tong Yuan Catholic Church

Tong Yuan Town Catholic Church is located in the west of chongzhou city 1 1 km, and the church stands in the town (opposite to the town supply and marketing cooperative). During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, this temple was nearly 100 years old. The establishment of the church was decided by Father Gu, a missionary in France, and his brothers Liu Zhuanchang, Yang, Zeng Siling and others. The fund for the construction of the church was sponsored by Father Gu and completed with the strong cooperation of local members. The church was named Catholic Church. The image designer of the church adopted the structure of combining Chinese and Western, and the facade image was carefully shaped according to the patterns made by Catholics.

Li Yong bridge

Li Yong Bridge was built in Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty. In 27 years of the Republic of China, flash floods broke out and the bridge was destroyed. As a masonry structure, the bridge is connected to Tong Yuan Town New Street in the north and Longevity Street in the south, with a total length of 50-60 meters, two piers and three holes, and the arc is round and high, hanging like a rainbow from a distance, revealing a noble and quaint atmosphere. The two docks are guarded by beautifully carved stone dragons. Slate is paved on the slope of the pier as the carriageway, and there are stair steps for pedestrians to get up and down on both sides. Fortunately for Tongyuan people, many precious historical sites were destroyed, and only the Li Yong Bridge remained intact.

Tiegan bridge

Iron core bridge is a kind of bridge with iron and wood structure. Before liberation, it was the only bridge in Wenjinjiang. After liberation, it was rebuilt under the leadership of the party, and the iron wood was changed into iron cable bridge, cement bridge slab and pier. Safe and convenient.

Roche Mansion, Huang Mansion, Huang Ancestral Hall, Wang Guoying's former residence.

Roche Mansion, Huang Mansion, Huang Ancestral Hall and Wang Guoying's former residence were all built at the beginning of last century. These houses are basically wooden structures with dark red columns and door panels. The wind wall with the characteristics of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China is shaped like a cat's arch back, which is particularly conspicuous and exquisitely shaped. Fine places can be described as "a tiny difference, a thousand miles away."

speciality

Such as Yan San's wheat residue, fish-flavored liver slices, Qiu's oil flower big box, Qi's Lamian Noodles big box, Zhang Ershi's live powder, Xiao's porridge, Zhou's oil tea, yellow salted duck and local chicken. White ice cream in Huatang and Guangcheng restaurant in Hu Guangcheng. Up to now, all these traditional snacks have disappeared except the recent Guangcheng Restaurant (established in 1987). As for other famous snacks, we need to explore them.

public transportation

Buy tickets from Chengdu to Tong Yuan from Chadianzi Bus Terminal, and take a bus from Chengdu to Huaiyuan. The fare is 14 yuan, the travel time is about 1 hour, and the fare is 13 yuan (this is the cheapest and quickest way). You can also take a bus to Chongzhou at Chadianzi Bus Terminal. The fare is 19 yuan, and the ride time is about half an hour. Then,

be self-drive

From Chengwenqiong Expressway to Chongzhou, then turn right at the back of chongzhou city Century Plaza 10 km.

Admission: free.

Development time: all day

Suggested playing time: 3-4 hours.

Seasons suitable for play: suitable for all seasons.

Low-key and quiet 4A ancient town, where is the low-key of Tong Yuan ancient town?

The ancient town of Tong Yuan is very low-key, and no one has publicized or reported such a place, so ordinary people seldom know such a quiet and antique area. The reason why some ancient towns have become so popular now is that special personnel have developed these scenic spots. They have changed from some ancient traditional ancient towns to tourist attractions, and more people recommend them to travel to such places according to some reports of online or offline acquaintances.

Moreover, there are also some entertainment projects in the ancient town, and the managers have retained the sense of historical vicissitudes of this ancient town more. This sense of historical vicissitudes is a kind of scenery that is difficult for young people to experience, so it is difficult to stop and enjoy in such a place where everyone passes by or others mention it. On the contrary, people who appreciate these ancient towns are middle-aged and elderly people, but the popularity of the Internet among middle-aged and elderly people is still relatively small. After learning about such a place, it is difficult to reach and browse.

There are many ancient buildings in the ancient town of Tong Yuan, and the whole town is surrounded by water. Li Yong Bridge, Roche Building, Wang Guoying's former residence and Tiean Bridge are all famous local historical attractions. However, people pay little attention to these historical sites. If some local tourists promote such places and tell their historical stories in these scenic spots, I think such a low-key ancient town will no longer be low-key, but will exude its charming historical atmosphere.

Of course, this ancient town has no combination of modern elements. On the contrary, people feel that everything in the ancient town is very backward. People want to go to tourist attractions and are eager to see beautiful scenery, making life more convenient. If life in this ancient town makes people feel inconvenient, then no matter how beautiful it is, few people will watch it. There are many ancient elements, which is a low-key point of the ancient town of Tong Yuan.

Tong Yuan Ancient Town, the Forgotten Pearl of Western Sichuan

In Chengdu, there is an ancient town outside the street, which is unremarkable, but full of irretrievable extravagance; It is not famous, and its temperament and self-restraint have surpassed many famous ancient towns. Nowadays, most people are trying to gain fame, making a big fuss, taking advantage of many people's loopholes and asking for trouble. So, I rushed to Huaiyuan, Jiezi, Wenjinjiang, Jiguan Mountain, Jiulonggou and other hot tourist attractions, and passed Tong Yuan without hesitation. Few tourists entered her plump arms. In fact, it takes less than an hour from Chengwenqiong Expressway to Chongzhou, and less than 20 minutes from Chongzhou to Tong Yuan, 10 km. However, paying too much attention to and dressing up the ancient town of Jiezi has made Tong Yuan a forgotten corner, hiding in the beautiful and noisy figure of the ancient town of Jiezi, and retaining its rare authenticity and self-esteem in the loss.

In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Tong Yuan Town had an organizational system called Shuiqu Township. During the orthodox period in Ming Yingzong, Yuantong Temple was built in Shuiqu Township. Because of its land and water, monks and businessmen gather and are very prosperous. In the first year of Jiajing in Ming Dynasty (1522), it was named Tong Yuan Town, which meant "harmony and smoothness" in business. In the Qing Dynasty, a town was built here. After the Republic of China, people changed the word "Yuan" to "Tong Yuan" for the convenience of writing. According to local records, Tong Yuan is called "Little Chengdu" because of its advantages of "gathering ten thousand kinds of cities, benefiting the country and the people".

Tong Yuan is a very important water transport hub in history. After the completion of the town, merchants came in an endless stream, and businessmen from southern provinces came here to build museums and start businesses. Tong Yuan reached its peak in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Now, walking into Qilin Street, the most prosperous and basically well-preserved first street in the ancient town, grey cornices and tall cat arches loom between the roofs of blue tiles, dark red door panels and stone pillars support the wooden facade, and various traditional department stores pile up under the gazebo supported by bamboo poles, take a nap in the diaojiao building next to the old stone arch bridge, watch the river flow, experience in the former residence of Huang and Roche, and vaguely see the once gorgeous imagination.

When I first met Tong Yuan, I couldn't help secretly blaming myself. I have been to Chongzhou, Huaiyuan and Jiezi many times in the past. Why haven't I heard of this ancient town of Tong Yuan, which is as close as a family and as small as a jasper? It is more appropriate to generalize the ancient town of Tong Yuan with "ancient" and "intriguing". This is the only remaining ancient town in western sichuan bazi, which is the most primitive and atmospheric. Its taste is not only difficult to express in words, but also makes people feel sad involuntarily.

Tong Yuan was built by water and was born by water. The town is near the Jianghui River, named after the confluence of Wenjing River, Jiangwei River and Bohe River. In the past, due to the inconvenient transportation in central Sichuan, Jiang Hui, as the artery of western Sichuan, made a prosperous history of a section of land and water terminals in Tong Yuan. The main buildings in Tong Yuan Town are built along the river, and thousands of families live by the river. Every backyard has stone steps in and out, much like Jiangnan water town. Every time I go to the ancient town of Tong Yuan, I always think of Zhang Ailing's "a wisp of gorgeous clothes, accidentally exposed in a gray robe". It's just that there is too much dust and mud in this gorgeous scene, which looks like an abandoned pearl in the sunset. If you walk casually in Tong Yuan for half a day, and then drink a bowl of tea next to the diaojiao building next to the old stone arch bridge in Banbian Street, a sense of leisure will quietly ripple.

In Tong Yuan, in addition to seeing red lanterns hanging under the eaves; Apart from the Xiao Mu brand with the words "Ancient House, Ancient Bridge and Ancient Pawnshop" nailed on the wall and the antique street lamps on both sides of the street, it is difficult to find other symbols of self-promotion, and there are no signs such as "guide" and travel tips.

Here you can't hear or see the noise and trouble of soliciting customers and selling goods peculiar to other developed ancient towns. Even if you are wearing travel clothes, when asking for directions from fellow villagers, they will enthusiastically show you the way, and even take you to a certain section like a wanderer who has been away from home for many years. Even if you take a picture of them with a camera, they won't hide and do their own thing with confidence. At most, they just look at you and smile. ......

The ancient town of Tong Yuan, whose history has solidified, has turned back the Millennium. In the blink of an eye, you can see the weather-beaten cornices, the overburdened cableway across the river, and the rusty chains seem to lock the pace of time tightly. Courtyard gates, wooden houses, pavilions and bricks bear the vicissitudes of time. Spider silk on the eaves and moss on the walls are all soaked with water by the long history of the town. In the morning, holding a cup of authentic local morning tea and sipping the river wind blowing from the other side of time awakened the feelings in the depths of the soul. A few white clouds floated out of the window, watching the ancient town wake up in the mist, slowly uncovering her indifference and calmness with the singing of birds, and even her sideburns were a little messy.

It's really elegant to know the ancient town for the first time.

It's an early summer morning. There was a faint mist on the river. I walked in the lonely half of the street, and my footsteps sounded on the slate road. Walking down from an almost abandoned dock, you can see the scene where Wenjing River and Bojiang River meet: the two rivers are naughty, intertwined and slowly taken away. On the riverside, the figure of a woman in starch clothes, together with the ripples of water, outlines a kind of warm amorous feelings that make people slightly drunk.

Historically, Tong Yuan Town, as an important land and water terminal on Wenjing River, transported tobacco leaves, cotton and linen, grain and oil from the local area; Wutongqiao salt, Xu Fu's straw mats and iron products are all shipped from the downstream. It is said that in the past, Tong Yuan had at least 60 boats sailing on the river every day, all the way to Xinjin. After nightfall, there were many sails and shadows on the river, and the fishing fire curled up. It's true that Frosty Night and Jiang Feng are worried about sleeping. As early as the Ming Dynasty, there were tens of thousands of acres of fertile land and thousands of fireworks in Tong Yuan, which were rich in products. In the Qing Dynasty, merchants from five provinces were attracted to build and open museums here. Today, in Dongsheng Street, Shuangfeng Street and Qilin Street, you can still vaguely see the former Shaanxi Pavilion, Guangdong Pavilion, Jiangxi Pavilion and Huguang Pavilion.

Walking on the streets of Tong Yuan, you will find traces of luxury and vicissitudes left by the years everywhere. Like the existing Huang's and Roche's mansions in Qilin Street, it still seems to be a masterpiece of residential architecture in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. In an alley by the river, the gatehouse of a residential building is actually a Gothic building. After years of dust, it is still difficult to hide the elegance of the past. If you walk into a deep alley at will, you will find something surprising. Even in a narrow lane with a width of more than one person, you may see a symmetrical couplet on the stone pillar, but the stone carvings such as Shishi and Kirin next to it are incomplete.

In a deep alley on Qilin Street, which is too narrow for two people to run side by side, there is a grand and solemn Catholic church hidden in it. Not only is the building well protected, but even the cross on the spire is intact. God knows how they survived the Cultural Revolution! Whether it is the Gothic architecture in the old street or the Catholic church in front of us, it shows how magnanimous and tolerant this bustling old city is to accept the preaching of western culture.

An elegant quadrangle is quietly hidden in today's Tong Yuan Veterans Hospital. This typical western Sichuan residence is called Chen Jiayuan, which was built in Qing Dynasty. It has a tall and strict wall, which is not quite like western Sichuan residence. There are two yards, one large and one small, and dozens of rooms in the yard are covered with nanmu floors. The courtyard seems to be full of the smell of the courtyard now, but a flower window and a cornice, with a little attention, you will find that the beauty of the past is hidden behind the years and dust. The old man Gou, who lives in the yard, said that from the 1950s to today, employees of Snow Melting have been living in the yard. During the Cultural Revolution, someone skillfully daubed the stone couplets next to the gatehouse with lime, and the quadrangle was completely preserved. Now, if the lime is chiseled off a little, the couplets are still good!

In a mansion like Chen Jiayuan, or in some ordinary houses where no one lives, and in some dilapidated old houses, you will also find the charm that the ancient town of Tong Yuan does not have elsewhere. However, a river and clear water have washed away the ancient town, which has kept Tong Yuan, a water town, fresh for thousands of years. Next to the water, the main houses in the town are lined up along the Wenjing River, and the residents live by the river. Every backyard has stone steps that you can go down to the river. In ancient times, most people in the town traveled by water, and men, women and children went in and out along the stone steps at the back door, so people here had a natural hydrophilic complex.

On the Jiang Hui River, an iron bridge connects the two banks. The earliest iron bridge was built in Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty, with a length of 132 meters, which is said to be very spectacular. Unfortunately, the bridge was demolished on 1973. 1986, out of nostalgia for the old railway bridge, the residents of the town raised funds to build today's railway bridge.

To appreciate the charm of the ancient town of Tong Yuan, the iron bridge is essential. There, through the hazy mist, you can see the residential houses stretching for ten miles, and see the gray wooden house and the blue-black fine tiles covered on it, which are exquisite and delicate, like meticulous brushwork. Just like the painter Huang Yongyu said about his hometown: "It should be so small, so delicate and compact, so strong." The wide riverbed under the iron bridge is the place where Tomb-Sweeping Day is held every year.

For more than 200 years, the bustling Tomb-Sweeping Day has enjoyed a high reputation in western sichuan bazi, comparable to the Hundred Flowers Festival in Qingyang Palace. On this day in Tomb-Sweeping Day every year, the ancient town will receive about 654.38 million people. Folk juggling, snacks, flowers and birds, spring farming tools are all available, and the bustling crowds on the bridge and the shore constitute a typical folk map of western Sichuan. Unfortunately, there is no boat here. Otherwise, walk along Qilin Street and Shuangfeng Street until you reach the back door of Rongxiao, get on the boat under Li Yong Bridge, and then stop down the river on the way.

At dusk, the town became quiet. Only the sound of water waves lapping on the coast. On the oldest Kirin street in town, at the corner that is inaccessible, two red lanterns in front of a house suddenly lit up. In the dark old street, the dark wooden house was immediately reflected in red, and the ancient town was beautiful and mysterious. Zhong, who has lived by the river for nearly 80 years, has deep feelings for this town. All the children of the old man left Tong Yuan and went to other places, but only she stubbornly wanted to stay here. What makes the old man feel empty is that all the old houses in the town are declining like her. What makes the old man unable to let go is that the town where she lives is polluted day by day. One thing that can reassure the old people is that a plan to protect the ancient town is brewing. Perhaps soon, the old people will see the ancient town of Tong Yuan in their memory, simple, fresh and sweet.

At the eastern end of the bridge is the junction of Qilin Street and Shuangfeng Street. Shuangfeng Street is an ancient street. With the passage of time, the old street lost its former prosperity and few pedestrians. Occasionally, several stores are open, just like chickens in the nest under the eaves, watching greedily with their hungry mouths open. Occasionally, a few pupils skip across the street with their schoolbags on their backs, which is the only flowing scenery in the street. Walking here, I feel my feet are heavy and my heart is cold. It seems that the dust of the years is so thick, just like an old cow pushing a broken stone mill. To the north of Shuangfeng Street is half a street along the river, which leads directly to the bridge head of the stone arch bridge. There are some shops selling scented wax paper money and funeral supplies in the street. Business is not very good, but there are many colorful wreaths in front of the door. When I first arrived here, I mistakenly thought that there were several families who lost their families, and I was still shocked myself. People have to go this way sooner or later, but the death of other families makes people feel terrible. In fact, it is these people who come and go, live and die, which constitutes the secular desire of human beings and sings the love affair of the world.

Qilin Street is the busiest old street in the ancient town. There is a shop next to it, and there is a tea shop on the street. Although the venue is small, business is booming. Men, women and children always want to get into it when they have nothing to do. Shopkeepers often neglect their care, which leads customers to shout loudly. This tea shop, like other places, has long been about drinking tea, chatting, playing cards and playing chess, which seems to be expressed by Zhuge Liang's "Model".

The Catholic Church in Qilin Street is now the busiest place in the old street, with shops going door to door. In those days, Chuanqiong, bamboo ware and vegetable oil were all trafficked from Jiang Hui and distributed in Sichuan, which was difficult to move. At that time, "the central axis of the river was transported up and down countless times", and businessmen from Huguang and Jiangxi provinces also came here to do business and build guild halls. The clever Tong Yuan people built a town by the river. Perhaps because of commercial and safety considerations, residential buildings are divided into two layouts, one is the first floor, the other is the bottom floor, with the diaojiao building above and the pavement downstairs; One is the front shop and the back residence, with pavement in front and patio and residence in the back.

Maybe it's because of remoteness, maybe it's because of the strong nostalgia of the local people. In that row of shops, the houses of several large families are still intact. It's just that the door is small and hidden, and the shopkeeper has left more space for the spacious shops on both sides of the door, expecting this change to bring real wealth to himself. If you don't observe or inquire carefully, it's difficult to find the vermilion gate. The cornices are exposed on the wall, and the decoration of ancient buildings is looming, which is a bit like holding a pipa. You can't enjoy mystery without a good mood. However, the locals are most relished by the Huangjia Courtyard and Luojia Courtyard in Qilin Street.

Tong Yuan's special geographical position contributed to its prosperity in the past, which resulted in many rich gentry and wealthy families. 1949 after liberation, people naturally emptied the building, leaving a magnificent courtyard. The Huangjia Courtyard, Ice Fai Mansion, Luojia Courtyard and Chenjia Courtyard, as well as the former residence of Wang Guoying, a brave man who fought against Britain, have all added some glory and pride to this ancient building with great historical and cultural accumulation. Nowadays, although many courtyards are dilapidated, some luxurious ones are lifeless, some are empty and lonely for people to watch, and some have become offices for local government departments. However, these mansions and courtyards are the material and spiritual masterpieces of a generation in the ancient town of Tong Yuan. Here also sang an embarrassing life from comedy to tragedy, which made people feel sorry for appreciating the ancient style.

Weiyimei Food Yuantong

At noon, Tong Yuan bean curd is very crowded, and there is the sound of eating and drinking. I deliberately staggered the noisy time and went there after 10 in the morning to enjoy it clearly and quietly. Business is good not only because it is cheap and delicious, but also because it is rich in meat and vegetables. It's just that tofu pudding is not only large, but also rare and exquisite. Chopsticks are long and white when stirred, and will not fall or collapse. Taste a piece of white bean curd, which melts in your mouth, fragrant and sweet. The tofu pudding dipped in the dish is authentic, fragrant and intoxicating, spicy and delicious, salty and delicious. It shows that the traditional tofu pudding production process in this store is unparalleled. It is not surprising that soybean flowers monopolize the flower base in Tong Yuan. All kinds of vegetarian dishes here are very homely and delicious, such as Sichuan-style pork, cold pork head, mixed heart and tongue and so on. This makes your five senses dislocated and incoherent. Those fried, mixed, pickled and soaked dishes will be added by themselves if they are not full, and the store will not add any money.

Yu Erjie's hoof flower is also a very popular restaurant, next to Tong Yuan Grain Station, and the public can't be more popular. But the hoof flower with silk dipped in water made people stunned. Hong Yan brain flower in Hongwa Road, Tongyuan is tender and smooth, spicy and delicious, and has no fishy smell at all. It's a perfect place to cook.

Tong Yuan also has a unique snack "Little Book Oil Flower", which was founded in the middle of Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 200 years. After several generations of inheritance, it has become a unique folk snack in western sichuan bazi. The so-called "oil flower" means that the traditional fermented noodles are repeatedly rubbed with vegetable oil, sesame oil and pig's plate oil, supplemented by a slight taste of salt and pepper, and layered into a flower roll. After the cage is steamed, the color is like silver foil, and it is gently picked up with chopsticks to become a flower like silk. It is soft, elastic, rich in wheat and oily, and does not stick to teeth.

There is also a unique small "white ice cream" in Tong Yuan, which was initiated by the Yan's drugstore "Know the Hall". Firstly, the glutinous rice is roasted with slow fire until crisp, ground, dried in the shade to make it moist, mixed with digestion-promoting and nourishing drugs, added with honey and white sugar, compacted with a mold, sliced, but not thoroughly cut, and finally coated with a layer of white or red rice flour. This kind of cake is fragrant, slightly medicinal, sweet and moist, especially suitable for the old, the weak, the sick, the old and the children, so people often take it as a gift. Tong Yuan's "white ice cream" is quite famous and popular in neighboring counties and towns.

Transportation: It takes about 25 minutes from Jinsha Station to Chongzhou by bus, and the fare is 1 1 yuan. Take the bus to Tong Yuan at Chongzhou Passenger Transport Center Station, 15 minutes. Tickets to 3.5 yuan are not expensive, so take a taxi to 25 yuan. Take Huaiyuan bus at Chadianzi Station and just tell the conductor about Tong Yuan.

Self-driving: from Chengwenqiong Expressway to Chongzhou, then turn right at the back of Century Square 10 km.

Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Editorial Board of Sichuan Annals _ Sichuan Annals, Sichuan cultural scholar, and author of Sichuan Legend in a Hundred Years and History of Roadside Sichuan Cuisine.