Yankou Ancient Town

Open all day

Walk-in ticket: ¥5 Individual retail ticket via reservation agent: ¥5 Group joint ticket via reservation agent: ¥5

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Guang’an sits on the transitional terrain stretching from the basin floor to the peripheral hills of the Sichuan Basin, with terrain gradually rising from west to east. It features a subtropical humid monsoon climate with warm temperatures and high humidity. The annual average temperature stands at around 17°C, with annual precipitation of 1,206 millimeters. The local climate is characterized by warm, rain-sparse winters and springs, hot and rainy summers, and persistent drizzle throughout autumn.

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Guang’an boasts an extensive highway network. Both the total mileage and average density of highways within its territory exceed the national average and the average level of Sichuan Province. The Guang’an–Linshui section of the Guang’an–Chongqing Expressway is open to traffic, and all remaining sections were fully completed before 2004. It takes only one hour to drive from Guang’an to Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, enabling seamless connections with air transport. After the Guang’an–Nanchong section of the Shanghai–Chengdu Expressway opened to traffic in 2004, the driving time from Guang’an to Chengdu was shortened to merely 2.5 hours. The planned Nanchong–Chongqing Expressway will pass through Wusheng County. Upon completion, every county, city and district under Guang’an will be accessible via expressways, and Guang’an will be fully integrated into the Chengdu-Chongqing-Shanghai tourism economic belt.

Three national highways (G210, G212, G324) pass through Guang’an, alongside four provincial highways including the Shizhu–Nanchong Line, as well as two county-level highways: Yuechi–Wusheng Road and Guang’an–Wusheng Road. Interlaced national, provincial and county highways form a "three horizontal, four vertical" transportation framework centered on railways and highways. Nowadays, it takes a maximum of 30 minutes by car from downtown Guang’an to any subordinate county, city or district, a well-known local transport initiative named the "Half-Hour Access Project".

Yankou Ancient Town was once a thriving commercial hub for both land and water transportation. In its heyday, merchants thronged here, taverns filled the air with wine aroma, and music and dances echoed day and night, brimming with bustling vitality. Today, the ancient town has faded from its former prosperity, standing in quiet contrast to the modern glamour of the new downtown. It exudes a gentle, delicate charm amid tranquil serenity.

The town’s past prosperity stemmed from the Yankou Wharf along the Jialing River. Stretching more than one thousand meters from Wangye Temple in the north to Hongmiaozi in the south, the river here featured wide water surfaces, deep riverbeds and gentle currents, forming a natural fine harbor where over a hundred merchant ships anchored every day. Goods such as medicinal herbs from Shaanxi and Gansu, cotton yarn from Hunan and Hubei, white sugar from Neijiang, and local grains were all stockpiled here, waiting to be shipped upstream to Nanchong, Langzhong and Guangyuan, or downstream to Hechuan and Chongqing.

The renovated wharf has taken on a brand-new look. Though it remains a vital trade artery, transportation vessels have undergone a complete transformation. Most ships shuttling day and night are motorized boats. While the poetic scene of countless white sails and evening river ferries has vanished, the harbor now buzzes with modern commercial bustle, adding a new landmark that propels Wusheng County into a modern urban era.

After touring the wharf, stroll casually into the old street, an alley named Shengli Street. Lined almost entirely with wooden buildings, many houses now stand empty and unoccupied. We arrived early in the morning and saw young women and wives sitting before their doorways, carefully combing their long, waterfall-like hair without hair mousse or hair clips. Their unhurried concentration stirred a long-forgotten sense of warmth in our hearts. Having grown accustomed to all kinds of chemical scents in modern cities, we could not help but be captivated by this pure, unadorned simplicity.

Follow the stone path uphill to the mountain top, then glance back. The eaves on both sides of the old street draw close together, shrouded in the mist of an early winter morning, just like a graceful maiden half-hiding her face behind a pipa lute—a mood impossible to find in the new urban district.

Minzhu Street sits atop the mountain. Home to a primary school, it lacks the peacefulness of the lower streets. Remarkably, stilt houses (Ganlan-style dwellings) have been well preserved here. Standing beneath these elevated wooden structures, I fell into reverie, imagining the comfort of lying on a cool bamboo chair after a summer evening bath, fanning myself gently as mountain breezes drift by—a serene joy not everyone gets to experience.

The lanes of Yankou Ancient Town stretch endlessly, yet Banbian Street is an unmissable highlight. First built in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties over 300 years ago, it was a residential enclave for the Hui ethnic group. Running north to south along the mountain slope, the street is roughly 3 meters wide and 500 meters long, bordered by the Jialing River to the north and a small stream to the west. The terrain slopes downward from south to north, and most houses were erected on the eastern bank of the stream, hence its name Banbian Street (Half-Side Street).

Wandering along the stone-paved road of Banbian Street, I brushed my palm against heavy wooden gates twice as tall as ordinary doorways, filled with myriad thoughts and deep admiration for the wisdom and diligence of ancient people. The most prominent landmarks here are religious buildings; the Ma Family Mosque and Huang Family Mosque remain intact to this day.

Guided by lines of unrecognizable Arabic script, we climbed dozens of stone steps to reach the Ma Family Mosque, where religious services are still held regularly. Founded by the Ma Hui clan in the 43rd year of the Qianlong reign (1778) and expanded in the 8th year of the Daoguang reign (1828), the mosque covers a total area of 410 square meters, with a history of more than 200 years.

Its main gate is a wooden memorial archway, constrained by the terrain so it cannot be used for passage. The prayer hall and flanking side halls are core spaces of the mosque, where Muslims gather for prayers and ritual ablutions. Constructed with traditional Chinese chuandou wooden frames, covered with small grey tiles and topped with single-eave overhanging gable roofs, the buildings are decorated with distinct Islamic motifs. Today, the mosque is listed as a county-level cultural relic protection unit.

Stepping out of Banbian Street, warm winter sunlight spread gently across the land. Climb to a high vantage point and look back, and the layered grey tile roofs of the entire ancient town unfold fully before your eyes