Do you have any information on famous historical cities in China? I can use them in my thesis. Thank you.

On the bank of the Fuyang River on the eastern edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, there is an ancient city hidden in the mountains - Zhenyuan. It has been an important hub of water and land transportation since ancient times. It is not only the "gateway to eastern Guizhou", the "throat of Hunan and Guizhou" and the "key to Yunnan and Guizhou". It is an important station on the Southwest Channel, from which one can go deep into the hinterland of Yunnan and Guizhou and reach Myanmar, Myanmar, and Guizhou. India and Southeast Asia.

The name "Zhenyuan" means "far away from the town", which has special significance in military strategy. For Beijing or Nanjing, the political centers of ancient my country, Yunnan and Guizhou appear too remote and are the so-called "places to sleep on the sidelines". At the critical point between "inner" and "border", a military castle was built to truly control the distant place of Zhenyuan, which gave Zhenyuan an irreplaceable special position in history.

As a "water and land terminal", Zhenyuan is located at the connection point between the Yunnan-Guizhou Post Road and the Yuanjiang Waterway. The boats going up the river set off in Zhenyuan, where "passers-by from all generations" on the ancient post road boarded the boats. They followed the Luoyang River down to the Yuanjiang River, passed through Dongting, and spread along the Yangtze River straight to the southeastern coast. With the rapid convergence of traffic and the gathering of merchants, Zhenyuan became "a metropolis in the southwest".

The constant flow of people brings various cultures, forming a whirlpool in Zhenyuan. The Han culture and the southwestern national culture came into contact, collided and blended here, and various regional cultures from the Central Plains, Jiangnan, Jiangxi, Lianghu, Bashu, Fujian and Guangdong moved into Zhenyuan "bonsai-like". Missionaries came one after another, Zen masters and disciples, wandering Taoists, priests and priests all built temples in Zhenyuan, ushering in various "sacred mountains".

Deep changes occurred in history, and the ancient city suddenly fell into neglect. The Hunan-Guizhou Railway was opened, and water transportation was interrupted due to the construction of river dams. Zhenyuan was no longer a material distribution center and transportation transfer station. Although the status has changed, the glory of the past still shines brightly. History has left Zhenyuan with a rich cultural heritage and preserved a historical and cultural Grand View Garden.

In a small county of only 3.1 square kilometers, there are 160 scenic spots and historic sites. In addition to Qinglong Cave, a national key cultural relic protection unit, there are also 7 provincial-level cultural relics protection units. There are more than 20 grade-level cultural relics protection units. There are four caves, the Grand Palace, the Eight Pavilions, the Eight Temples, the Eight Temples, and the Nine Temples, as well as the Acropolis, the Fucheng Wall, the Twelve Piers, the Eight General Assembly Halls, and ancient alleys with "crooked doors and evil ways." In 1983, Shen Zhu, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and his delegation came to Zhenyuan for inspection and said in surprise: "There are not many towns like Zhenyuan that have left a large number of cultural relics."

History has once again promoted Zhenyuan. In 1986, Shan Shiyuan, a nationally renowned expert and famous ancient architect, and others, after careful inspection and evaluation, believed that it was fully qualified to apply for a famous historical and cultural city. The State Council approved this proposal and included it in the second batch of national historical and cultural cities.

Among more than 2,000 counties and cities across the country, Zhenyuan is honored to be one of the 99 famous historical and cultural cities, recreating the historical style. Not only that, Zhenyuan has three famous brands and three national treasures. The historical city is gathered together with the Qinglong Cave, a national key cultural relic protection unit, and the national scenic spot, the Ruoyang River. It can be called a perfect combination of cultural heritage and natural heritage, giving off a dazzling splendor.

Burmese people riding elephants across the bridge

In front of Kuixing Pavilion on the Consecrated Bridge, there was originally a hanging screen holding pillars, with the inscription "Split the heavy post road, Burmese A sentence about a man riding an elephant across the bridge. This poetic couplet is not the imagination of a poet or poet, but a portrait of the Zhenyuan Post Road connecting Yunnan, Guizhou, Myanmar, and Southeast Asia. A hundred years later, the post roads have been replaced by roads and railways, and Burmese envoys no longer pass through Zhenyuan. Therefore, it is difficult for today’s tourists to imagine the scene of busy traffic and elephants walking slowly on the Qianqian Bridge, and of course they cannot arouse sympathy. Memories of this glorious history.

The author searched around with questions, trying to find some clues. The director of cultural management said that he stayed at an ordinary people's house and found a foundation stone, which was smooth, smooth and square, with a relief sculpture of an elephant carved on it. Guizhou has never produced elephants, so why are the local people so deeply impressed and even carve them on pillar foundations as house decorations? Ordinary people still do this, and wealthy families can only imagine it. People's favor for elephants is not without reason. In ancient times, Myanmar tributes often rode elephants through Zhenyuan. Because they were rare things from foreign countries, people followed the elephant team to watch. Naturally, they paid special attention and aroused great interest. Condensate it on the building.

The Burmese paid tribute to elephants for hundreds of years. The Mongols established the Yuan Dynasty, and their gold and iron horses galloped across the world, crossing Yunnan and invading Myanmar in three ways. Burmese chieftains were granted titles and sent regular tribute. Myanmar produces elephants but there are no elephants in the Central Plains, so it is natural that precious elephants should be used as tribute. It is thousands of miles away from Myanmar to Dadu (today's Beijing). Riding an elephant slowly, it would take several months at least.

There is also a wonderful legend interspersed here. An envoy from Southeast Asia brought a white swan with him to pay tribute. He was frightened and flew away on the road. The messenger was anxious and reached out to grab it, but only caught a piece of goose feather. He was very sorry, but there was nothing he could do. When he arrived in the capital, he had to offer the goose feathers to explain the reason for missing the swan. The emperor also rewarded him, saying that "sending goose feathers thousands of miles away is light on courtesy but heavy on benevolence and righteousness." In the 29th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1396), Myanmar surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, and the Myanmar Military and Civilian Xuanwei Department was established and placed under the jurisdiction of Yunnan Province. From then on, tributes were paid continuously.

Because Myanmar envoys often came to Beijing to pay tribute and were busy with reception affairs, the imperial court set up a special "Myanmar Pavilion" in the "Siyi Pavilion".

In the "Records of the Ming Dynasty", there are many records of Burma's coming to Beijing to pay tribute. For example, Silunfa, the Xuanwei envoy from Pingyang to Burma in Luchuan, paid tribute several times during the Hongwu period. The tributes were elephants and rhinos. Because they were passing through Guizhou, they went to Beijing together with Tian Daya, the Xuanwei envoy from Sizhou. Sizhou is in today's Cengong, adjacent to Zhenyuan. They must have met in Zhenyuan and traveled together.

Lin Zexu served as governor of Yunnan and Guizhou after the Opium War. In his diary, he recorded that from the end of May to the beginning of June in the 24th year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1819), several groups of Burmese envoys passed through Zhenyuan.

The issue of Gong Xiang continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty. In the first year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1875), the Burmese envoy Zhiye, carrying Jimen, Lamentiansu and others, brought an elephant team to Beijing to pay tribute. When passing by Guiyang, the whole city was in a sensation and the onlookers were crowded. The elephant tent was set up at the old east gate, and citizens helped the elderly and children to watch it.

In early spring and February of the following year, Zhiye Tuojimen and others returned to Myanmar from the capital, and entered Yuping County, Guizhou from Huangzhou, Hunan on February 13. When the governor learned of this, he immediately notified the prefectures and counties of Sizhou (today's Cengong), Zhenyuan, Duyun, and Pingyue (today's Fuquan) to send officials to the junctions to pick them up. Arriving in Guiyang, the provincial capital, on the second day of March, the governor quickly reported the matter to the emperor.

The friendship between China and Myanmar is long-lasting and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The story of "Burmese people riding elephants across the bridge" is a good story of the friendly exchanges between China and Myanmar, and it still remains in the hearts of the people of Zhenyuan. The Burmese people also never forget Zhenyuan. In recent years, Burmese monks invited a jade Buddha to Zhenyuan and enshrined it in the Great Buddha Hall of Zhongyuan Cave. This Jade Buddha was sculpted in Kachin State, Myanmar. It is 2.2 meters high and weighs about 3 tons.

In fact, not only Burmese people passed through Zhenyuan, but also Indians, Thais, and Laotians. However, the impression of "Burmese riding elephants" was particularly vivid. It is said that in 1955, Indian Prime Minister Nehru suddenly asked Premier Zhou Enlai about Qinglong Cave at the Bandung Conference. How did he know that there was a Qinglong Cave in Zhenyuan? It turned out that his ancestors often passed by Zhenyuan when they came to China. They were fascinated by the scenery and architecture of Qinglong Cave and often told people about it after returning home. It was passed down to ten, and passed on to hundreds, until it became a household name, known to women and children. So when Nehru met Premier Zhou, he immediately thought of Zhenyuan Qinglong Cave.

The poem "Burmese people riding elephants across the bridge" contains many important historical facts: the unification of the country, the development of Yunnan and Guizhou, the consolidation of border defense, cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, etc. And all of this is based on the opening of the post road as an opportunity and the smooth flow of the post road as a premise. This post road that runs from east to west and passes through the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau is so important, and Zhenyuan at the intersection of Shi Road and the waterway is even more important.

The Yuan Dynasty had great martial arts, unified the country, and a vast territory. In order to "understand the border situation and issue orders", so that military orders and political experts could "come in the morning and evening, and the sound and hearing must reach", so most of them were As the center, we opened up a national Buddhist path. Post roads are an important lifeline of the country. They are related to the dispatching of troops, marching operations, food and fodder transportation, intelligence communication, issuing orders, official greetings, material exchanges, and business travel. They are also used in military, transportation, commerce, mail, and reception. Function.

There are three types of post stations: land post, water post and water horse post. The land post has oxen, horses, donkeys and carts, the water post has boats and horses, and the water horse post has boats, carts, donkeys and horses. Zhenyuan is an important water horse post on the Hunan-Hubei-Yunnan-Guizhou Road, with both land and water posts.

The main post road connecting Huguang and Yunnan Province starts from Jiangling, Hubei, and goes south through Yuezhou (now Yueyang), Changde, Taoyuan, Chenzhou, Yuanzhou, and Huangzhou (now Xinhuang) in Hunan. Guizhou, then enters Yunnan via Pingxi (now Yuping), Zhenyuan, Pianqiao (now Shibing), Guizhou (now Guiyang), Puding (now Anshun), Pu'an (now Panxian), and then passes through Qujing to Zhongqing (now Zhongqing) After today's Kunming), follow the post road westward through Dali and Yongchang (today's Baoshan), and reach Jinji (today's Dehong area), Myanmar, Laos, and Babai Dawa (today's Qinglai and Qingmai areas in Thailand). The waterway also started from Jiangling, passed Dongting Lake and went up the Shenjiang River. It passed through 20 stations including Chenzhou, Shupu, Qianyang, Yuanzhou and Huangzhou to Pingxi (now Yuping) in Guizhou, and then passed through Qinglang (now Qinglang) Zhenyuan Qingxi) arrived at Zhenyuan. Then he abandoned his body and landed ashore, traveling overland. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, after the Zhuge Cave on the Ruoyang River was opened, ships could go up to Huangping Jiuzhou.

The post road from Hunan to Yunnan via Guizhou has always been the main artery of transportation in the southwest. Since the Ming Dynasty, heavy troops have been deployed to protect this lifeline to the border. The number of stations along the way continues to increase, and transportation is becoming increasingly busy. In the seventh year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1579), Guizhou governor Wang Ji and patrol envoy Ma Chengtu wrote a memorial to the court, asking Yunnan to subsidize the expenses of Guizhou post roads. Official documents tell us that 2,088 Yunnan horses and 2,073 husbands passed through the post road that year, while 1,337 Guizhou horses and 319 husbands passed by. Comparing the two, Yunnan accounts for seven points and Guizhou only accounts for three points. Yunnan and Guizhou use Zhenyuan as their throat. Controlling this throat will control the lifeblood of the southwest, which shows that it can indeed "hold a town far away". It is the "key" to Yunnan and Guizhou and the "gateway" to Yunnan and Guizhou. The footsteps of history have left a deep mark on the post road, and the crisp sound of horse hooves resounds throughout the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. It was this post road that connected the inland and the frontier. Yunnan Province was established in the Yuan Dynasty, Guizhou Province was established in the Ming Dynasty, and it was under the jurisdiction of the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou in the Qing Dynasty.

It is on this post road that a large number of Han immigrants poured into the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, bringing advanced material civilization and spiritual civilization to Yunnan and Guizhou, bringing the development of southwest China into a new stage. It was this post road that expanded the ancient "Southern Silk Road" and maintained friendly relations with Myanmar, India and Southeast Asia. Of course, many battles in history are also closely related to this post road. In the fourth year of Dade in the Yuan Dynasty (1300), the Yuan Dynasty mobilized troops from Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Huguang and other provinces to conquer the "Eight Hundred Daughters-in-law", which triggered the Shejie and Song Longji uprisings. In the early Ming Dynasty, a large army was sent to Yunnan to complete the great cause of unification. The Yongli Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, who had been stationed in Guizhou for four years, passed through this post when they left Hunan and Guangxi to fight. The Qing army also passed through this post road when entering Guizhou and Yunnan. Things that happened in the future, such as the reform of the land, the Xiantong Uprising, the Taiping Army's entry into Guizhou, the Revolution of 1911, the War of Protecting the Country, the War of Protecting the Dharma, the Northern Expedition, and the Red Army's Long March, are all closely connected with this post road. The ancient city of Zhenyuan is One records these histories.

"Tai Chi Diagram" shows Shiping Town

Previous dynasties attached great importance to Zhenyuan, mainly for military purposes. In the eyes of military strategists, Zhenyuan's geographical location is extremely important. It controls the post road and is located in the upper reaches of Wanjiang River. It is connected to Jingchu and is a powerful town in Yunnan and Guizhou. It can influence the whole body. Therefore, "if you want to reach Yunnan and Guizhou, you must first guard Zhenyuan" and "if you want to occupy Dianchu, you must occupy Zhenyuan". During the Qianlong period, Feng Guangxiong, minister of the Ministry of War, deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and governor of Guizhou Province, returned from Burma. He inspected the mountains and rivers along the way. When he arrived at Zhenyuan, he said with deep feeling: "I have passed many 'beautiful places', and Zhenyuan is indeed a beautiful place." It is a dangerous pass." He pointed out that this place not only has "majestic mountains and rivers", but also "is located in the upper reaches of Hunan and serves as the gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou." It can be regarded as "a metropolis in the southwest."

The God of Zhenyuan is headquartered in mountains and rivers. The Fuyang River rolls from Weng'an, Huangping, and Shibing, and rushes through the mountains. It accepts many tributaries and becomes a huge stream. It passes through Zhuge Cave and enters Zhenyuan. From the wrist of Zhenyuan, it winds northeast down to the Yuanjiang River, and the boat goes straight down to Dongting and the Yangtze River. It is the so-called "South Jibei Beidou Five Streams Yanshui Dongting Wave". The Ruoyang River runs through the Wuling Mountains, with deep valleys in the middle and lower sections. Both sides of the river are covered with cliffs and green peaks reaching into the sky. "Two mountains confront each other, and a river flows through it." It is surrounded by mountains and water, and is impressive and majestic. Lin Zexu, who knew the art of war well, was shocked when he came here. He wrote: "There is a stream between two mountains with bad water, and a path of autumn smoke cuts the foot of the mountain. The pedestrians are walking in the shadow of the mountain in the stream, and their courage has already fallen before they fall." Walking into the mountain, I felt that "there are mountains in front of the mountain." ; When I raised my head, I suddenly felt that "when I hold my head high, I see mountains reaching into the sky"; when I climbed to the top of the mountain, I felt like "I dare not look down into the abyss of thousands of feet". The word "evil" is so good that it expresses the state of mind of "the courage has already fallen before the body falls", making him "shock the mountains and scream to the sky".

When the Ruoyang River came to Zhenyuan, it turned a big S-shaped bend. Standing on the top of Shiping Mountain and looking far into the distance, you can see "winding streams and rivers, mountains and rocks, white cliffs pillowing the east, and green peaks standing west." Some people were shocked by this majestic momentum and exclaimed: "The mountains are stacked with clouds, and they stand firm. Seaside. "There is an old man who climbed to the top of the mountain and said that Zhenyuan "looks at the southern end of Yunnan on the right and the northern end of Chu on the left; the vast mountains overlook the sky, and the vast smoke waves rise." When the old man went up the mountain to take a look, he exclaimed that this was a "Tai Chi picture". If two cities were built on an S-shaped river bend, it would be like "the sun, the moon, the universe, and the yin and yang." Military strategists attach great importance to "geographical advantages" and believe that building a city in this place where "Pingshan is the city and the sea is the pool" will not only have the advantage of connecting the river and the sea, but also have the danger of high mountains and mountains, so the city was built on both sides of the Poyang River. Zhenyuan Acropolis was first built on the south bank, and then Zhenyuan Fucheng was built on the north bank. One civil and one military, just like the two points symbolizing "Yin and Yang" on the "Tai Chi Diagram". From then on, Zhenyuan became a military force dominating the southwest corridor. Important town.

The construction of Zhenyuan City is related to Zhu Yuanzhang's talent and strategy. Sitting in Nanjing, he made perfect plans and won the battle thousands of miles away. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Yunnan was still occupied by Xiaoliang Wang, who was granted the title of the Yuan Dynasty. He relied on the "dangerous terrain and remote roads" to resist stubbornly and refused to surrender. Zhu Yuanzhang sent people to summon him seven times, but they were all rejected. After the situation across the country stabilized, it was decided to use force to conquer Yunnan.

On the first day of September in the fourteenth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1381), Zhu Yuanbu summoned the southern general Kechuan Hou Fu Youde, the left deputy general Yongchang Hou Lanyu, and the right deputy general Xiping Hou Muying at Fengtianmen, and said to them: To seize Yunnan, "you should know the situation of its mountains and rivers". The army took the route of Huguang, segregated key points, and then marched to Qujing. Three hundred thousand troops came from Huguang in a mighty manner, first occupying Zhenyuan and Pianqiao, then Puding and Pu'an, blocking the exit of Yunnan, and forcing King Xiaoliang to fight in Qujing. In the battle of Baishijiang, the king of Liang was defeated, and he captured Yunnan in less than three months.

After Yunnan was pacified, Zhu Yuanzhang believed that in order to consolidate Yunnan's border defense, he must first control Guizhou, so he set up guard posts along the post road. Work step by step to ensure the road is clear. In the 21st year of Hongwu's reign in the Ming Dynasty (1388), Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the establishment of the Zhenyuan Guard, which formed a horn with the Pingxi Guard, Qinglang Guard, and Pianqiao Guard to control this strategically important fortress. The Acropolis was built at the foot of Wulao Mountain and adjacent to the Fuyang River in the north. The perimeter of the city wall is about 3 kilometers, the wall is 4.3 meters high and 2.5 meters wide. You can race horses and shoot arrows on the city wall. There are 1872 crenels and 9 forts built along the outer edge of the city wall. There are five city gates in the east, west, south, upper north and lower north, and there are no two water gates. The battle tower above the city gate towers tall, and the Chenghuang Bodhisattva sits there to bless you.

The water in mountain streams rises and falls easily. Even though the Luoyang River flows slowly, gently and peacefully when the water level is high, when the flood peak comes during the high water season, the waves will surge into the city in an instant, causing floods and washing away houses, cattle, horses, and other animals. Countless hunting chickens. In order to prevent flooding, a section of retaining wall was built close to the city wall above the upper north gate, about 100 meters long. In addition, three arc-shaped "city protection embankments" were built outside the west gate and the upper north gate.

The Acropolis has a steep mountain and undulating walls. It is divided into eight parts according to the terrain, which is called "Eight Blocks City". They are: Chaoyang City, Tieshan City, Yongan City, Dingxi City, East Side City of Shouxing Mountain, West Side City of Shouxing Mountain, Pingshan City, and Wulaofeng City. Five to six thousand officers and soldiers were stationed in Zhenyuan Guard, and many military households from the south of the Yangtze River settled here to breed their descendants. At that time, the policy of "locating troops among farmers" was implemented to guard the fields and guard the borders. Therefore, 125 forts were built in units of 100 households, surrounding them like stars over the moon. About 45 kilometers down the Ruoyang River, Qinglang Acropolis 5 was built in the Ming Dynasty in today's Zhenyuan County. More than 40 kilometers up the Luoyang River, there is a partial bridge acropolis, which is today's Shibing County. The three cities echoed each other and supported the military town of Zhenyuan.

In the eleventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1413), the two major Xuanwei Departments of Sizhou and Sinan were abolished, and the Chief Secretary of Guizhou was established on this basis, announcing the establishment of Guizhou Province. Among the eight initially established prefectures, Zhenyuan Prefecture was one of them. The government office was built on the north bank of Haiyang River. There was no city wall originally. During the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, Miao people came to attack. Cheng Jie, the prefect, built a city in the Mujiawan area. During the Wanli and Chongji periods, pagodas were constantly built. Fuchengyuan is located on Shiping Mountain, spanning several hills in the north, starting from the top of the cliff called "Baimi Daudou" in the east, and undulating along the mountain to the bank of the Luoyang River in the western section of Shiping Mountain. The city wall is about 400 meters long, 5 meters high and 2.8 meters wide. It has 76 crenellations and a fort. There are three gates in Fucheng, the Tieshan Gate to the east, the Yong'an Gate to the south, the Dingxi Gate to the west, and the "Lishui River" to the south. There are many passes outside the city, including Zhendong Pass, Tiesan Pass, and Shimen Pass in the east, Zhenxi Pass, Wende Pass, and Yanmen Pass in the west, and Beijing Pass in the north. They are as solid as gold, easy to defend but difficult to attack, and their momentum is no less than Wanli. The Great Wall is a section of the "Southern Great Wall" and is known as the "Great Wall beyond the Great Wall in the south of the Yangtze River".

There is another city that has disappeared, which is Zhenyuan County. The county seat was built by Zou Ruixiang, the county magistrate, in the 19th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1591). The city is located on the south bank of Haiyang River. It was an earthen city with a city wall about 550 meters long, 2.5 meters high and 1.3 meters wide. However, during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the county government office was moved to the north bank, in the same city as the mansion. The Tucheng was gradually demolished and a school palace was built there.

The acropolis, the prefectural city, and the county seat form a "pin" character, like a tripod. The county seat is now gone, but the acropolis walls are still loyal to their duties, defending against the surging river. As for the majestic "Nanren City", only ruins are left. As the sun sets in the west and the autumn wind blows, facing the vast mountains and seas that stand tall and tall, they silently tell the story of the historical vicissitudes of the fierce wars in those days.

"Along the River During Qingming Festival" in Miao Xinjiang

However, Zhenyuan, which was covered with clouds of war, has become increasingly prosperous because it is a "land and water city" and has become a commercial city in southern Xinjiang. It is precisely: "Who would have thought that in the land where horses are leaping across the battlefield, there are still sounds of morning bells and evening drums." With the establishment of the guard station, a large number of military households came to Zhenyuan, and later craftsmen's households and civilian households moved in, and the population became increasingly dense. Zhenyuan is located in the upper reaches of the Yuanjiang River and controls the post road. From Yunnan to Zhenyuan, there are more than 20 stations. All goods are carried by people and horses. After arriving at Zhenyuan, they are diverted to the waterway. There are ships on the waterway from Zhenyuan to Changde and Yueyang. "The big ones are called Chen boats, which can accommodate more than twenty people" and "the small ones are called loach boats, which can accommodate three or four people." If you sail against the current, the boat will disembark at Zhenyuan and then embark on the road leading to Yunnan. Smart businessmen have a special acumen. Seeing that Zhenyuan is a place to make a fortune, they can transfer various materials from the inland to the border areas and transport local products from Yunnan and Guizhou to "Xiajiang", so they flock to Zhenyuan and gather in Zhenyuan. Yunnan's goods, such as copper and tin, are mostly distributed here. When Yunnan copper is transported to Zhenyuan, the price can be two or three times higher than that of the place of origin. It is very profitable, so the business is booming. Grain, rice, cloth, and groceries transported from "Xiajiang" can be resold and sold here, and profits of a car's worth can also be obtained. Military exchanges and merchants gathered together, making Zhenyuan a city where "boats, carriages and goods gather together".

The waterway was busy and hundreds of boats were competing for water, so many docks were built along both sides of the river. The dock is the connection point for water and land transportation and a major symbol of Zhenyuan City. It marks that this ancient city was once a transportation hub and had dual functions of military and commerce. There are 5 piers in Acropolis, which are: Acropolis Pier, Jiyangsi Pier, Shangbeimen Pier, Yangliuwan Pier, and Laoximen Pier. Fucheng is a prosperous commercial area, with Daheguan Wharf, Fucheng Dock, Yumen Wharf, Chenghuang Temple Wharf, Zhongzikou Wharf, Mi Wharf, and Tianhou Palace Wharf.

Each wharf has its own function. The wharfs of Acropolis were originally mainly used for military purposes, but later some were also used for civilian purposes. For example, Jiyangsi Pier, in addition to loading and unloading cargo, is also a berthing place for fishing boats. "Several Sounds of Fishing" "Singing about returning to the boat at night, and the wind blowing all over the reeds on both sides of the bank" is a portrayal of the prosperity of fishing in those days. "Yanfan Fishing Sing", one of the "Twelve Scenic Spots of Zhenyuan", refers to this place. Grain transportation is the bulk of material transportation in Zhenyuan. There has been a rice wharf dedicated to transporting grain for a long time. With the expansion of commercial activities, some have become salt wharfs, porcelain wharves, and cloth wharfs.

Fucheng Wharf and Acropolis Wharf are across the river. They are not only a place for ships to rely on, but also a ferry and bridge connecting the two sides. Because there was originally an archway of "Yong'an Tongji" on the street front of Fucheng Wharf, it was called "Yong'an". crossing". The Fucheng Wharf is semicircular in shape and is divided into four platforms. You can reach the main street by climbing 30 stone steps from the riverside. The large pier of the Acropolis is 12 meters long and has 26 stone steps. When crossing the river in autumn and winter, people can walk across the bridge when the water falls, but when the water rises in spring and summer, people have to ferry back and forth by boat.

The bridge spans more than 70 meters across the river and is a pontoon bridge connected by 36 canoes. The canoe is made of nanmu, with 72 load-bearing logs connecting them. It is covered with 144 large logs and 180 thick planks. Both men and horses can walk across the bridge safely. When the flood season comes, this place is converted into a ferry. The willow smoke cage on the bank, the setting sun, the afterglow reflects, "the waves are vague, the willows are Yiyi", the scenery is pleasant and intoxicating, forming a beautiful scenery of "Zhenjiang Evening Ferry". The poem goes: "The smoke on the river is condensed, and the birds in the forest are flying; the people standing on the sand are talking in confusion, and the sound of oars on the shore is faint. Seeing the moon in the middle of the fort, Yong'an is downstairs; the moon is half hidden, and travelers come and return at night." Chong Zikou Wharf is located in the downtown area and is also a wharf that can be used as both a ship berth and a bridge. Old Ximen Wharf is also the old Ximen Ferry, which was once used as the Dongdu Wharf. Yangliuwan Wharf is named after the willow trees shading the shore. It is an ancient ferry. An old boatman named Zhang used to ferry here, so it is also called "Zhang Beard Ferry".

The Yumen Wharf, located on the south side of Xinglong Street in Fucheng, is one of the wharves with a larger throughput in Zhenyuan. The wharf is built of bluestone and has five steps, with a maximum of 33 steps. There was originally a tower-shaped archway on top of the verandah with double eaves at the exit, with the four characters "Yumen Wharf" written vertically. "The third wave of Yumen is like a thunder on the flat ground", which not only means that Kejia is outstanding, but also implies that business is prosperous and financial resources are rolling in. There are often temple fairs in Chenglong Temple, and there are many businesses in Fuxing Lane opposite. The prosperity of commerce has contributed to the prosperity of the wharf. Thean Hou Temple Pier is also a prosperous place. People from Fujian use it as a base to do big business, so it is very grand. Daheguan Wharf is a water checkpoint in the upper reaches of the Luoyang River. In the Qing Dynasty, the Lijin Bureau was set up here to collect taxes. It can be regarded as the "customs" of Zhenyuan.

Numerous piers have turned both sides of the river into markets. Foreign merchants, whether they came up the river or from the post road, mostly stopped in Zhenyuan, set up high-end accounts, conducted transactions, and made huge profits from it. They came together and settled here, and they often gathered together as fellow villagers and formed a market. According to the Ming Dynasty's "Guizhou Illustrated Book", Zhenyuan has formed Shawan City, Chenzhou City, Nanjing City, Jiangxi City, Raozhou City, Puding City, Zhoujie City and Dongguan City. It can be seen from the street names that most of the southerners who gather in Zhenyuan are "Xiajiang people". In Chenzhou City, they are mostly from Hunan, in Nanjing City, they are business gangs from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and in Jiangxi City and Raozhou City, they are obviously from Jiangxi. Puding is now Anshun. Because it is the "throat of Yunnan and the belly of Guizhou", it is the distribution and distribution center for Yunnan and Guizhou goods. Therefore, the people "see that trade is becoming more and more profitable", so Anshun people who are good at business came to Zhenyuan to engage in business. trading.

By the Qing Dynasty, Zhenyuan’s commerce was “the highest in Guizhou Province”. Since modern times, a wide range of materials have been transported overseas and sold domestically. Foreign yarn, foreign cloth, and foreign goods have been imported from other places, forming industries such as cloth, salt, groceries, and porcelain. The materials transported abroad are mainly local products of Yunnan and Guizhou, with tung oil, rapeseed, wood oil, tea, gallnuts, cowhide, and bristles as the bulk items. Tung oil in eastern Guizhou is transported to Hongjiang, Hunan via Zhenyuan for export, and is called "Hongyou". At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, five major trading houses appeared in Zhenyuan: Songbai, Changqing, Yichang, Xiehe and Longyisheng. Later, more than 20 industries including cotton cloth, salt, department stores, groceries, hotels, catering, slaughtering, and wine-making were formed. The Huoshen Temple firewood and wood market, Wanmen Wharf chicken, duck, fish and meat market appeared, and Sanpaiba was the first Vegetable Market, Luojiaba Rice Market, Beijigong Second Vegetable Market, Shibao Street Pig, Sheep and Cow Market, etc. During the Anti-Japanese War, there were hundreds of large and small shops, including not only large Chinese restaurants such as Wanbei, Dazhong, and Universal, but also "San Francisco" Western restaurants. The streets are full of people, flowing day and night. Folk proverbs say: "Zhenyuan Street is so crowded that those carrying kiln pots are smashed, and those carrying tung oil can't squeeze out of the city."

Foreign merchants formed many groups in Zhenyuan. Business gangs established guild halls based on hometown relations. "Kiss or not, we are from the hometown." The guild hall connects people living in other places, forming a "local chain" where they often gather and care for each other. Some even become family friends or relatives by marriage, forming an intricate social force over time. The cohesion of the guild hall is not only for "connecting with hometown", but also for economic interests. Businessmen from the same area often share residences, fight each other, discuss with each other when things happen, and join hands to control some kind of situation. Business, compete with merchants from other regions and seek their own development. The emergence of guild halls is a manifestation of the active commodity economy. It is closely related to the exchange of materials and the formation of business gangs. Generally, places with many guild halls are where foreign merchants gather.

In the small town of Zhenyuan, many guild halls have appeared since the Qing Dynasty. They are based on the Nan Gang, worshiping certain idols to reunite the villagers and engage in commercial activities in Zhenyuan. Jiangxi people are best at doing business, mainly selling porcelain and dealing in vegetable oil. The guild hall they built is called "Longevity Palace". Fujian merchants were good at long-distance trafficking, especially maritime and inland navigation. They invited Mazu, whom they believed in, to build the Tianhou Palace in Zhenyuan, which is also the Fujian Guild Hall. Merchants from Hunan and Hubei often joined forces to establish the Two Lakes Guild Hall in Zhenyuan. Because Jingchu had many large rivers and lakes, they particularly worshiped Dayu, who controlled floods, so the Two Lakes Guild Halls used Yu's palace as their venue.

Under the slogan "Laoguang is one family in the world", people from Guangdong and southern Guangxi built the Guangdong and Guangxi Guild Hall in Zhenyuan. Sichuan people love Li Bing and his son who built Dujiangyan the most. They built Sichuan ancestral temples wherever they went, and the Sichuan Guild Hall was built around it. People from Shanxi ran banks, people from Shaanxi ran pawnshops, and the Communist Party of China controlled Zhenyuan's finance, so they built the Qin-Jin Guild Hall. Most of the merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang sold cloth and department stores and jointly built the Jiangnan Guild Hall in Zhenyuan. Guests from several northern provinces also came to Zhenyuan, but not in large numbers. Later, they jointly established the Hebei, Shandong and Yu Guild Hall. The Eighth Congress Hall is a symbol of Zhenyuan's commercial prosperity and a major feature of the ancient city of Zhenyuan.

Due to its developed industry and commerce, Zhenyuan has also formed many guilds according to industries. Handicraftsmen engaged in dyeing and weaving respected the two immortals Meige as their ancestors and established the Meige Society. People who worked as chefs and opened restaurants especially worshiped King Zhan, the Kitchen God, and Mi Gong, and established the King Zhan Society. People who practiced medicine and sold medicine especially worshiped Sun Simiao, the king of medicine, and established the Medicine King Society. Carpenters and plasterers respected Luban and established the Luban Society. The people who made wine and sold wine established the Laojun Society with Li Mu as their ancestor. The tailor's guild is Xuanyuan Hui, the butcher's guild is Zhang Jiehui, the barber's guild is Luo Zuhui, and so on.

There are many boatmen and porters in Zhenyuan, and most of them form gangs, either the "Green Gang" or the "Red Gang".

On both sides of the Poyang River, there are many shops, restaurants, restaurants, theaters, palaces, and boats on the water. It reminds people of the famous Song Dynasty painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival". In that painting, the prosperity of the city of Tokyo (today's Kaifeng) in the Song Dynasty was depicted, and the behavior and appearance of local farmers, industry and commerce, doctors, divination, monks and servants, women and children were vividly displayed. In the market, there are people going to the market, people strolling, people having a party, people drinking, people pushing carts, people riding horses, people sitting in sedan chairs... all kinds of worldly scenes are vividly displayed in the picture. In the streets and alleys, there are hundreds of buildings, including government residences, towers and pavilions, palaces, temples, rivers, ports and ponds, which create a prosperous scene in the capital.

No one expected that in the border town of Zhenyuan, far away from the capital, in the Miao territory, which has always been regarded as a "land of alienation", and on the Guizhou Plateau with its mountains and rivers, there is also a lifelike picture "Along the River During Qingming Festival". On the Luoyang River, the harbor diverges, the piers face each other, and ships shuttle back and forth. On both sides of the bank are rows of stilted buildings supported by wooden pillars in the water. The street fronts of these stilted buildings are all in the style of arcades. Among the teahouses, restaurants, and shops, there are balconies and palaces. This is where the Brahma Temple and Temples gather. Qinglong Cave. The street market is bustling with people and people are jostling one after another. Businessmen stand in front of the counter and bargain with others, buying and selling. Those who pick onions and sell vegetables raise their voices and sell them along the street. In the wine shop, you can play guessing games and wait until you get drunk. There were two or three people in the teahouse, talking loudly about the past and the present. Various characters appeared on the stage, with the sound of silk and bamboo, the roar of gongs and drums, and the southern and northern accents. An official was crossing the street in a sedan chair. People bowed and looked sideways, trying to see who the official was. Suddenly, the sound of horse hoofbeats was heard, and pedestrians quickly moved to both sides. A group of people and horses roared past, which was so majestic. But in the busy city, college students gathered together and the sound of books was loud, but they "didn't hear what was going on outside the window." The palaces and temples everywhere, with the smoke lingering and the drums and bells ringing in the evening, appear to be otherworldly. As night falls, thousands of lights shroud Zhenyuan, reflecting the brilliance of Shiping Mountain and Wulao Mountain. A pool of spring water, half of the river with fishing fires, wisps of smoke, and reflections of pavilions decorate a wonderful picture. This is Miao Jiang's "Along the River During the Qingming Festival".

"Crooked Gate and Slope" Ancient Alley

After leaving the busy city and walking into the long, narrow and deep alley, we entered the heart of the ancient city. Ordinary tourists, after strolling on the streets along the Zhenyuan River for a while, walk straight towards Qinglong Cave, or board a cruise ship to enjoy the scenery of the Luoyang River. The scenery of the Fuyang River, where the water is as green as blue at all times, and the Qinglong Cave, where the sky flies from the sea, are truly must-visit, otherwise it will become a lifelong regret. However, the charm of a trip to the ancient city lies in the ancient style, which is the most evocative. These are tunnels that travel through time and space. When you walk into the alley, the hustle and bustle of the city suddenly melts away. It seems that time has passed and returned to Zhenyuan 50, 100, 300, and 600 years ago, recreating the life scenes of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. , leading to many ancient stories.

The alleys in Zhenyuan are very different from other places and cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. Beijing's hutongs are famous all over the world. Because they are flat and under the emperor's feet, they must follow the rules, be square and square, and be stable, just like a chessboard. The houses are all standard courtyard houses, and no high-rise buildings are dared to be built, which shows the strictness of the emperor's authority. . The alleys in Suzhou and Hangzhou are also very famous. They are composed of many small courtyards in the south of the Yangtze River. They are exquisite and elegant. The alleys facing the river have stone steps leading to the river, where boats can be parked and washed, showing the charm of a "water town and a country". The alleys in Chongqing are mostly winding in the mountains. However, due to the dense population, expensive land, and densely packed houses, most of them are three or four stories high. They look like many pigeon cages. Hundreds of families are crowded together, making it noisy. , we often see clothes and baby diapers hanging out the window, like flags of all nations flying.

The alleys of Zhenyuan are a different scene. It has the tranquility of Beijing Hutongs without the rigidity of the rules; it has the beauty of the water town of Jiangnan Alley, but without the flat and slopeless layout; it has the style of Chongqing's "Mountain Alley", but without the noisy atmosphere of the city.

The alleys in Zhenyuan have the best of the three and have a unique mountain flavor. Probably because "the mountains are high and the emperor is far away", they appear unrestrained and free.

The ancient alleys in Zhenyuan are very wonderful. In addition to being ancient, they also have many characteristics. In a nutshell, they are climbing