Yincheng Ancient Town

This is a village and town that prospered and declined because of iron. It was a major iron smelting center for more than two thousand years, from the Warring States period around the time Qin unified the six states until the Republic of China era. At its peak, nearly 20,000 people were employed here. "Every household had an iron furnace, and every family knew how to forge iron," which is why it earned the title "Millennium Iron Prefecture, Ten Thousand Miles of Yincheng." Park your car by the roadside, and after passing through a street about fifty to sixty meters long lined with many barbershops on both sides, you arrive at the ancient town. The buildings that come into view seem to be coated with a millennium of iron rust, carrying an aura of age and former glory. Looking up, you can still see many overhead power lines, which, though somewhat tangled, resemble a musical staff recording the once bustling and lively scene. The buildings facing the street are all impressively tall. Although most of the gate towers and plaques are weathered and cracked, like a beauty in her twilight years, their former splendor is still faintly visible. Entering some quiet, deserted alleys, you can see some houses have fallen into ruin, but the standing gate towers, plaques, and brick carvings stubbornly continue to display their beauty and dignity.