Chongqing Pianyan Ancient Town丨Heishuitan River for summer vacation, tangled banyan trees, old lady with two guns

The ancient town of Pianyan is located between the two branches of the Huaying Mountains in the southwest of Beibei District, Chongqing. In the Qing Dynasty, it belonged to Lili Liujia of Jiangbei Hall. It was built as a town in the 24th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign. Because there is a steep and sloping rock wall in the north of the town, it was named Pianyan Town. Pianyan Ancient Town is an important industrial and commercial town on the Chongqing Ancient Road leading to Huaying. The ancient town is built by the mountain and the water. The wooden and brick houses are distributed along the mountain, stacked up and staggered. A winding Heishuitan River tightly embraces the ancient town. The slowly flowing river water is crystal clear, and the tall and sturdy banyan trees on the river bank are sparse and dense. Over the 300 years since the town was built, it has basically maintained the architectural features of the ancient town. There are old buildings such as old neighborhoods, ancient theaters, Yuwang Temple, ancient inns, ancient stone bridges, Yuping Academy, etc.; there are folk arts such as Da Lianxiang, mountain song meetings, and yangko dances; there are folk crafts such as wood carvings, stone carvings, ironware, and clothing. In midsummer, the gentle riverbed and shallow water of this small river are filled with tea tables, dining tables, and card tables. People who come to visit the ancient town eat, drink tea, play cards, chat, brag, and cool off in the shade of the leafy banyan trees and in the clear, cool river water. It is also a great place for children to play in the water. The Xianjubieyuan B&B in the ancient town has maintained the original eastern Sichuan wooden lobby architectural style, with novel design and unique style. Both the main building and the decoration are grand in conception, magnificent in momentum and generous in style. The theater is also called "Wanniantai". The upper level is open, and the surrounding beams and pillars are decorated with exquisitely carved auspicious clouds, figures, flowers and plants. The lower level is a dark level, used for makeup, changing clothes, and miscellaneous tasks. It was restored by a non-governmental organization in 2004. The Yuwang Temple is a hall-style building with vertical wooden beams, gray tiles and white walls, which is simple and elegant. There used to be a tablet and statue of King Yu in the hall. During the Spring Festival every year, there are plays here every day. Before liberation, this was where the "Huaying Mountain Guerrillas" often operated. The old lady with two guns in "Red Rock" once lived here for a long time. 📍Detailed address: Pianyan Ancient Town: East of the intersection of Tianhu Street and Yingbin Street, Beibei District, Chongqing Tickets: Free and open