Chongqing's only 5A-rated ancient town, which also boasts the world's longest covered bridge with corridors

Chongqing's only 5A-rated ancient town, which also boasts the world's longest covered bridge with corridors.||📍Zhuoshui Ancient Town is located in the southern part of Qianjiang in Chongqing, on the banks of the Apeng River. A covered bridge with corridors, stretching 658 meters long, spans across the Apeng River connecting both shores. The ancient town is not large in size, featuring Tujia stilt houses and quadrangle courtyards, with the overall layout comprising 'five streets, seven lanes, three temples, and seven courtyards'. In 2022, Zhuoshui Ancient Town was rated as a 5A tourist attraction, making it the only ancient town in Chongqing to receive such a rating. This is largely attributed to the allure of the covered bridge with corridors, which draws in many visitors, although the town itself does not differ much from other ancient towns. A mix of ancient buildings, imitations of ancient architecture, and modern houses intertwine, but the overlooking view is not as stunning as that of Gongtan. 🏚Key Architecture: Historically, Zhuoshui Ancient Town was a famous post station and trading port in the Wuling Mountain area, giving rise to four major families: the Wang, Gong, Yu, and Fan families. Therefore, the town still preserves their Qing Dynasty residences. Among them, six buildings have been listed as Chongqing municipal key cultural relics protection units. Surprisingly, some of these buildings have not been preserved in their original state but have been converted into commercial properties. It's hard to notice them without seeing the plaques at the entrance. These six are Gong Family's Embracing Hall, Fan Family's Courtyard, Guangshun Hao, Wang Benshan's former residence (converted into a restaurant), Wang Family's Workshop (converted into a jewelry store), and Yu Family's Eight Sages Hall (converted into a photography studio). In addition, there are other important buildings such as Wanshou Palace, Yanfang Money Exchange, and Wantian Palace. ✨Covered Bridge with Corridors: The history of Zhuoshui's covered bridge with corridors can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. It has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. The most recent reconstruction was completed in 2010, but the bridge was completely destroyed by a fire in 2013. The one we see today was rebuilt in 2014 and opened to the public in 2015. It is divided into four sections and is 658 meters long. This bridge is also the essence of Zhuoshui. After a heavy rain, purple sunset clouds appear in the evening sky, reflecting off the bridge's lights. 🌊Puhua Underground River: Another attraction in the Zhuoshui scenic area, the ticket seems to be nearly a hundred yuan, but it's free with a tourist card, though there's a 30 yuan fee for the round-trip shuttle. From the ancient town's service station, take a free bus to the tourist center, then transfer to a sightseeing bus to the Puhua Underground River's visitor center. Next is a very long descent down the stairs, taking over half an hour to reach the boat. The boat ride lasts about 10 minutes, passing through several very dark river caves, and is not worth the effort and time. The return trip is still by sightseeing bus and shuttle bus. Note: Private cars can drive to the Puhua Underground River parking lot, but the exit after the boat trip is far from the entrance, and you still need to take a shuttle there. Zhuoshui Ancient Town