Chongqing | The ancient architectural complex on the hillside

Along the Yangtze River bank on the east side of the peninsula where the old city of Chongqing is located, walk towards the direction of the Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge🌁, and not far away, you will see this very conspicuous complex of buildings. This is the largest existing ancient guild hall complex in China, the Huguang Guild Hall. The buildings face the Yangtze River🌊 and are built along the river according to the slope. Inside, there are Yuwang Palace, Guangdong Guild Hall, Qi'an Guild Hall, and four opera stages. After buying a ticket and entering the Huguang Guild Hall, I was immediately attracted by the architecture. The mountainous terrain provides the guild hall with a spatial beauty🍃 that is hard to achieve in flatland architecture, and the decorations on the roof ridges, wall columns, beams, and windows are exquisitely beautiful and worth savoring in detail. Recommended route: Yuwang Palace—Carving Museum—Qi'an Guild Hall—Guangdong Guild Hall—Yuzhou Academy—Immigration Museum Scenic spot highlights: ✔️Distinctive architecture The guild halls mostly follow the courtyard layout of the Ming and Qing dynasties, inheriting the typical architectural styles of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, and the Jiangnan region, while also integrating the traditional architectural features of Chongqing. ✔️Carving techniques The relief and openwork carvings on the guild hall buildings mainly feature stories of characters from Journey to the West, Romance of the West Chamber, Investiture of the Gods, and The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, as well as various animals and plants such as dragons and phoenixes. In particular, the opera stage of the Qi'an Guild Hall is the most completely preserved and exquisite stage in the Huguang Guild Hall complex, with carvings of a very high artistic standard. ✔️Immigrant culture The Huguang Guild Hall is a historical product of the 'Huguang Fill Sichuan' immigration wave, established based on the living conditions and psychological needs of the immigrants, serving as a hub for maintaining the bond among fellow townspeople. The use of elements from both the hometown and the immigrant land in the architectural decoration shows an inclusive immigrant spirit. ✔️Intangible cultural heritage performances If you like watching operas, there is usually a performance of 'Drunken Bayu', a cultural residency show based on Bayu culture with intangible cultural heritage performances, on the most exquisite stage inside the guild hall in the afternoon. Photo spots sharing: ▪️Entrance of Yuwang Palace ▪️Entrance of Qi'an Guild Hall, the interior stage is also good for photography, and red silk can be used as a foreground ▪️Entrance of Guangdong Guild Hall ▪️Left side of the long staircase at Yuzhou Academy, where you can capture the distinctive roofs and Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge in the same frame ▪️Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge, where you can take a panoramic view of the Huguang Guild Hall Tips: 🔘If you are taking photos of architecture or portraits, it is recommended to go in the morning when there are fewer people 🔘It is recommended to tour in a clockwise direction 🔘Turn left at the exit, take the elevator, and go up to the 5th floor to stand on the Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge and overlook the Huguang Guild Hall Location: No.1 Bajiaoyuan, Changbin Road, Chaotianmen Street, Yuzhong District, Chongqing City Opening hours: 9:00～18:00, entry stops at 17:00 Ticket price: ¥25