Ganpu Ancient Town, Haiyan, Zhejiang

The word "Ganpu" was first recorded in the first Chinese book on water systems, the "Shui Jing" (Water Classic), which states: "(County) Southeast has Qinwang Mountain, with Gushui River flowing out to form Ganpu." The Gan River has flowed for thousands of years. Today, the word "Gan" in Ganpu is annotated in the "Modern Chinese Dictionary" as: "Ganpu, a place name, in Zhejiang." The only places named "Gan" are "Gan River" and "Ganpu," making Ganpu in China unique. In the fifth year of the Tang Dynasty's Kaiyuan era (717 AD), Ganpu was established as a town. If "China's ancient towns are in Jiaxing, then Jiaxing's ancient towns are in Ganpu." In the history of Jiaxing's town establishment, Ganpu is the first ancient town with documented records and a clear timeline. According to the "Zhiyuan Jiahe Zhi," we know that during the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Jiaxing had seven towns, with Ganpu having the longest history. In the 19th year of the Ming Dynasty's Hongwu era (1386 AD), Ganpu began to build a city, with the east gate named "Yanchun," the west gate "Suwu," the south gate "Jingming," the north gate "Gongchen," and a water gate. Today, "Suwu" still exists, "Gongchen" has been rebuilt, and the ancient town's layout remains largely unchanged. The 750-year-old ginkgo tree in the Taoist temple in the city has witnessed the rise and fall of the ancient town. Today, the ancient town still has quiet streets and alleys, with stone roads polished smooth as mirrors by countless footsteps. The old houses along the street have white walls and black tiles, with exquisitely carved doorways, exuding a strong sense of life and historical accumulation. Whenever the morning mist lingers or the setting sun shines obliquely, the ancient town is rendered into a series of moving ink paintings, making people indulge in this tranquility and beauty.