Spring Outing to Yanglin Ancient Town, Hengdong

The history of the old street in Yanglin Ancient Town, Hengdong can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, when it was called "Yanglin Port", named after the willows lining the riverbank. The ancient town was built along the Mi River, with a superior geographical location. It was an important commercial town at that time. It reached its peak in the mid-Qing Dynasty. Due to the prosperity of the wharf and commerce, streets gradually formed. In the course of historical changes, the old street was destroyed several times by war or floods. Today's old street is mainly composed of blue brick, blue tile, and wood structures built in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. There are shops lining both sides of the street, including grocery stores, dyeing workshops, and banks, showing the prosperous scene at that time. Because the old street is close to the Mi River, it has been hit by floods many times in history, especially a severe flood in the early 1980s, which caused the old street to be submerged. After careful planning, the government decided that all residents of the old street should be relocated to a new location. The ancient town was gradually abandoned. Today, although Yanglin Old Street is relatively well-preserved, it is overgrown with weeds, desolate, and full of moss on the remaining walls, presenting a scene of decline. In recent years, in order to promote the rural tourism economy, the local government has put a lot of thought into planting flowers and grass around the old street and in front of and behind the houses, turning it into an Internet-famous spot to attract tourists to visit, which has brought a little popularity!