The first ancient town in northern Jiangsu, with a history of 2,500 years, no entrance fee

In the eyes of Shanghai people, people from northern Jiangsu seem to have a special presence. From jokes in daily life, to banter on social media platforms, to jokes on talk show stages, northern Jiangsu is always a topic that cannot be avoided. Northern Jiangsu, located at the intersection of north and south, has a unique charm. Where is northern Jiangsu? People from different regions have different answers. In the "Jiangsu Statistical Yearbook 1997", the three economic areas of southern Jiangsu, central Jiangsu, and northern Jiangsu were proposed for the first time, and data statistics were conducted based on this. Among them, the five cities of Lianyungang, Yancheng, Huai'an, Xuzhou, and Suqian are officially recognized as northern Jiangsu. In China, there is such a place, known as the first ancient town in northern Jiangsu, with a history of 2,500 years, no entrance fee, but few tourists know about it! Curious friends may ask, Hexia Ancient Town, formerly known as "Beichen Town", is located in Hexia Street, Huai'an District, Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province, at the northwest border of Huai'an District, south of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The town was formed in the late Spring and Autumn period, with a history of about 2,500 years. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, 67 jinshi, 123 juren, and 12 hanlin were produced here, known as the "Three Dingjia Complete". The main attractions of Hexia Ancient Town include Huzui Street, Han Hou's Hometown, Wu Cheng'en's Former Residence, Wu Jutong's Traditional Chinese Medicine Hall, Zhuangyuan Building, Wen Building, Wensi Temple, Imperial Wharf, etc. Emperor Qianlong once disembarked here by boat.