The ancient town of Yangliuqing in the early morning

Yangliuqing Ancient Town: To the south is Taohuawu, and to the north is Yangliuqing. Yangliuqing Ancient Town is a historic cultural town in northern China, located in Yangliuqing Town, Xiqing District, Tianjin. The town is famous for its profound cultural heritage and rich folk arts, and is known as the 'Jiangnan of the North' and 'Yangzhou above the River'. The history of the town can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn period, when it was part of Jizhou, located in Youyan. In the thirteenth year of the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty, with the opening of the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou, Yangliuqing became an important commercial hub in the north. The name of the town first appeared in the third year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan dynasty, when the literati Jie Xisi traveled here and composed the poem 'Yangliuqing Ballad'. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty also visited the place during his trip to the south of the Yangtze River, and bestowed the name Yangliuqing. Yangliuqing Ancient Town possesses unique canal culture, New Year painting culture, and courtyard culture, among which the Yangliuqing section of the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou is a representative of its canal culture. The town also has historical architectures such as the Shi Family Courtyard and the An Family Courtyard, as well as cultural venues like the Yangliuqing New Year Painting Gallery and the Folk Culture Museum. In 2014, the Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou was successfully inscribed on the list of World Cultural Heritage.