Mianyang Ancient Town, Xiantao: Prosperity and Decline Under Ancient Charm and Modern Trends

Hey everyone 👋, today let's talk about Mianyang Ancient Town in Xiantao, Hubei 🎈, a place with unique charm and a complex present. 🌆 The Changing Name of "Mianyang" Having lived in Hubei for a while, I knew Xiantao was formerly called "Mianyang," a name that sounds both classical and elegant. Upon arriving in Xiantao, I found that the locals seem to hold a strong attachment to the old name "Mianyang." For instance, there's a road called Mianzhou Avenue, and this scenic spot called Mianyang Ancient Town. So why was the name changed to Xiantao? After asking the locals, I learned that when Mianyang was established as a city, there was already a "Mianyang" in Sichuan with the exact same pinyin. To avoid confusion, the name had to be changed. It's a pity, isn't it? Has historical heritage given way just like that 😔? I also have friends from Mianyang who can't pronounce the "r" sound. They say "e" when it's hot, which is quite interesting 😄. 🌳 Xiantao's Geography and Past Xiantao is a typical plain area. As far as the eye can see, there's not a single hill, but the roads are very wide. This land used to be surrounded by lakes, which were gradually filled in after liberation to build urban roads. Locals say that there were few casualties here during wartime. When the Japanese invaders came, every household would row their boats and hide in the lakes, making it impossible to catch them. Moreover, this place is rich in resources and requires labor everywhere, so even under occupation, there were no large-scale massacres. Xiantao is abundant in fragrant rice, peaches, crabs, and lotus roots. Plants thrive here, as there's never a shortage of water. Houses have no walls, with front and back doors leading directly to rivers and lakes. People here learn to swim from a young age. It's truly a special place. But it's puzzling, how could such a livable place give birth to so many revolutionaries like Chen Youliang from different eras🧐? 🏯 Mianyang Ancient Town: Beauty and Predicament On the way to Mianyang Ancient Town, I asked the driver why such a town existed. He said that the area used to be all lakes, with stunning natural scenery. However, it was difficult to access due to the lack of roads. After liberation, the lakes were filled and roads were built, improving transportation and leading to the creation of this scenic area. Entering the scenic area, the vast expanse of waterscapes is truly breathtaking. The further in I went, the more amazed I became. The scale of this scenic area is beyond imagination! There are stretches of ancient buildings. When I reached the Jinshi Hall, I thought I had almost finished exploring, but upon climbing the hall and looking into the distance, wow, there was a vast expanse of pavilions and towers! However, it's a shame that most of these beautiful pavilions and towers are empty. About 90% of the buildings are vacant, with neither businesses nor many tourists. Walking inside, the feeling is strange. The scenery is undeniably beautiful, but it feels too deserted, and even finding a bench to rest on is difficult. This is clearly a key cultural tourism project; such a large scale wasn't built casually. But in terms of construction and operation, there are many problems: the scenic area charges an entrance fee, and it's not cheap, but there are few places to rest inside; transportation from the city to the scenic area is inconvenient, with bus routes on Gaode Maps not matching the actual situation. Apart from self-driving, most people have to take a taxi; although there are some tourists, compared to the scale of the scenic area, it's still far from enough, and it seems unlikely to change much in the next three to five years. However, standing on the Jinshi Hall, the beautiful waterscape before my eyes is truly awe-inspiring 💖. Have you ever been to a place like this, with stunning scenery but facing development challenges🧐? Share your experiences in the comments~