A lesser-known ancient town in Jiangxi: Hekou Ancient Town.

Hekou Town was founded in the Northern Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the town's handicraft industry was well-developed, and its convenient water and land transportation attracted many merchants, making it prosperous. By the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Hekou had reached its peak. Goods from Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, and Guangdong were gathered here before being distributed nationwide. Hekou became an important commercial port known as the "Thoroughfare of Eight Provinces," and it was said that "Hankou's goods never run out, and Hekou's goods never fit." At that time, tea shops lined the streets of Hekou Town, and tea merchants gathered here to trade. As Hekou became a tea distribution center, its tea, known as "Hekou Red Tea," was favored by foreign merchants. According to the "Yanshan Local Chronicles," "During the heyday of Hekou Red Tea, merchants bought and sold millions of gold coins annually." Hekou's advantage also lay in its tea-making techniques. Tea produced in Fujian, Jiangxi, and Anhui was transported to Hekou for refinement before being sold. During the Kangxi and Qianlong periods, more than 30,000 people were engaged in tea processing in Hekou, and the "Hekou Tea Masters" were renowned. The commercial prosperity led to rapid urban development. Hekou Town, which combined shops, inns, residences, and warehouses on one street, had as many as 2,000 shops at its peak. The architecture showcased the exquisite craftsmanship of Jiangnan's Ming and Qing residential buildings, with paper shops, tea shops, silver shops, banks, pharmacies, and silk shops being the most luxurious. Today, the surviving ancient buildings still reflect the town's former splendor. Historically, Hekou Ancient Town was one of Jiangxi's four famous towns, along with Jingdezhen, Zhangshu Town, and Wucheng Town. Hekou Ancient Town's Ming and Qing streets are known as Jiangxi's first ancient street. In 2014, Hekou Town was named a Chinese Historical and Cultural Town. Times have changed, and the prosperity is gone. Today, as we walk along the stone-paved streets lined with dilapidated houses, we feel a sense of helpless desolation. Many local residents still live in the houses on both sides of the old street. When tourists visit, they enthusiastically introduce the area, saying, "This used to be a Mazu Temple, this used to be a pharmacy and hospital, this used to be a guild hall, this used to be a post office and bookstore, and this is what it looked like before it was demolished."