Intangible Cultural Heritage Gongtan Ancient Town: The Dazzling Pearl on the Art Gallery of Wujiang River.
Gongtan Ancient Town, with a history of over 1800 years, originated from the Shu Han period. It is a small tourist town with the most intangible cultural heritage. The 3-kilometer-long stone slab road preserves a large number of Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings and cultural relics. During the Spring Festival, various festive activities are held, such as the Five Blessings Gods Parade, guessing lantern riddles, Sichuan Opera face-changing, and bonfire parties.
Perhaps due to the summer season, there are few people and it is very quiet. Although it is hot during the day, there is a strong breeze from the river, and it cools down in the evening. The Wujiang River has beautiful scenery, appearing blue-green from afar and emerald green up close, presenting different layers of colors under the sunlight.
🚗Transportation and parking: We drove there, and there is a mountain road before reaching Gongtan, but it is relatively easy to navigate. There are parking lots at both the north and south gates, so you can choose the nearest one based on your accommodation location. Entry to the ancient town is free, and the parking fee is only 2 yuan per night, which is very reasonable.
Accommodation: Most of the inns are stilted buildings facing the Wujiang River, with restaurants on the lower level and accommodations on the upper level. We chose a stilted building with a balcony, where we could sit and watch the Wujiang River flow right in front of us. The room was simple but very clean. Note that there are slopes and steps in the ancient town, so it is best not to bring suitcases and use backpacks instead.
Cuisine: Many restaurants in Gongtan serve spicy pepper fish, and we had a delicious one at our innkeeper's place. We also tried noodles and ice powder at another shop, which were not particularly tasty, but the shop owners were honest, and the pine nut cakes we encountered were quite good.
🚫The not-so-good: Although the place is lovely, there were some negative experiences. The Wujiang River cruise boat took an hour to board, and after boarding, they said there would be a performance, but it turned out to be a live calligraphy auction on the boat. Well, we just wanted to enjoy the scenery of the Wujiang River. However, the overall experience in Gongtan is still worth a visit.
Summary:
Ancient town: After disembarking, we strolled around the ancient town, which was not too crowded, so we could take our time. The town is full of staircases, which are picturesque but can be boring if you don't like taking photos. The night view is not very impressive, so it is not recommended to stay here overnight.
Overall: We won't come back for a second time, but if you haven't been here before, it's worth experiencing the slow-paced life.
Food: There are restaurants in the ancient town, but the taste is average, so it's better to eat outside.
Admission ticket: 15 yuan/person
Wujiang Gallery Cruise ticket: 150 yuan/person for adults
Departure times: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00
Bonfire party: Every evening at 19:00
The ancient town is mostly made up of staircases, making it inconvenient for luggage. #Worth visiting ancient towns and villages #Natural wonders #Beautiful night views here