Longmen Old Town stroll is a journey into the past
By Yang Jian |
June 18, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FUYANG, set amid mountains and scenic waterways, has long been a popular destination for visitors.
Many ancient scholars and writers built homes here to enjoy the tranquility and seclusion and much of the city's past has been preserved.
One popular destination is Longmen Old Town, about 52 kilometers south of Hangzhou. Here one can find the ancient temples and narrow cobblestone streets of yesteryear.
The town lies on the southern bank of the Fuchun River. Its name literally means "dragon gate." Legend has it that a scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) praised the local scenery and said it looked like the great gate of a dragon.
More than 90 percent of the townsfolk are surnamed Sun, proud descendants of the 3rd century warlord Sun Quan (182-252 AD).
Today, the Suns of Longmen still hold ceremonies honoring their ancestors every autumn, gathering to watch traditional Chinese opera and offer sacrifices to Buddha and their forebears.
Older residents of the town delight in regaling visitors with stories of the past that aren't found in the history books.
Most buildings in the town were built during the Ming (1368-1644) and later Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. There are some 40 heritage-listed buildings in Longmen, among them ancestral halls, homes, pagodas and memorial arches. Some of the ancestral homes are still occupied by Sun families.
The Suns developed a distinctive design for residences. There is a main hall in the center that serves as a memorial for ancestors. Surrounding it are rooms for family members.
A 400-meter-long cobblestone street is said to be the oldest feature in the town. Residents said some of the cobblestones date back to when the warlord Sun Quan first began building the town for his family members.
Besides evoking history, the smooth cobblestones are restful on the feet.
This is a great town for strolling. The town is crisscrossed by roads and lanes. Local guides help visitors find their way through the maze.
"There is no way an outsider can walk without a guide," said Chen Juan, who is married to a local Sun and became a guide five years ago.
Siyuan Temple is one of two ancestral temples maintained by the remaining members of the Sun clan. Many portraits there bring history to life.
The other ancestral temple is the millennium-old Sun Temple, situated in front of a square. The wood and stone temple has a tiled roof and is used to host ceremonies honoring ancestors.
Fuyang, a Zhejiang Province city under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou, sits along the Fuchun River, downstream from the Qiantang River, about 250 kilometers southwest of Shanghai.
The city is famed for the manufacture of tennis and badminton racquets, but its industrial base is expanding to include other sporting equipment, including kayaks and paragliders. The city also has an industrial park specializing in optical fibers and cables.
The city is studded with beautiful scenery, including Longmen Old Town, Hangzhou Wildlife Park and Fuchun Peach Garden.
Since ancient times, its natural wonders have attracted writers, painters and poets. It is the birthplace of modern Chinese short story writer and poet Yu Dafu.
Fuyang's natural wealth includes rich limestone deposits.
1,808
square kilometers
650,200
registered population
15 towns
Longmen Old Town
Open: 8am-5pm
Admission: 68 yuan per person (35 yuan for children and senior)
How to get there:
Take a train from Shanghai to Hangzhou. A bus transit is needed to the Hangzhou West Station before having the direct bus line to the town. A drive along the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway (G60) takes about two hours.
Many ancient scholars and writers built homes here to enjoy the tranquility and seclusion and much of the city's past has been preserved.
One popular destination is Longmen Old Town, about 52 kilometers south of Hangzhou. Here one can find the ancient temples and narrow cobblestone streets of yesteryear.
The town lies on the southern bank of the Fuchun River. Its name literally means "dragon gate." Legend has it that a scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) praised the local scenery and said it looked like the great gate of a dragon.
More than 90 percent of the townsfolk are surnamed Sun, proud descendants of the 3rd century warlord Sun Quan (182-252 AD).
Today, the Suns of Longmen still hold ceremonies honoring their ancestors every autumn, gathering to watch traditional Chinese opera and offer sacrifices to Buddha and their forebears.
Older residents of the town delight in regaling visitors with stories of the past that aren't found in the history books.
Most buildings in the town were built during the Ming (1368-1644) and later Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. There are some 40 heritage-listed buildings in Longmen, among them ancestral halls, homes, pagodas and memorial arches. Some of the ancestral homes are still occupied by Sun families.
The Suns developed a distinctive design for residences. There is a main hall in the center that serves as a memorial for ancestors. Surrounding it are rooms for family members.
A 400-meter-long cobblestone street is said to be the oldest feature in the town. Residents said some of the cobblestones date back to when the warlord Sun Quan first began building the town for his family members.
Besides evoking history, the smooth cobblestones are restful on the feet.
This is a great town for strolling. The town is crisscrossed by roads and lanes. Local guides help visitors find their way through the maze.
"There is no way an outsider can walk without a guide," said Chen Juan, who is married to a local Sun and became a guide five years ago.
Siyuan Temple is one of two ancestral temples maintained by the remaining members of the Sun clan. Many portraits there bring history to life.
The other ancestral temple is the millennium-old Sun Temple, situated in front of a square. The wood and stone temple has a tiled roof and is used to host ceremonies honoring ancestors.
Fuyang, a Zhejiang Province city under the jurisdiction of Hangzhou, sits along the Fuchun River, downstream from the Qiantang River, about 250 kilometers southwest of Shanghai.
The city is famed for the manufacture of tennis and badminton racquets, but its industrial base is expanding to include other sporting equipment, including kayaks and paragliders. The city also has an industrial park specializing in optical fibers and cables.
The city is studded with beautiful scenery, including Longmen Old Town, Hangzhou Wildlife Park and Fuchun Peach Garden.
Since ancient times, its natural wonders have attracted writers, painters and poets. It is the birthplace of modern Chinese short story writer and poet Yu Dafu.
Fuyang's natural wealth includes rich limestone deposits.
1,808
square kilometers
650,200
registered population
15 towns
Longmen Old Town
Open: 8am-5pm
Admission: 68 yuan per person (35 yuan for children and senior)
How to get there:
Take a train from Shanghai to Hangzhou. A bus transit is needed to the Hangzhou West Station before having the direct bus line to the town. A drive along the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway (G60) takes about two hours.
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