Dian-Qian Road Trip (35) A Land of Majestic Mountains and Beautiful Waters - Zhenyuan Ancient Town

Dian-Qian Road Trip (35) A Land of Majestic Mountains and Beautiful Waters - Zhenyuan Ancient Town April 3rd (Sunday) Qiandongnan Weather: Clear, 8-24°C; today's highest elevation is 813 meters. Woke up feeling refreshed. Contrary to expectations, there was no crowing roosters, barking dogs, or noisy crowds; the Dong village was very quiet. The guesthouse we stayed at last night is located on a hillside beside the main village gate, offering a good view. Although the facilities were somewhat lacking, the young and capable owner runs the small inn with great care, sincerely attentive to guests, proactively arranging pick-up and drop-off, and providing detailed introductions to nearby attractions, which was very thoughtful and convenient. With plenty of time, after breakfast we took another stroll around the village. Originally, the plan included visiting the "Three Villages" representing ethnic customs: Dai, Dong, and Miao villages. However, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village has been closed for several days due to the pandemic, and even insiders could not confirm when it would reopen. Unfortunately, we had to leave with this regret. At 10 a.m., we left the Dong village and headed to Zhenyuan. Zhaoxing Dong Village is in eastern Guizhou; next, we turned north. Guizhou’s highways have many curves, with speed limits generally below 110 km/h, plus frequent tunnels (speed limit 80 km/h inside tunnels), making it hard to speed up. The 230-kilometer journey took over 3 hours, and the car arrived in Zhenyuan County at 1 p.m. This is the 7th ancient town we have visited on this trip. Zhenyuan Ancient Town (5A) is a town under the jurisdiction of Zhenyuan County, Qiandongnan Prefecture. It is located on the banks of the Wuyang River, surrounded by mountains. The green river winds through the town in an "S" shape (Photo 1). The mountain scenery and water charm are captivating; the entire scenic area is like a painting at every bend and a new view at every step (Photo 2). Zhenyuan has a long history, with nearly 2,300 years since it was established as a county in the 30th year of King Zhao of Qin. It served as a Dao and Fu administrative center during the Yuan and Qing dynasties for over 700 years. Zhenyuan Ancient Town is a museum of cliffside mountain architecture in China. Its architectural style features blue bricks and black tiles, high firewalls, flying eaves with upturned corners, and carved beams and painted rafters (Photo 3). There are many ancient buildings, traditional residences, and historic docks inside and outside the town (Photo 4). Every blue brick and stone slab records history, telling the vicissitudes of this millennia-old town (Photo 5). The ancient alleys of Zhenyuan are narrow, long, and deep, with a complex structure. These intersecting and interconnected alleys form the lifeblood of Zhenyuan Ancient Town (Photo 6). The ancient town lights up uniformly at 7 p.m. (Photo 7). Sitting by the Wuyang River, enjoying local specialty dishes while admiring the river view (Photo 8). Buildings on both banks are decorated with strings of red lanterns and yellow light strips, their reflections shimmering on the water (Photo 9). The density of guesthouses and restaurants along the riverbanks shows that business here must be booming in normal years. Tomorrow, we will head to Tongren.