Zhenyuan Ancient Town

Zhenyuan Ancient Town is called the Oriental Venice. Zhenyuan is located in Zhenyuan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, where the river meanders in an "S" shape through the town. The north bank is the prefectural city, and the south bank is the defensive city. Both cities were built during the Ming Dynasty, and some parts of the city walls and gates still exist. There are many ancient buildings, traditional residences, and historical docks both inside and outside the city. Zhenyuan boasts one hall, two nunneries, two institutes, four bridges, four caves, six passes, six offices, eight temples, eight ancestral halls, eight pavilions, nine galleries, nine temples, and over 160 cultural relics and historic sites from the Ming and Qing dynasties, including ancient residences, alleys, and docks that are of great value for sightseeing and scientific research. According to records, ancient Zhenyuan was located at the junction of the 'Wuxi Barbarians' and the 'Baiyue people' in history. In the first year of Shaoding of the Song Dynasty (1226), it was named Zhenyuan Prefecture, and the name 'Zhenyuan' has been used ever since. Zhenyuan has a long history, dating back more than 2280 years to the 30th year of King Zhao of Qin (277 BC) when it was first established as a county. During the Yuan and Qing dynasties, it was the site of a Taoist prefecture for over 700 years. In Zhenyuan, you can climb the 'upright and vast like a screen' Shiping Mountain to overlook the entire ancient town, visit the 'Hanging Temple of the South' Qinglong Cave to see the ancient architectural complex that integrates Buddhist scripture halls, Taoist temples, Confucian academies, and guild halls, and explore the 'crooked doors and slanted paths' of the Sifang Well Alley, Stone Archway Alley, Fuxing Alley, and other ancient alleys to see the traditional residences. Ticket: Free (Separate admission fees for Shiping Mountain and Qinglong Cave).