Wanling Ancient Town

Wanling Ancient Town is located in Rongchang District, Chongqing, 13 kilometers away from the county[...]

Wanling Ancient Town is located in Rongchang District, Chongqing, 13 kilometers away from the county town, with a territorial area of 24 square kilometers.
The name of the ancient town originates from a folk tale. It is said that during the Ming Dynasty, a monk named Zeng Ao traveled here and found the scenery pleasant and suitable for self-cultivation on the opposite bank of the river, deciding to build a temple there. Upon discovering six stone holes on the slope that seemed to connect with the river, he poured chaff into the holes to test the connection. Soon, the chaff indeed emerged from the river, and thus the place was named ‘Six Holes River’, later referred to as ‘Lukong River’.

In the fifth year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1800), local gentry and villagers expanded on the basis of the existing water dock to defend against the war fires of the White Lotus Rebellion in Eastern Sichuan.

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Years have passed, and the old appearance of Darong Stockade has changed, but the ancient banyan trees on the city walls have remained lush, and the scarred city walls along with the few remaining colored patterns add to the desolate and ancient charm.

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On the basis of the Ming Dynasty water dock, a Ming and Qing Dynasty ancient street was formed. The street, built along the mountainside, is layered and tightly connected with wooden-structured shops, with meandering bluestone roads leading upwards, exuding a primitive and rustic charm.

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Within Wanling Ancient Town, there are also seven distinctive stone bridges, most of which were built around the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, some dating back to the Ming Dynasty and repaired over the years during the Qing Dynasty, making them quite ancient.

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Especially along the steep stone walls of the Laohe River section, there are forty to fifty Eastern Han rock tombs, some of which have formed rock tomb clusters.

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Opening hours are all year round from 09:00 to 18:00.

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