By Rui Hu, EDITOR

With a long history of more than 2,000 years, Xituo Ancient Town is the first batch of towns which were praised as historical and cultural in our country. Yunti Street in the town is known as “the first street along the Yangtze River” and “the most ancient and unique architectural pearl on the banks of the Yangtze River.”

Chinese painting of Xituo ancient town

The spatial arrangement with the vertical contour line is adopted by Yunti Street, the core scenic area. Yunti Street was initially about 2,500 meters long. After impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, its length was shortened to 1,900 meters, and the width varies between 2 to 6 meters with 1,314 steps, drop height of 160 meters. It adopted the market town zoning layout with the ancient inns, shops, restaurants, and tea houses at the front, temples, halls, and government office in feudal China at the back. The layout of building with shops in the front and the hall at the end is a rare design.

view of Xituo town

In 2008, it was selected as the new twelve scenes of Bayu city with the reputation of “Celestial Street of Xituo.”

The beauty of Xituo Ancient Town lies in many places: a yellow ficus vines covering three counties, a thousand-year-old ancient well, a bluestone road that has become black and shining, the magnificent architecture of Ming Dynasty with exquisite carvings, and delicious food that has been passed down from generation to generation. The Town is as quaint and elegant as it was thousands of years ago, just like a beautiful painting.

Yunti Street

Source: CQCB
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