Langzhong Ancient Town

The Langzhong Ancient Town is located on the northeastern edge of the Sichuan Basin and in the middle reaches of the Jialing River, a tributary of the Yangtze River. With a history of more than 2,300 years, it was an important military town in the ancient Ba and Shu kingdoms.

The architectural style of this ancient town reflects the traditional Chinese feng shui concept of residence -- the chessboard-like city layout, and the style of both north and south forming a building complex resembling many Chinese characters such as pin (品) and duo (多). It is a great example of the traditional Chinese architectural philosophy of "harmony between man and nature".

What to see here

1. The Huaguang Lofty Pavilion

The Huaguang Lofty Pavilion is located on the bank of the Jialing River in the south of the Langzhong Ancient Town. It was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and was reconstructed in 1867. Known as the local landmark, the building has a triple-eaved hip-and-gable roof showing unique characteristics. It boasts a great view of the distant mountains and the Jialing River from its top floor.

2. The Shrine of the Marquis Huan of the Han Dynasty

The shrine was built to commemorate Zhang Fei, a military general in the late Eastern Han dynasty (25-220) and early Three Kingdoms (220-280) period of China. Zhang guarded Langzhong for seven years and died there, and was granted the posthumous title “Marquis Huan”. With a history over 1,700 years, the shrine shows great craftsmanship and a grand style. It was a symmetrical layout with a central axis and is composed of a gate house, the Diwan Building, left and right wings, the great hall and a tomb.

3. The Examination Court

The Qing Dynasty Examination Court in the Langzhong Ancient Town is a national protected cultural heritage site. The venue was where local participants took exams for the recruitment of civil servants. Passers would continue to attend the final test, the highest-level examination required for social mobility and on entering the bureaucracy.

It is the best preserved and largest imperial examination rooms in China. A quadrangle building complex, it consists mainly of gates, examination rooms, the Zhigong Hall and the Mingyuan Building.