Up to now, no one dares to believe that the towns in the Ming and Qing dynasties are now inhabited and still live in the streets. This place is very hidden. It is in Qianwei County, Leshan, Sichuan. Few tourists should know it. Other tourists can’t even find it. It’s such a secret place, so now people live there.
This town is called Luocheng Ancient Town. It is known as the “Noah’s Ark of China”. It was built in Chongzhen period at the end of the Ming Dynasty. It used to be a garrison in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and its location is also very remote in the northeast of Qianwei County, where people still live. There are seven ethnic groups, including Han, Hui, Manchu, Li, Miao and Yi, which have been well preserved. There is also Liangting Street, the main street of the ancient town.
Liangting Street, also known as “Boat Street”, is the central street of Luocheng. It looks like a big boat, so it is called “Boat Street”. There are many kinds of ethnic minorities living here, and the streets are well preserved. The old streets leave the old people’s face in Sichuan. It is different from our life now. It has the characteristics of old Sichuan, where people live a leisurely life.
People here have lived in Luocheng for hundreds of years. Luocheng is a covered building that is not afraid of rain and sunshine. Like the “pavilion”, it is the cultural characteristic building of old Sichuan, which makes people enjoy life more. People in Luocheng play cards, drink tea, listen to music and chat without interference from the outside world. They live a life that many people envy. There is no noise outside.
People here enjoy life in a variety of ways, all of which are representative of old Sichuan, such as smoking leaf tobacco, selling dog skin plaster, pulling ears and so on. Now these are very few places in Sichuan, and even if they are, they are not the same as before, so they retain the culture of old Sichuan. The buildings and the bright wind here are not affected by the outside world. The people here still keep their original way of life, and the food in the ancient town is the same as before.
There are different kinds and practices of halal beef here. The handmade beef is still the original place and the taste is authentic. Like Dengying beef and spicy beef, they all have special craftsmanship, as well as color, flavor and taste, which make people aftertaste after eating. This is the flavor of old Sichuan. There are many time-honored snacks, but they all disappear with time
The buildings on both sides of the “Boat Street” are tiled houses. The street is 209 meters long and the widest part is 9.5 meters. There are time-honored shops on both sides, but there are few now, mostly small commercial shops. However, the most important thing on the street is the tea pipe. People here will drink tea, chat and play cards in the teahouse when they have nothing to do. The teahouse is the most popular. There are about a dozen people walking all the way. It can be seen how much people here enjoy life without any interference from the outside world.
The busiest time in the ancient town is the “Double Market”. There are a lot of people on the boat street and all kinds of sellers. The scene is very lively and crowded. People from all towns and villages will come here. There are also many people drinking tea. There are seats on both sides, and the seats are full of people. The scene was very lively. There were various snacks and many people gathered in this place. There are also old people carrying baskets to buy things, or children carrying baskets, which is a scene that has not been seen for a long time.
There are no tickets in the ancient town. Visitors can feel the life of the local people in Luocheng directly when they go to the place, and take a walk on the “boat street”. Integrate into the life of the people here, feel their lifestyle, and enjoy here completely. The most pleasant thing is to sit in the teahouse, watch the unrestrained lifestyle of the people here, and feel the leisure of the ancient town with them.
Luocheng is not like other places. It can not attract many people at once. What it left is what old Sichuan used to look like. After hundreds of years of ups and downs, people have lived in the way they used to live, which is now very rare. People here live a leisurely life. They are very different from other towns. Luocheng Town has its unique charm.
The ancient town was built in 1628. Up to now, the buildings have basically preserved the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the streets and ancient towns have been well preserved. Compared with the original appearance at that time, this is the original appearance of the ancient town compared with other ancient towns added to the current construction. Coming here seems to be like walking through it. It’s reminiscent to go back decades ago. The life here is very plain, so plain that people yearn for it. Only through personal experience can we understand that feeling.
Will you come to Luocheng Ancient Town like this?