A Hidden Gem in Hunan | Liye Ancient Town

"North has the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, south has the bamboo slips in Liye"🍃, hence Liye Ancient City is also acclaimed as "The Qin City of the World, China's Liye"🤔. ☑️In the Tujia language, "Liye" means to pioneer this land🌄. An era is encapsulated in a city🌇, a city encapsulated in tiny bamboo slips. The emergence of the Qin bamboo slips made Liye known to the world🙊🙉. ☑️Strolling through the ancient street, with its tall blue brick firewalls🌝, smooth and shiny stone-paved lanes, wooden houses exuding the fragrance of tung oil, and ancient shops, as well as the bluestone docks by the You River🌊 telling tales of the past... The charm of Qin and the elegance of Chu are everywhere, permeating the prosperity of those years✨. ☑️Liye was a military fortress built by the Chu state during the Warring States period🙉, used to expand territory and defend against the invasion of the Qin state👿. In the late Warring States period, the Qin army invaded the You River basin from the Wujiang River basin🌊, forcing the Chu army to move eastward, and this ancient city🌇 was abandoned. In addition to this historically unrecorded ancient city🖊️, two other ancient cities from the Western Han and Eastern Han periods were discovered in Liye Town. In the entire You River basin🌊, a total of four ancient cities🌇 have been found, involving 79 ancient city sites and tombs😳. 📍Detailed address: Liye Ancient Town, Liye Town, Longshan County, Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province 💰Ticket price: 50 RMB per person for the Liye Ancient City ruins, free admission to the museum 🕙Opening hours: Open all day 📝Impressions from visiting the town: I have visited many ancient towns, and Liye is one that left a deep impression✨. Some say Liye is like a well-bred lady🌸. When night falls, the grey-tiled houses, horse-head walls, blue brick courtyards with carved windows, a glimmer of light💡 illuminates the Miao villages🍃. The simple and quiet town becomes even more charming under the envelopment of night.