Chongqing Shizhu Xituo Ancient Town | 1314-step Yunladder Old Street, carrying brother on Bashan, Ba Salt Ancient Road

Chongqing Shizhu Xituo Ancient Town, formerly known as Xijietuo, is located on the south bank of the Yangtze River, facing the famous Shibaobao across the river. Historically, it was a famous salt transportation hub in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Here is known as the "Ba Salt Ancient Road", the transportation in Xituo was inconvenient in the past, and the Yangtze River suddenly turned here, forming an important deep-water port in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Xituo Ancient Town is the starting point of the Ba-E Ancient Road in the Ba Salt Ancient Road. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the salt industry in eastern Sichuan rose, and "Sichuan salt sold to Chu". By the Qing Dynasty, Xituo became a commercial heavy town in the southeast of Sichuan. Across the Yangtze River from Xituo Ancient Town is Zhongxian Tubing, which had a large salt field in ancient times. Due to the dangerous waters and beaches of the Three Gorges, salt dissolves when it meets water. To reduce losses, salt merchants transported salt by land. The entire town goes vertically up five miles from the river, all the way up to the flat terrain. The carrying brother who carried more than a hundred catties of tea and salt struggled to carry the load on the Xituo Yunladder Street with 113 platforms and 1314 bluestone steps. For thousands of years, diligent salt carriers have transported Zhongxian's pot salt and Sichuan salt from other places to Hubei by land, carrying heavy salt bags, crossing mountains and ridges, and opened the Ba Salt Ancient Road from Xituo to Huangshui into Hubei Enshi, until the Xituo Highway was opened in 1958, ending the history of carrying salt. Today, Xituo's salt carrying has become an intangible cultural heritage, and the interpretation of the hardships and history of the salt carrying workers has become a cultural symbol of Xituo Town. The Xituo Ancient Town salt carrying team, one of the few performance teams, has undoubtedly become the living fossil of the Bashan salt carrying workers today. The scenic area has Yuwang Palace, Qingzhong Hall, Nanlongyan Bridge, Beilongyan Bridge, Xiayan Shop, Yongcheng Merchant, Taihehao, Embroidery Building, Xituo History Museum, Qingyi Garden, Zhang Fei Temple, One and a Half Mile Stone Bridge, Xiong Futian Former Residence Museum, Deshengxiang, Guan Temple, Qianjiao Spring, Ersheng Palace, Wannianqing Well, Shengji Inn, One Tree Covers Three Counties and other historical sites. 📍Detailed address: Xituo Ancient Town: South bank of the Yangtze River opposite Shibaobao, Tujia Autonomous County, Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing Ticket: Free admission