#Songgai Ancient Town Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Ancient Towns
Memorial Temples
Address:
Southern of Yongchuan District, Yongchuan District, Chongqing 402160, China
Opening times:
Open year round, 24/7Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
2-3 hour
Phone:
023-49546000
On the banks of the Yangtze River in Yongchuan, there is an ancient town with a long history and numerous historical sites
In the Yongchuan District of Chongqing, on the banks of the Yangtze River, there is an ancient town from the Ming and Qing dynasties that is also quite embarrassing for tourists from other places because most of them mispronounce the name of the ancient town. Even eating a local specialty can be a challenge. This is the famous Songgui Ancient Town!
Songgui Ancient Town is located on the banks of the Yangtze River in Yongchuan District, Chongqing. It was first established as a market town during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty and reached its peak of prosperity during the Qing Dynasty, thanks to its excellent water and land transportation. It was a very prosperous water and land wharf. Merchants and cargo ships from all over the country came along the Yangtze River, and then the goods were transported to other mountainous areas in the southwest by horse caravans. For a time, it was extremely prosperous, and even the Yongchuan county government was set up here.
The ancient town is nestled between mountains and water, with Songzi Mountain nearby and, apart from the Yangtze River, there is also an irrigation waterway called Ji. Therefore, the ancient town was named after Songzi and the irrigation waterway, abbreviated as Songgui Ancient Town. The entrance to Songgui Ancient Town is an ancient and elegant hanging-foot Mo Yang teahouse by the river, a very typical Ming and Qing architectural style.
The main street of the ancient town is called Malu Street. This street, according to the complex terrain of the ancient town, is laid out flexibly and undulates, sometimes smooth and sometimes steep, long and short, straight and winding. The organic integration of movement and stillness is all blended into the landscape space of the ancient town. In the past, the horse caravan teams that transported goods to the wharf mostly walked on this old street, hence the name Malu Street. Today, tourists from all over the world shuttle on the streets, and the crisp sound of footsteps is like the sound of horse caravan teams walking through the streets in the old days.
The historical Songgui Ancient Town still retains a lot of historical architecture and cultural estimates. In addition to the more than 20 old streets and alleys that have been preserved, there are also the old county yamen, Confucian tombstones, Luo's resignation, and Yu Huang Guan, among which Yu Huang Guan is the most worth visiting!
Songgui Ancient Town is known to have 'nine palaces and eighteen temples,' and at its peak, it is said that there were as many as 20 temples. Among the many temples, Yu Huang Guan is the largest in scale, the oldest in history, and the best preserved. It is a Taoist place, dedicated to the Jade Emperor. This Taoist temple is also known as the 'Five Provinces Guild Hall,' welcoming merchants and immigrants from all directions. Later, it became the local grain trade market, and now it has been transformed into the Songgui Theater, which houses the largest stage. During festivals, it is very lively!
In addition to Malu Street, the main street of the ancient town, there are many other small alleys. I particularly like the feeling of strolling alone in the old streets and alleys, as if traveling through time, back to the past, listening to ancient stories from the mottled buildings and old stone roads.
In addition to Malu Street, the main street of the ancient town, there are many other small alleys. I particularly like the feeling of strolling alone in the old streets and alleys, as if traveling through time, back to the past, listening to ancient stories from the mottled buildings and old stone roads.
Stepping out from the long history of the ancient town, one must walk along the river and enjoy the fresh breeze. You can reach the river by going down the stone steps from the ancient town. Along the sides of the stone steps, there are many food stalls, bustling like a market. There are large lawns, wetlands, and rocky beaches by the river for tourists to visit. What attracts me the most is the dragon's ridge that extends into the heart of the river. Walking along the dragon's ridge to the middle of the river, surrounded by water, gives a feeling of freedom and comfort, very soothing!
Songgui Ancient Town
Benjamin.Moore@52
Who can resist the charm of a quaint ancient town? Songgai Ancient Town
Songgai Ancient Town is the first ancient town along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River from Sichuan to Chongqing. Despite its long and tumultuous history, the bustling days of old are gone, but there are still many original residents in the town, preserving its simple and primitive charm.
Like other ancient towns, Songgai prospered because of water. In the old days, when land transportation was long and rugged, transporting goods was very difficult. Therefore, whether in coastal areas like Jiangsu and Zhejiang or inland regions, there would always be an ancient town by the water to facilitate trade and serve as a hub for the distribution of goods.
Before coming to Songgai, I thought it would be heavily commercialized, but after arriving, I realized I was overly concerned. Although Songgai Ancient Town is one of the first batch of historical and cultural towns, located by the Yangtze River and seemingly convenient for transportation, its overly remote location not only keeps it far from the central urban areas but also 40 kilometers away from the city that governs it. This has destined Songgai Ancient Town to be far less developed in many aspects than its contemporaries.
Speaking of Songgai Ancient Town, the old street is nearly ten miles long, which is the longest among the ancient towns in Chongqing. The town is not very popular, with only scattered stalls on the street. Spending a weekend strolling down this long street, looking at temples, ancestral halls, and other ancient buildings, the reconstructed Jade Emperor Pavilion is the most magnificent building in the town. After the walk, you can go to the riverside, enjoy the breeze, and take the ferry back and forth. Isn't it a leisurely and comfortable experience?
Many people may not be 'warm' to the idea of visiting ancient towns, always thinking that it's the most boring and least fun type of travel. On the surface, ancient town trips like those to Fenghuang or Pingyao may indeed not be very 'fun', but visiting an ancient town is definitely the most relaxing, leisurely, and mood-soothing activity. If you take the time to truly experience the essence of an ancient town, or even stay for a few days, I think many people would change their original views on ancient towns...
Songgai Ancient Town
Address: No. 191, Caiyuan Road, Songgai Town, Yongchuan District, Chongqing
Transportation: It is recommended to drive and navigate directly to Songgai Ancient Town
Features: Nine Big Bowls of the ancient town, various steamed dishes
Tickets: Free, no time limit
ZELDA BALL
Yongchuan, Chongqing | Are you sure you don't want to visit Songgai Ancient Town?
🚌: Go to the ticket office at Yongchuan Bus Terminal, enter the hall and you will find the ticket vending machine on the right, no ID card is needed, select Songgai as the destination, and the bus fare is 12 yuan.
The waiting sign for Songgai is number 8, and you can find "8 Songgai" displayed above the parking space in a vertical position.
After boarding, it's about an hour's journey.
Return trip: Just wait at the place where you got off (the last bus is at 6 pm)
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🍛: There is a milk tea shop to the left of the main entrance, which is great for checking in!! They have real pictures of all the milk tea styles in their shop, and they are quite tasty. You can take your milk tea and take photos at the gate of Songgai, there are restaurants both inside and outside the ancient town, you can look around, Jiu Da Wan is pretty good.
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⛩️: Enter through the main gate of Songgai Ancient Town, walk to the Jade Emperor, and if you go higher up, you will reach an office building, the Yongchuan County Office, where you can see the river outside. After strolling through the ancient town, you can go to the river next to it to enjoy the breeze, play in the water, and take beautiful photos. You can also take a boat to the other side.
The passenger ferry (ten yuan per person) includes a round trip, and there is a grandfather selling sugarcane on the other side.
INDIGO FARMER
ace the charm of a millennium-old town, Songjiao Ancient Town one-day tour in-depth guide【Travel through time, savor the years
🌟🌊 **The charm of Songjiao Ancient Town**:🌊 This historical and cultural town located in Yongchuan District of Chongqing, named after the pine-covered mountains and nourishing rivers, has accumulated over 600 years of historical essence. The town maintains a simple and natural style, a haven from the hustle and bustle, and is an excellent destination for tracing historical traces and immersing in the original ecological life of an ancient town. 'A taste of the ancient town, ten miles of old streets, a century of vicissitudes, a thousand years of culture, the Yangtze River stretching for thousands of miles,' these five keywords vividly depict the core characteristics of Songjiao Ancient Town, captivating visitors!
🎯🗺️Specific travel strategies🗺️🎯
📍 **Morning session** - **Strolling through the old streets**:🚶♂️ The journey starts from the Luo's Ancestral Hall, exploring the legendary stories of the Luo family, walking on the old stone-paved streets filled with ancient charm, admiring those traditional wooden structures, and appreciating the profound heritage of 'nine palaces and eighteen temples'.
📍 **Afternoon time** - **Riverside frolic**:🏖️ Enjoy the water fun by the Yangtze River, experiencing the harmonious coexistence between the ancient town and the great river. Also, don't forget to visit the Xinyun Yarn Factory Exhibition Hall to perceive that segment of industrial history.
📍 **Dusk moment** - **Night colors of the ancient town**:🌆 Settle down in an old teahouse in the ancient town, savor a cup of covered-bowl tea🍵, listen to a piece of folk storytelling, or indulge in the beautiful scene of the sunset reflecting on the river surface.
🍴🍲Food recommendations🍲🍴
🍲 **The taste of Songjiao on the tip of the tongue**: Local salt-fried meat, nine big bowls of banquet dishes, stone-milled tofu pudding, and other authentic delicacies, rich in taste, leaving an endless aftertaste. Especially the fermented black bean fish🐟 from the time-honored restaurant, with its unique cooking skills, is truly a taste of heaven!
🚗Transportation hub🚗
• **Public transportation**: Departing from Chongqing city center, take the high-speed train directly to Yongchuan East Station, then transfer to a bus or taxi to Songjiao Ancient Town.
• **Self-driving tour**: With the convenience of Chengyu Expressway or Chongqing Ring Expressway, just navigate easily to Songjiao Ancient Town in Yongchuan District to arrive.
💡💡Travel Tips💡💡
💡 1. **Seize the best opportunity**: Visit the ancient town during non-holidays and early mornings or evenings on weekdays, when the tranquil atmosphere and lighting effects are perfect for photography enthusiasts📸.
💡 2. **Check the dynamics in real-time**: Considering that some historical sites may be under maintenance, please be sure to consult the latest information before traveling, and arrange your itinerary scientifically.
💡 3. **Participate in folk activities**: If you have the chance, consider joining local traditional folk activities, such as Dragon Boat racingrowing_boat during the Dragon Boat Festival, moon viewingmoon Viewing during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and deeply integrate into the local culture.
🌟During a whole day in Songjiao Ancient Town, you will feel like traveling through a time tunnel💫, stepping into a historical scroll that blends prosperity and tranquility, tasting the food nourished by the mother river of the earth, and experiencing the unique serene lifestyle by the Yangtze River. This is not just a trip, but a spiritual dialogue with ancient wisdom and historical change
cassandra_lucindranightingale
Chongqing Yongchuan·Songji Ancient Town｜An ancient town with a rustic charm!
This ancient town still retains its simple appearance, the mossy tiles under the eaves are traces of the years flowing by. Fortunately, the slow pace of the town's residents makes the commercial atmosphere here not heavy at all, and the occasional cry of a vendor passing by adds an endless sense of life, lamenting that such ancient towns with a rustic charm are becoming less and less.
The cultural heritage of the ancient town is profound, with numerous historical sites, characteristic courtyards, ancestral halls, temples and other historical and cultural landscapes are really rich. However, I heard that it will be developed here in the future, so hurry up and check in while the commercial atmosphere is not heavy~
📷Scenic spot check-in:
Ancient alley🏯: Some alleys have lanterns🏮 on top, which look good when looking up, and there are many craftsmen and intangible cultural heritage items inside, such as oil-paper umbrellas and straw-woven animals.
Kuixing Pavilion: There's nothing good to see, just a flying sculpture🗿 at the door
Yuhuang Temple: The overall landscape has taken shape but has not been fully opened. After entering the archway is a quadrangle, in the antique style, square and square, the magnificent Yuhuang Palace is facing the stage, rumored to be the place where the Jade Emperor watches the opera. The coiled dragon on the wooden beam is lifelike.
Luo Family Ancestral Hall: Adjacent to Yuhuang Temple, the square quadrangle in the ancestral hall is bright and transparent, the stage supported by eight wooden pillars is well preserved, you can overlook the eaves of the ancestral hall and the flower and bird patterns carved on the door frame from the second floor, and you can also look at the tower on the river bank from a distance, under the sunlight, the green tile roof of the nearby Yuhuang Temple is clearly visible.
Qin Family Mansion: It is still under construction inside, the buildings inside are well-arranged, and it is estimated that it will be another hot check-in spot after it is completed.
Yongchuan County Yamen: It was locked when I went, there are sculptures of the county yamen inside, I took a sneak peek through the door, it's not bad.
River dock: Follow the direction indicated by Yongchuan County Yamen, you can find the path to the river, the river bank here is different from other docks, the long stone bridge extends into the center of the river, fishing boats are moored on both sides, the river is sparkling under the sunlight, and the dock seems to have the rhythm of life.
🚗Transportation strategy:
①Chongqing Bus Station-Songji, 44 yuan
②Chongqing West Station Bus Station-Songji, 42
③Chenjiaoping Bus Station-Songji Ancient Town one-way ticket, 42
④Chenjiaoping Bus Station-Songji, 42
🍜Food recommendation: The prices in the ancient town are cheap, try the local nine big bowls, there are also many snacks, but remember to compare prices by visiting multiple shops
ADALYN CASTRO
Chongqing Tourism | The magnificent ancient town on the Yangtze River - Yongchuan Songgai
The newly built group of buildings at the entrance of the ancient town is Kuixing Pavilion, which is of high quality. There are also many buildings on the old street that are being rebuilt and are beginning to take shape. I never reject newly built traditional buildings or so-called antique buildings. Traditional buildings themselves also need to be developed. As long as the quality is good enough, they are buildings that can stand the test of time and be passed down to future generations. I just hope that my favorite blue and white porcelain inlay can be a little more transparent and used more.
The Jade Emperor's Temple is the largest building in the ancient town, located in the center of the town. Its history can be traced back to the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. It is the best and most sincere work I have seen in the rebuilt Taoist temples in the Sichuan and Chongqing region in recent years. The stone and wood carvings are exquisite, the colors are harmonious, and the two dragon pillars are vivid. They can also be considered as fine works passed down to future generations.
There is a ten-mile bluestone road in the ancient town, which ranks first among the ancient towns in Chongqing. Walking in it, it feels simple and friendly. The Luo Family Ancestral Hall in the town is the common ancestral hall of the Luo family in the southwest region. The existing scale was rebuilt in the 43rd year of Qianlong. 🏠
🚄Transportation tips: Depart from Chongqing city, get off at the high-speed rail 'Yongchuan East Station', and then transfer to the bus to the town. There are no tickets for the scenic spots in the scenic area.
Hazel.Simmons.51
Yongchuan Songji Ancient Town in Chongqing | Ancient County Yamen, Kuixing Pavilion, Luo Family Ancestral Hall, Jade Emperor View
Songji (ji) Ancient Town is located on the north bank of the Yangtze River in the south of Yongchuan City, Chongqing, facing Shima Town in Jiangjin District across the river. Songji Ancient Town is known as 'a first-class ancient town, ten-mile old street, a hundred years of vicissitudes, a thousand years of cultural heritage, and the Yangtze River of ten thousand miles'.
Songji was established in the Song Dynasty and has a very long history. It was originally called 'Songzi Ji', which is named after the nearby Songzi Mountain and located by the Yangtze River. The name means 'Song Mountain irrigates water', and later it was simply called 'Songji'. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the county yamen was set up here twice.
The features of the ancient town are the Ming and Qing architectural groups, ancestral halls and temples, winding 5 kilometers of stone roads, ancient county yamen, Chen Gongyan, etc., known as 'nine palaces and eighteen temples', such as Kuixing Pavilion, Zhang Family Ancestral Hall, Fan Family Ancestral Hall, Luo Family Ancestral Hall, You Family Ancestral Hall, Chen Family Ancestral Hall, etc.
The ancient county yamen is located on a small hillside called Phoenix Mountain, leaning against the mountain and near the water, belonging to the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. From the entrance to the backyard, there are four parts: the trough door, the front hall, the main hall, and the back hall. The people of Songji call the ancient county yamen 'Old Official Temple', which was originally the temple of General Li Gong, which was the location of the county yamen in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
The Luo Family Ancestral Hall is a family ancestral hall. It is the best preserved Qing Dynasty ancestral hall in the ancient town and the largest Luo Family General Ancestral Hall in the southwest region. It is composed of a courtyard with a patio, a corridor, a wing room, and a stage. The ancestral hall was built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty Zhu Yuanzhang, and was rebuilt during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It has been more than four hundred years now.
The Jade Emperor View is the largest ancient building in the ancient town. It is located in the center of the ancient town and is magnificent. Its history can be traced back to the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. The stone and wood carvings are exquisite, the colors are harmonious, and the two dragon pillars are vivid.
The ancient town after protection and renovation retains the original features of buildings such as Kuixing Pavilion and Jade Emperor View. The ancient town that is repaired as old is full of scenery everywhere. It is a good choice to visit Songji Ancient Town.
📍Detailed address:
Songji Ancient Town: No. 5 Hengjiezi, Songji Town, Yongchuan District, Chongqing City
Tickets: Free admission
Ph03n1x_@rc@n3
Songsi Ancient Town
Songsi Ancient Town is located in Songsi Town, southern Yongchuan District, Chongqing City, about 40 kilometers away from Yongchuan urban area. It is a famous historical and cultural town in China and a national 3A level tourist attraction. Its main features include:
- The houses on both sides of Songsi Street are wooden truss structures, with winding and twisting bluestone roads full of history, and the neighbors are close to each other.
- Songsi Ancient Town has historical and cultural relics such as Ming and Qing Dynasty courtyards, watchtowers, stilted buildings, and the Emperor's Imperial Hall (Luo Family Hall). Walking in it, you can feel the long time.
- The majority of the residents in Songsi Ancient Town are original inhabitants, and there is still a warm and lively atmosphere. The shops are all intangible cultural heritage projects that make oil-paper umbrellas and weave grass, guarding the excellent traditional culture of China.
- The 'Like a Fish in Water' cultural and creative series of works created for Songsi Ancient Town, implying a good and satisfactory life.
- Songsi Ancient Town used to be a distribution center for merchants to transport goods and do business in Chongqing. Now the market of Songsi has been restored here, allowing tourists to experience the fun of market day.
Mason Turner
Yongchuan - Check in at Songxi Ancient Town
📍Songxi Ancient Town
It's small, but it gives a sense of time slowing down, a comfort of slow life. I really like this taste of returning to childhood. The ancient buildings inside are also super photogenic, without a strong commercial atmosphere, it's the normal life of the old locals.
I drove here myself.
🍽️There's a mutton noodle shop at the entrance, quite delicious, 🉑️
📍Yongchuan City
🍽️Dinner was Tangxiang Haor Fish, an old town shop, arrived at more than 5 o'clock, there was no queue when I went, ordered the specialty dish, don't know if it is, my mouth is 'melted', many locals go to eat, the feeling is general, not particularly amazing.
Summary: Yongchuan Songxi Ancient Town is worth visiting, it's just not a big place, at most 1 hour to stroll around, there is also a river below, food: I think Lihong Noodle House 🉑️! Delicious