The ancient city of Zhaoyu was first built during the Taihe period of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It has a history of more than 1,500 years and is one of the "oldest" county towns in my country's more than 2,000 counties. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it flourished due to the development of tea merchants, and became a trend of "living in the countryside, setting up a store in Zhaoyu, and doing business all over the world". The ancient city of Zhaoyu is slightly longer from east to west (about 850 meters) and slightly shorter from north to south (about 700 meters). It is rectangular and has a circumference of about three kilometers. There is a missing corner in the southeast direction of the city, and the whole city is shaped like the gauze hat worn by ancient officials, so it is called "Gauze Hat City". The layout of the entire urban area is centered on the cross street, with four main streets in the east, west, south and north intersecting vertically, with the south straight and the north straight, and the east and west corresponding. With the cross as the skeleton, the whole city is supplemented by 28 streets and alleys that run vertically and horizontally with it. Most of these streets and alleys are neat and standardized, parallel to the main streets, showing that the entire layout structure is rigorous, reflecting the traditional architectural design thought system of ancient my country. Whether it is the shape of the "Shamao City", the layout of the city with the south straight and the north straight, and the east and west corresponding, the deep courtyards with luxurious decoration, exquisite painting and dazzling brilliance, the street shops with open columns and two-story structures, or the numerous temples and pavilions that follow the rules and are rigorous, they have achieved the unity of functional use and architectural art, and have a very important position in the history of Chinese architecture and aesthetics. It fully embodies the harmonious unity of the five basic characteristics of the classical landscape city theory of "symbiosis, coexistence, common prosperity, common joy and common elegance", and can be called a classic of the ancient city. In January 1994, it was approved by the State Council to be announced as a national historical and cultural city. In 2011, "Qixian Jinshang Old Street" was rated as a "Chinese Historical and Cultural Street". In December 2015, the Chinese Society of Business History awarded Qixian the title of "Tea Horse Road - Tea Merchant Capital". In March 2019, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage included the "Tea Horse Road" in the "China World Cultural Heritage Preliminary List". At the same time, the 13 existing tea merchant sites in Qixian were also included in the "China World Cultural Heritage Preliminary List". The open attractions in Zhaoyu Ancient City Cultural Tourism Area include the "Shanxi Merchant Culture Museum (Qu Family Courtyard)", "Qu Benqiao's Former Residence", "Tea Horse Road Museum (Changyuchuan Tea House)" and "Qi County Treasure House".
Zhaoyu Ancient City, Jixian County, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, has experienced the northern Wei, eastern Wei, Beiqi and Sui and Tang Dynasty, Song Yuanming and Qing Dynasty, and is one of the "oldest qualified" ancient counties in more than 2,000 counties in China. The ancient city of Zhaoyu in Jixian County is a county built according to the traditional thought and architectural style of the Han nationality in China's feudal society, whether it is the shape of the "shape city", or the luxurious decoration, exquisite paintings, and dazzling deep house compound, whether it is a street shop or a temple pavilion. All have achieved the perfect unity of function and architectural art, and have a quite important position in the history of Chinese architecture and aesthetics, fully reflecting the harmony and unity of the five basic characteristics of the classical landscape city theory "symbiosis, coexistence, co-prosperity, co-learning, co-elegance", which can be called the classic ancient city.
Long ago, Jixian was actually called "Zhaoyu", the tea house ticket number founded by Jin merchants, and still tells the story of Wanli Tea House silently in the ancient city of Zhaoyu. In the eyes of Wu Dianqian, director of the Yuanqi County Zhi Office at 71, Jixian County is the hometown of Jin merchants.
It is the only five-star compound in Shanxi. Although the scale is not large, the reputation is far inferior to Qiao's compound and Wang's compound, but it is true. It is all the architectural style of the Ming and Qing eras, and it can also restore that era. You can not go to Qiao's house and Wang's compound when you come to Shanxi ~, but Qu's compound must go. Parking is convenient ~ The parking lot is next to the entrance of the ancient city. Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai are free. I went in early August. Basically, five or six people visited. It just happens to be able to watch it carefully and slowly.
The ancient city feels a bit broken. Many houses outside mark the "Qing Dynasty houses", but they have not been completely repaired. The old street is also a bit lonely. The tourists are estimated to be attracted by the "Qiao's compound", but I feel that the Qu's compound is well protected.
Zhaoyu Ancient City Tea Business Culture Tourism Area includes Lushan Ancient City, Jinshang Old Street, Jinshang Culture Museum (Qujia Courtyard) in Jixian County, Changyuchuan Tea House Wanli Tea Ceremony Museum and other attractions. Yuxian is the hometown of Jinshang, the center of Wanli Tea Road, tea merchants, retaining the original Mingfeng and Qingyun, like a dazzling pearl embedded in the land of Sanjin.
Although the ancient city is not too big, but the architectural style is very distinctive. Here, Jin merchants rushed home with tea, and they were exported to Russia. It is worth going to a place.
The ancient city of Zhaoguan is popular with tea, tea is brick tea, sales as far as Russia, the ancient architecture in the ancient city is unique.