An ancient city surrounded by water - Liaocheng Dongchang Water Ancient City

The Grand Canal created many star cities on both sides of the strait during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and Liaocheng, with its sparkling waters everywhere, was the best place to benefit from the canal transportation. 🗺Among the ten famous historical and cultural cities in Shandong, Liaocheng is low-key. The magnificent wooden structure of Guangyue Tower and the wonderful Ruyi brackets of Shanxi and Shaanxi Guild Hall reveal the profound heritage of this ancient city; the banks of the broad Dongchang Lake are a gathering of the past and present of this famous city in western Shandong. Walking across the West Gate Twenty-One-Arch Bridge where Zhu Di and Sheng Yong fought a great battle, I realized that the ancient Grand Canal has brought the spirit of the south of the Yangtze River to this strong city in North China. ⛵️The China Grand Canal Cultural Museum is the most suitable first stop when visiting Liaocheng. Fei Xiaotong's inscription is eye-catching. Its status as “the throat of Caowan and the elbow of Tiandu” makes the ancient canal capital the business card of Liaocheng. Although this second-level museum is not large in scale, it systematically introduces the protection and World Heritage application process of the Shandong section of the Grand Canal, allowing the wisdom of the ancients condensed in this low-key canal to be displayed. ✨The Shanxi and Shaanxi Guild Hall, facing the canal, ranks third in the country and is the quintessence of guild hall architecture. Standing under the four-pillar, three-hipped archway, looking up at the intricate Ruyi bracket sets, glazed tiles, brick and wood carvings, one feels as if he is in the land of Shanxi. The second-floor theater has a double-eaved hip roof and is also decorated with wood carvings with a strong local style. You can also climb up the mezzanines and bell and drum towers on both sides to take a closer look at the craftsmanship details of the archway. There are two 500-year-old locust trees in the courtyard in front of the stage. When the Shanxi merchants were choosing a site, they first took a fancy to the ancient locust trees and then built the guild hall. The main hall is solemn and majestic. Although it does not have complicated components, it bears witness to the Guandi belief culture flowing on the canal. 📸The Guangyue Tower with four eaves and a cross-shaped hip roof is also one of the three national buildings. The name of "Shen Guang Zhong Ying" fully describes the majesty of this famous northern tower. It is said that this majestic wooden building can overlook Mount Tai when the weather is clear, so it is named Guangyue. Although it is difficult to see the majestic appearance of Mount Tai at ordinary times, when you climb up the tower and overlook the scenery where this ancient water city and the tall buildings in the city complement each other, you will feel a sense of openness that will last forever. While climbing the tower, you can also observe the wooden beams of Guangyue Tower up close. The exquisite wooden structure is the pride of this famous tower. 💡The attractions in the ancient city are not far from here. The county government tells the story of Lu Zhonglian shooting a book to save Liaocheng, and Haiyuan Pavilion introduces the vicissitudes of the past of this library. 📿The Iron Pagoda of Longxing Temple, which protects the country. This Northern Song Dynasty iron tower is the oldest ground building in Liaocheng. It has a delicate and slender structure, and the surrounding area has been developed into a small museum. The large Longxing Temple nearby was once connected with Zhu Di's rebellion. Although it was newly built, there are monks practicing there. 💫The Twenty-One-Arch Bridge is a great place to enjoy the Dongchang Lake, and there are many boat tours available on the lake. The corner tower is reflected on the lake, which is the signature scenery of Dongchang Ancient City. Although the ancient canal has lost its prosperity, the bustling boats on Dongchang Lake still make people recall the former glory of this canal capital. There are also memorial halls of Liaocheng historical celebrities such as Fu Sinian and Kong Fansen near the ancient city, one in the east and one in the west, and you can choose one according to your time. When we are silent for a long time, perhaps we are accumulating a heavy time, just like this ancient city has accumulated endless memories. When we burst into passion, it seems that we want to pour out all our emotions, just like the rising red sun pouring all the warmth and enthusiasm here. suggestion When it comes to Liaocheng Dongchang Water Ancient City, tourists often go directly to the center of the ancient city, but I think that appreciating it from a macro perspective, from the perspective of a bystander, or from the perspective of a slow walker may give you a different feeling. Therefore, in terms of block division, Liaocheng Ancient City can be mainly divided into the following areas for sightseeing and photography: (1) The Taiping Tower (Guangyue Tower) in the center of the ancient city and the streets radiating in the four directions of east, south, west and north. (2) The Lake West Belt Park to the west of the waters on the west side of the ancient city. (3) The waterfront walking trail south of the ancient city (including the section from South Gate to South Guandao and the leisure park on the south side of the water); (4) If you are interested, you can also visit other historical and entertainment spots in the surrounding areas such as the Shanxi and Shaanxi Guild Hall and the Water City Eye. If you want to find the most peaceful and comfortable time, it is highly recommended to go at sunrise, watch the sun rise from the ancient city from the lake west strip park, and then enter the ancient city from the west gate and walk into the east-west streets of the ancient city to feel the warmth of the slanting sunlight shining into the neighborhood. At this time, the commercial atmosphere of the ancient city has not yet grown, and the atmosphere of the market is just right; There is no charge in most areas within the ancient city. The main charging points include 30 yuan for climbing Guangyue Tower, 20 yuan for Liaocheng Confucian Temple, and 30 yuan for Liaocheng County Office.