Shangqiu Ancient City Scenic Area

The layout of Shangqiu Ancient City is nearly square, slightly longer from north to south, with a perimeter of 4327 meters. The city wall is 10 meters wide at the base and 6.7 meters wide at the top. It is made of rammed earth on the inside and covered with green bricks on the outside. The wall is 7 meters high, with a 1.8-meter-high parapet wall built on top. The area within the city is 1.13 square kilometers. There are a total of 107 streets inside the ancient city, arranged in a chessboard pattern. The street layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties has been mostly well-preserved. There are also nearly ten quadrangle courtyard buildings from the Ming and Qing periods within the city. The integration of the city wall, moat, and lake forms a unique structure that makes the ancient city round on the outside and square on the inside, resembling a huge ancient coin. The architecture is very distinctive. Shangqiu is metaphorically referred to as the birthplace of commodity, commerce, and business culture in the Central Plains of China.

In April 2021, I had a brief tour along the Luoyang-Anyang-Zhengzhou-Kaifeng route in Henan, and I have also visited several times for work reasons over the years. My impression of Henan has always been very good; while its tourism resources may not be top-tier, it certainly provides top-tier tourism services. Therefore, when choosing a destination for my Spring Festival trip this time, I decided to visit Henan again. In February 2024, I followed the route from Shangqiu to Kaifeng-Luoyang-Xuchang-Zhengzhou-Jiaozuo, filling in the gaps I had missed before. The first stop of the trip -- Shangqiu, is very close to my hometown Xuzhou. I took a high-speed train at 8:30 in the morning and arrived in 50 minutes. Shangqiu has only one train station, where ordinary and express trains enter from the south entrance, and high-speed trains from the north entrance. After getting off the train, I took a taxi directly to the Yingtian Academy. The main attractions are concentrated nearby, collectively known as the Shangqiu Ancient Cultural Tourism Area. The joint ticket for the scenic area is 35 yuan, which is a bargain. It was the second day of the Lunar New Year, and due to traffic control, ride-hailing cars could only reach the south gate of Shangqiu Ancient City (P2), and Yingtian Academy (P1) required about a 1-kilometer walk east from there. When planning the trip, I had already set my expectations low enough, as Shangqiu's history has been buried underground with the layering of cities, and there are not many ancient buildings to see. But upon arrival, I found that -- there was still much room for my expectations to drop. Once the glory of the Imperial Academy and the foremost of the four great academies during the Northern Song Dynasty, Yingtian Academy during Fan Zhongyan's tenure was infinitely splendid. A thousand years later, only desolation remains. The empty academy is narrow in size, and they even seem reluctant to plant a few more trees. Two large halls (P3, P4) stand alone in the courtyard, and the characters on the plaques (P5) have peeled off and are illegible, highlighting the carelessness and perfunctory nature of the renovations. It is truly a case of regret for not coming, and even more regret after coming. To the west of the south gate of the ancient city is the Zhang Xun Shrine (P6), which was built with much more care than Yingtian Academy. The shrine was rebuilt in the 1990s, but behind the main hall (P7), next to the tomb (P8), there is a Ming Dynasty stone stele inscribed by Sun Chuanting, the then magistrate of Shangqiu. Shangqiu was known as Suiyang during the Tang Dynasty, and during the An Lushan Rebellion, Zhang Xun, a scholar, held off an enemy army of over a hundred thousand with just a few thousand men, defending the isolated city for two years and saving millions of people in the Jianghuai region from the chaos of war. Eight hundred years later, Sun Chuanting, also a successful imperial examinee, built a shrine and erected a stele for Zhang Xun, a gesture of respect between heroes and a declaration of his own aspirations. One wonders if he foresaw that he too would become a bulwark for the nation in times of turmoil. The Ba Guan Zhai (P9) is located opposite the Zhang Xun Shrine and is quite inconspicuous. The stone tablet under the pavilion is the 'Record of the Tang and Song Dynasty Officials' Eight Guan Zhai Gratitude Meeting' (P10), which is a replica; the original is in the room behind. Only two sections (P11) remain, which are from the Tang Dynasty and inscribed by Yan Zhenqing himself. Despite the fragmentary nature of the stele, one can still feel the 'strength in every stroke' of Yan's calligraphy. Since I was only staying in Shangqiu for three hours, I gave up on visiting other attractions like Han Liang Park and Huoshen Platform, and took a taxi back to the train station to catch a high-speed train to Kaifeng. By the way, the only 5A tourist attraction in Shangqiu is Mangdang Mountain. Located in Yongcheng City, its main feature is the Han Liang Xiaowang Tomb, which has high archaeological value but not much tourism value. To bundle it for the 5A application, several very humorous modern attractions were built. It's a very 'watered-down' 5A site, and transportation is not convenient, so it's not necessary for non-local tourists to visit.

Shangqiu - the only prefecture-level city site from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the Central Plains region, and also the only large ancient city site in the world that combines the trinity of Bagua City, Water City, and City Stacked City. It has a history of more than 3000 years, and this land is simultaneously overlaid with 6 capitals. 1⃣️Guidu Prefecture City built during the Yuan Dynasty before the 16th year of the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty 2⃣️The Nanjing City of the accompanying capital Yingtianfu during the Northern Song Dynasty 3⃣️Song City, the administrative center of Songzhou during the Sui and Tang Dynasties 4⃣️Suiyang City, the capital of the State of Liang during the Qin and Han Dynasties 5⃣️The capital city of the State of Song during the Zhou Dynasty, etc. The ancient city is round outside and square inside, like a huge square hole round coin, implying the heaven is round and the earth is square, and the heaven and earth give birth to each other. The courtyards in the ancient city are lined up one after another, and 93 streets divide the whole city into many small blocks of 200 meters square. ✔️There is Yingtian Academy, which is ranked first among the four academies of the Northern Song Dynasty ✔️There is the Confucian Temple of Guidu Prefecture, which is the largest in Henan Province ✔️There are the Chen Family Courtyard, the Zhuanghui Hall, etc., which hide the stories of the Ming and Qing Dynasties ✔️There is Zhang Xun Temple, which commemorates Zhang Xun, the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness in the Tang Dynasty, who defended the city and defended the world during the Anshi Rebellion, and the Baguanzhai, which commemorates Yan Zhenqing. Every place is worth visiting. city walk route: North City Gate of the Ancient City → Zhongshan Street → Hou Fangyu's Former Residence → Confucian Temple of Guidu Prefecture → Chen Family Courtyard → Mu Family Courtyard → South City Wall → South Lake → Zhang Xun Temple → Baguanzhai → Yingtian Academy Must-visit in the ancient city ❶Yingtian Academy: The first of the four academies of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was also promoted to the Imperial College, becoming the highest academy of the Northern Song Dynasty. Fan Zhongyan studied hard here, passed the imperial examination, took charge of the academy, and became a famous literati and politician in history. ❷Hou Fangyu's Former Residence: The talented scholar Hou Fangyu wrote the 'Zhuanghui Hall Collection' here; the east and west buildings are respectively Xueyuan Society and Feicui Building (the residence of Hou Fangyu's beloved wife, Li Xiangjun, one of the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai). ❸Confucian Temple of Guidu Prefecture: Now it is the largest Confucian temple in Henan Province, and there is also a thousand-year-old soapnut tree in the courtyard. ❹Baguanzhai: There are stone tablets of Yan Zhenqing and the Thousand Old Banquet Tablet, which records the grand occasion of Emperor Qianlong's last 'Thousand Old Banquet'. ❺Chen Family Courtyard: The first of the seven big families in Shangqiu, mainly composed of quadrangles, which are connected and distributed in an orderly manner, it is a model of quadrangle architecture in the Central Plains region. ❻Mu Family Courtyard: One of the 'Eight Big Families and Seven Big Households' in Guidu Prefecture City, one of the quadrangles of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. ❼Zhang Xun Temple: Built to commemorate the hero Zhang Xun who died in defense of Suiyang during the Anshi Rebellion. ❽Shangqiu Fire God Platform, the oldest existing observatory in China, Erbo Platform ❾Shangqiu Museum, the first museum in China to focus on the display of Shang culture and historical civilization ❿Han Liang Cultural Park, which restores the architectural style of the Han and Liang periods, and you can travel back to the Han Dynasty in a second.

Go out and take a walk, feel the wind of the ancient city, look at the green bricks and black tiles of the ancient city wall, feel the wind by the South Lake, and enjoy the healing scenery on the weekend.

Here's a quick and easy one-day tour of Shangqiu: First stop: 868 Creative Park - Suitable for photo check-ins, but some stores are not yet open. - Recommended to try the purple rice snack.📸🍴 Second stop: Peach Blossom Source Cultural Art Museum - Close to the ancient city, you can also appreciate the exterior of the building.🏰👀 Third stop: Ancient City - The ancient city is quite large, it may not be very special without lights during the day, but the central area is quite good.🏯🌅 Fourth stop: Han Liang Cultural Park - Not far from the ancient city, you can overlook the beautiful scenery from the attic, suitable for taking pictures and relaxing.🌳📸😌 Fifth stop: Sun Moon Lake - It is recommended to arrive early, you can take a boat ride during the day, and also enjoy the beautiful lake view at night.☀️🛥️🌙 Sixth stop: Pedestrian street near the train station - You can taste local special foods, recommend Bang Bang Chicken and Yousu Huoshao (arrive early to avoid selling out).🍗🥮 Transportation: - Gaode map may not display bus information, so the bus time is not certain. - Shangqiu currently has no subway, it is recommended to drive, take a taxi or share an electric car. - Shared electric bicycles can conveniently move between attractions, and you can also ride around the lake.🚗🛵🚴 Precautions: - The train station has two entrances, north and south, which are the entrances for high-speed trains and ordinary-speed trains, pay attention to the choice of entrance and exit. - It is recommended to arrive in Shangqiu early to better arrange the itinerary.🚆⏰

Henan was the core area of the Central Plains in ancient times. It has always been a battleground for military strategists. The ancient cities and ancient capitals built in this province are numerous, except for the famous famous cities such as Luoyang City, Kaifeng and Anyang City. There is a Shangqiu ancient city. The history of Shangqiu Ancient City can be traced back to more than 4,500 years ago, but the existing city is preserved on the basis of the returning to the capital of the Ming Dynasty in the 16th year of Hongzhi. In different periods, the size and location of the ancient city of Shangqiu are not the same. Surprisingly, there are many dynasty towns underneath the existing ancient city. Most of these cities are destroyed by war, but they are buried in the ground. Underneath is the Yellow River flood. According to records, buried in the ground, including the Yuan Dynasty built in the Yuan Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty, the capital of the capital of Nanjing, the Song Dynasty in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Song Dynasty in Song and Song Dynasties, and the Liang Guoguo in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and other six capitals. . Today, the Yellow River has been diverted, and the Yellow River flood has been effectively treated. The flooding has caused the city to cease to exist. However, the past history reminds people to protect the environment and cherish the current living environment. Today, the ancient city of Shangqiu does not see the prosperity of the past, but the majestic wall is still telling the glory of yesterday. From the data point of view, Shangqiu Ancient City is the only existing ancient city site in the world that integrates Bagua City, Shuicheng City and Chenghuang City.

Henan has been the hinterland of the Central Plains since ancient times. There are many cities and ancient cities, leaving precious architectural treasures for future generations. Shangqiu Ancient City is one of the representatives. Shangqiu Ancient City has a history of more than 4,000 years and is one of the oldest ancient cities in China. The existing Fudefu City was built in the 16th year of the Hongzhi Period of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1503) and was completed in the 6th year of Zhengde (AD 1511). It has a history of more than 500 years. Shangqiu Ancient City is the only existing large-scale ancient city site in the world that is a trinity of Bagua City, Shuicheng City and Chenghuang City. The buildings in Shangqiu Old Town are mostly courtyard structures, and the style is a bit like the courtyard in the north. The most typical representative is the Musi Courtyard. Mu's Courtyard is centered on the central axis, symmetrical, and low in front and high in height. It reflects the feudal rituals of young and old, men and women. It is worth mentioning in the ancient city is the Zunfutang, here is the place where the protagonist Hou Fangyu of the "Peach Blossom Fan" is a book. In addition to the two places mentioned above, there are many attractions worth visiting in Shangqiu Ancient City, such as the inner gates of the inner city, the temple of the Gothic Temple, the Catholic Church, etc. The outer city attractions include Wenyatai and Zhanggongyu. Ba Guanzhai, Kaiyuan Temple, Yingtianfu Academy, etc.