Daxu Ancient Town, also called Dawei Ancient Town, located on the east bank of Li River in Lingchuan County,18 kilometers southeast of Guilin City, has a history of over 1800 years. Today, the old street paved with bluestone slabs can still be seen in Daxu Ancient Town. Looking up, you can see the arcades and wooden structures along the street. Strolling through the ancient town, various historical relics can be seen everywhere, filled with ancient style.
Daxu Ancient Town was first built in 200 AD until the Ming and Qing dynasties. It has been a gathering place for merchants from both north and south, and merchants from all over the country have built guilds here, making it very prosperous. It used to be above the four major towns in Guangxi (the rest were Luwei in Binyang, Rongwei in Cangwu, and Qiaowei in Guixian). The Wanshou Bridge, located at the confluence of the Ma River and the Li River, is a great place to appreciate the Li River and the Luosi Mountain on the opposite bank. The bridge itself was also a cultural relic built in the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644) and rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911).
Between the Taiping Gate and Yong'an Gate after crossing the Wanshou Bridge, there is a concentrated area of old buildings, where you can stroll and savor them carefully. The historical sites worth visiting include Gaozu Temple, Mosque, Ancestral Hall, Liao Mansion (No. 47 Dongfang Street), Huang Mansion (No. 28 Minzhu Street), Li Mansion (No. 37 Minzhu Street), and so on. On Jiefang Street, there is also a mansion with two majestic coiled dragon pillars in front of it, which can also be seen.
The ancient town still preserves many ancient handicraft workshops such as bamboo weaving workshops, grass shoe workshops, traditional funeral supplies stores, grass doctor clinics, and old barber shops. The idle elderly either read yellowed books on the street or gather together to drink tea and play cards, living calmly and guarding the ancient town behind them.
About 8 kilometers away from Daxu Ancient Town, there is an ancient village called Xiong Village where you can play together. In addition, strawberries can be harvested around Daxu Ancient Town in April or May, and the price can be inquired with local farmers.
Travel Tips
Address: Lingchuan County, Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Phone: 0773-2880180
Opening hours: 08:00:21:00
Admission: Free