Biancheng Town, means " Border Town, also formerly known as Chadong Town, was renamed as "Biancheng Town" in 2008. The true "Biancheng" described by Shen Congwen is not in Phoenix Town, but in Chadong. Due to the popularity of the article "Biancheng" and the old habit of addressing it, many people still call it Chadong.
The town was founded in the eighth year of the Jiaqing reign (1803) and is located at the junction of Hunan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. After Chongqing was established as a municipality directly under the central government, it is strictly said to be the junction of Hunan, Guizhou, and Chongqing, known as the "one foot three provinces".
Shen Congwen's depiction of the border city walls winding before liberation, the flowing river, the clean and elegant bluestone path, the ancient hanging tower, the towering white tower, and the ancient ferry setting boats is picturesque and poetic. As the poem goes, "The beautiful scenery in the border city is intoxicating, and I suspect I am in the middle of painting." After the liberation, although the white tower was destroyed, the ancient style depended on it, and new buildings, bridges and Farmers'market were built, adding new scenes to the tea caves in the border city. Films such as "Lianxin Dam" and "Border City" were all shot in the border city.
In today's extremely popular Phoenix Ancient City, most tourists who can find it are truly intoxicated with the scenery and events described in "Border Town". In the Border Town scenic area, some of the scenes in the novel no longer exist, some have been relocated, some have been renovated, and some are simply newly built. However, it does not prevent tourists from still using 'Border Town' as a guide map, comparing them one by one, or paying a small boat to sail on the water, savoring the beautiful and moving story.
The main scenic spots in Bianheng Town include Cuicui Island (newly built), Calligraphy Garden, Hangjiao Tower along the river, Southern Ancient Human Site, Ancient City Wall, Laladu (relocated, not the river crossing location in "Border Town", now commuting between Hunan Border Town and Chongqing Hong'an Ancient Town separated by a river), Minglian Fang, and One Foot Three Provinces.
Trvel Tips
Address: Chadong Town, southeast of Huayuan County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
Tel: 0743-7662888
Opening Hours: 8:00-18:00
Admission: CNY50
