Pingle Ancient Town, located in the southwest of Qionglai City, is renowned for its ecological Western Sichuan ancient architecture and simple folk customs. The Bai Mo River flows through the town from west to east, with the thousand-year-old banyan trees along the river, the hanging buildings and water docks, the streets and shops paved with bluestone slabs, and the ‘Le Shan Bridge’ spanning the Bai Mo River, all showcasing the charm of Pingle Ancient Town.
As early as the Han Dynasty, the town had already formed a market town, and it is said that the ‘Phoenix Seeks the Phoenix’ story between Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru took place here. The main street of the ancient town, Le Shan Street, is a water-scape style street, and at the end of the street is the Le Shan Bridge, built in the first year of the Tongzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, a seven-hole stone bridge with peach-shaped arches instead of the common semi-circular ones, which is unique in Western Sichuan. The ancient town preserves ancient residences from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and most of the houses on both sides of the ancient streets are wood-structured buildings with one floor and a basement, usually with shops on the ground floor and living quarters on the upper floor, reflecting the strong Western Sichuan style. Many delicious shops are hidden in the ancient alleys, with milky noodle soup being a specialty of Pingle, and other delicacies like soup white meat, bowl chicken, and stone mill tofu are all worth tasting. Relaxing by the Bai Mo River, which passes through the ancient town, there are many farmhouses and tea houses along the riverbanks, which are bustling and lively places in the ancient town. Sitting under the shade of the riverbank and drinking a cup of tea is very pleasant. There are often tea boats moored in the river, with a rental fee of 50 yuan per hour, including four cups of tea. There are also many places to visit near the ancient town, such as the Golden Rooster Valley Outdoor Sports Base outside the town where rock climbing and abseiling can be enjoyed; and in the west of the ancient town, there are tens of thousands of acres of bamboo forests and a replica of an ancient paper mill, where one can appreciate the ancient paper-making technique. These scenic spots are all very close to the ancient town and can be visited in half a day. The ancient town is open all year round and accessible 24/7.
