Rediscover Your Inner Peace in Yangmei

Mo Tingitng

Ancient towns would be satisfying places to visit if you are fond of places that are unique， antique and not commercialized. There is no shortage of ancient villages and towns in China which boasts the ancient town of Zhenyuan in the south， the water-town in Wuzhen， the Lijiang Ancient Town with white walls and black tiles， and Fenghuang with its unique folk customs. The water of Zuojiang River is running as slow as many years ago， nurturing generations and fostering a splendid culture in Nanning， Guangxi. As you approach the southeastern part of Nanning and walk on a stone arch bridge of Yangmei Ancient Town， the noise from the city becomes gradually weaker.

Rise and fall of Yangmei

Located in the lower reaches of the Zuojiang River， Yangmei Ancient Town is surrounded by the river at three sides. It is 30 kilometers from Nanning with convenient transportation. Starting from Nanning， the boat will enter the Zuojiang River after operating on the Yongjiang River for above 30 kilometers， and then arrive at the Yangmei Ancient Town.

Yangmei， covering an area of 6.5 square kilometers， is studded with well-preserved old buildings dating back the previous dynasties， and it owns the most beautiful scenery that a southern river town of its kind can offer. Boasting a great deal of ancient architectures， it is a popular tourist destination where you can grasp the spirit of Chinas long history. In this place， the 5，300 townspeople continue to live as they have for a thousand years， just as if the time had stopped.

Founded during the Song Dynasty （960-1279）， the town of Yangmei burgeoned during the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644） and reached its heyday during the Qing Dynasty （1636-1912）， when it became a major port on the Yongjiang River. That is to say， Yangmei Ancient Town was prosperous for the developing of waterway transportation but also depressed for it.

With the preserved cultural heritage retained since the Ming and Qing Dynasties spreading throughout the whole town， Yangmei Ancient Town boasts its ancient streets， ancient alleys， ancient temples， ancient houses， ancient trees， ancient gates， ancient wharfs， and ancient beacon towers. From those aged architectures here， you can know the story of this place.

It is said that Yangmei Ancient Town was developed in 1999 and by 2003 Yangmei was named the first of the “Top Ten Landscapes” in Nanning. When Yangmei Ancient Town had been developed， it kept its more than 700 large ancient architectural complexes， where is the most complete preservation of buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties style in Nanning. Ten years later， there only left 300 ancient buildings， and in 2009， Yangmei Ancient Town was not one of the “Top Ten Landscapes” anymore.

Mondays Yangmei indeed is exceptionally deserted with a few visitors， however， the ancient town can return to her real quiet that is her temperament. Strolling around Yangmei， local women sat in the corridor to weave stuffs， and some old women selling things in their stands. Some women chatting while men are playing cards. Sometimes， there are flocks of chickens walking in the middle of the road. In addition， the three food treasures popular with tourists are preserved well： Salted vegetables， fermented beans and ground rice cakes. Yangmei Ancient Town， far away from the pressure of modern life， is really an ideal place to rediscover your inner peace， and to grasp the spirit of Chinas long history.

A little hidden gem of Nanning

Entering the town， old houses of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are presented one by one， as well as other historical relics like Imperial Successful Test Candidate House， Qizhu House， Jinshi （the former third degree candidate in the national civil service examination）s House， Muyi Gate， Jinyue Monument， Huang Manor， old streets and lanes， ancient windows， carving eaves and lichened basement， from which a sense of peace and mildness is pervading. In addition， in those houses， there are a lot of ancient tables and chairs， stone dogs， ancient porcelains carved with a variety of patterns in unique style with exquisite workmanship， and all of them have an old-fashioned flavor.

As a matter of fact， Yangmei is the hometown of quite a few famous scholars in Chinese history， as well as the cradle of the new thought that finally gave birth to the 1911 Revolution that ended the imperial rule in China. There are two historical relics in the ancient town. One is the former residence on Jinma Street for the revolutionists， Liang Zhitang and Liang Lieya， leaders of the 1911 Revolution. It was the secret place for meetings of Zhengnanguan Revolution leaded by Sun Yet-sen， the First Interim President of the Republic of China. Another highlight of the town is the Kuixing Pavilion. Being 15.3 meters in height， its main building is in the shape of a square like an imperial seal， thus called the Imperial Seal. Built in 1736 and with a majestic appearance， Kuixing Pavilion is not only a precious historic relic， but also an important memorial for the 1911 Revolution. In addition， three wooden figures， the gods of scholars， are enshrined separately on the three floors of the building.

In addition， there are 8 scenic spots which are still addressable in Yangmei， namely the Sunset Reflected on the Dragon Pool， Green Trees on Thunder Peak， Sword in the Spring， Pavilion Facing the River， Moon Night on the Beach， Medication on the Slope， Rosy Clouds Watching in the Pavilion and the Sound of Beach and Pine Forest.

Along the beach， people can see strange stones in the Ming Dynasty praised by the famous traveller Xu Xiake， like spire stone， gold frog stone， trunk stone， penguin stone， stone horse， etc. Each stone has a fantasy and moving story， containing a profound cultural connotation.

Furthermore， you will feel the lifestyle of local people when you`re walking in the town. Though the Yangmei Ancient Town is open to tourists， local residents have hardly altered their way of life as a result. Women are often making shoes or doing embroidery by the gates of their houses， evincing a peaceful and undisturbed countenance. The local people love the arts， especially the Yue Opera， which is as old as the town itself. You can wander through the ancient alleys of the town， accompanied by the enchanting sound of people singing and instruments， recalling the feelings of the past time.