Discovered twenty-eight towns

Author: Fu Guoyong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: I don’t know if there is any place in the Jiangnan ancient towns like Erbashadu that preserves such well-preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty ancient buildings in such large quantities, with entire streets and alleys intact. There is no ancient town more enigmatic than Erbashadu. It is like a mystery, existing in the vast and wild mountains. – Writer Wang Zhecheng
Remember this place, Erbashadu. It has stories. One day, it will become famous. – General Pi Dingjun
Erbashadu is an ancient town under the jurisdiction of Jiangshan City, Zhejiang Province, located at the of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi provinces. It is a mountainous ancient town known as the "Rooster's Cry Resounds Across Three Provinces," carrying a touch of mystery. From ancient times to the present, Erbashadu has almost completely retained the marks of every era. It encompasses at least three layers of history. First, there is the over-1,100-year-old history since Huang Chao opened the Xianxia Ancient Road. Second, there is the history of hundreds of years as an important commercial and transportation hub, from prosperity to decline. Third, there is the history of the past half-century, especially during the People’s Communes, the communal dining halls, and the Cultural Revolution.
The greatest traveler of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Xiake, passed through Erbashadu three times, lingered for four days, and recorded his travels in the classic Xu Xiake’s Travel Notes. The national hero Zheng Chenggong garrisoned at Xianxia Pass, leaving traces of his youth there. The talented writer Yu Dafu also visited Erbashadu. Now, with over 3,600 residents in the town, there are more than 140 surnames, and there are over a dozen spoken dialects, making it a "town of the people" and a "kingdom of dialects." The ancient town is filled with architectural features of Huizhou, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and even Western styles. The preserved buildings, murals, ink marks, couplets, and slogans from different historical periods in Erbashadu not only hold tourism and cultural value but are also witnesses to history and civilization.