Road hole

Author: Wang Dingtian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: The architectural art blends harmoniously with the natural environment, exuding a unique charm and vitality. For millennia, the indigenous people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and migrants have lived and thrived here, weaving countless simple yet beautiful stories. The region of Ba Yu boasts majestic mountains and rivers, a long history, and rich cultural heritage. From the establishment of villages by indigenous settlers around 4,000 years ago to the emergence of towns along the riverbanks during the Spring and Autumn Period, and from the promotion of Gongzhou to Chongqing Prefecture in August 1189 (September 18, 1189) during the 16th year of the Chunxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty, to its becoming the largest commodity trading hub in eastern Sichuan during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty, the establishment of market towns has evolved over time. As regional economic and social hubs, many of these towns originated during the Qin and Han dynasties, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, or reached their peak in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Each is an important cultural symbol of the evolution of Ba Yu civilization, making them highly. The vanished ancient towns cannot be, cloned, or replaced, and the remaining ones are all the more precious due to their rarity. Most of Chongqing's historical and cultural ancient towns were built near mountains and rivers, reflecting the unique architectural style of the Ba Yu region while absorbing cultural influences from Huguang, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. They embody the humanistic pursuit of harmonious coexistence between people and nature. From selecting sites based on feng shui principles to the intricate details of mountain walls, ridges, eaves columns, door lattices, almost all residential buildings, ancestral halls, guild halls, temples, theaters, enclosed gates, covered bridges, cobblestone streets, half-side streets, and wind and rain bridges are simple yet functional. The freestanding houses, suspended staircases, and open-air rain shelters, in particular, showcase ingenuity amidst spontaneity. The architectural art harmoniously integrates with the natural environment, exuding a unique charm and vitality. For millennia, the indigenous people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and migrants have lived and thrived here, weaving countless simple yet beautiful stories. Under the relentless noise of modernization, these ancient towns face the risk of disappearing at any moment. However, as long as they continue to exist, the cultural lineage they carry—such as architecture, history, art, and folk customs—remains evident, serving not merely as a refuge for urban dwellers to reconnect with nature but as a profound heritage. This book, richly illustrated with photographs, vividly recreates the original appearance and folk customs of the ancient towns through its prose-style narrative and visual materials. It delves deeply into the ethnic transformations and historical reforms of the towns, arguing for the practical significance of their development. The book also holds academic value for its cultural analysis and research on the suspended staircases of these ancient towns.