Qingmuchuan Ancient Town 青木川古镇

About Qingmuchuan Ancient Town

A case study published by the National Development and Reform Commission places the town in Ningqiang County at the junction of Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan, and records the traditional description 鸡鸣三省 – a cock's crow heard in three provinces. It notes that the television drama 一代枭雄 is set there.

The commission's page says the town has formed a historic-culture landscape belt anchored on national key cultural relic sites including 青木川老街建筑群, 魏氏宅院 and 宁强羌人墓地, alongside a natural landscape belt around the nature reserve and the 金溪河. It records that the town restored the 老街建筑群, 魏氏宅院, 瞿家大院, 辅仁中学 and 羌人墓地, among other national key cultural relic sites.

The same page lists national honours the town has received, naming among them 国家级自然保护区, 中国历史文化名镇, 全国特色景观旅游名镇, 全国最具潜力十大古镇, 全国十大乡村游目的地, 全国重点文物保护单位, 国家4A级旅游景区, 中国最美休闲乡村, 中国传统村落, 中国天然氧吧, 中国百佳避暑小镇 and 首批中国特色小镇, and saying there are 17 in all.

It reports that between 2012 and 2018 annual visits rose from 220,000 to 1.95 million and tourism revenue from 120 million to 920 million yuan.

The case study is about the town's development model. It does not say which lanes a visitor may walk, which buildings are still homes or working premises, or how the historic core is zoned, and it gives no opening hours or ticket information.

What to look for

• 青木川老街建筑群, the first of the national key cultural relic sites the commission's page names as the town's heritage anchors.
• 魏氏宅院, named on the same page among those sites and among those the town restored.
• 宁强羌人墓地, the third site the National Development and Reform Commission names.
• The 金溪河, which the National Development and Reform Commission puts at the centre of the town's natural landscape belt.

Location & getting there

Getting to Qingmuchuan Ancient Town

Identify the main visitor approach and any separately managed houses, museums or performances. Ask before entering residential spaces or photographing residents.

• Search for 青木川古镇 with 汉中市 and 宁强县.