Tengxian 藤县

Setting and landscape

The county measures 112 kilometres from north to south and 86 kilometres from east to west, with narrow alluvial plains along the rivers; most rivers run north or south. Five townships, Ningkang (宁康), Dali (大黎), Dongrong (东荣), Pingfu (平福) and Gulong (古龙), have a mid-subtropical monsoon climate, and the rest of the county a south-subtropical one. The Meng River (蒙江) valley around Taiping (太平) and Dongrong is warmer and damper than the rest of the north.

History

In 589 the Sui renamed Shizhou (石州) as Tengzhou (藤州), and the county takes its name from that prefecture. The "Lingwai Daida" (岭外代答) explains the name by a very large old vine (teng) outside the prefectural seat; the county government also records an account linking it to Baiteng Ridge (白藤岭). The prefecture seat, Xinjin County (镡津县), was moved to the site of the present county town during the Kaibao years (968–975). Tengzhou was reduced to Tengxian in 1377 under the Ming, and it has been part of Wuzhou since April 1997.

What to see

Shibiaoshan (石表山) is a national 4A scenic area of Danxia landforms. Daojia village (道家村), a national key rural tourism village, keeps Ming and Qing buildings including the Fulong manor (福隆庄), Sizhi Hall (四知堂), Tongji Bridge (通济桥) and Xie Jin Pavilion (解缙亭). Xinma village (新马村), home village of the patriotic hero Yuan Chonghuan (袁崇焕), is a 3A scenic area with a memorial hall, the site of his former home and the He family ancestral hall. The Tengxian Museum (藤县博物馆) covers local history, Guabang Ridge Park (挂榜岭公园) has a summit lookout over the whole town, and Taochun Garden (陶春园) centres on Liubao tea (六堡茶) and Teng porcelain (藤瓷), with pottery and tea-making sessions.

Traditions

Tengxian is known as a "home of lion dancing", and the Tengxian lion dance (藤县狮舞) has been on the national intangible-heritage list since 2011. It comes in two forms: the ground-based "caiqing" lion (采青狮), which plucks greens, and the "high-pole" lion (高桩狮), performed on top of posts.

Getting oriented

The county seat is Tengzhou town (藤州镇). By road it is 78 kilometres east to Wuzhou and 350 kilometres west to Nanning. Tengxian station on the Nanning–Guangzhou railway (南广铁路) lies about 20 kilometres from the county town.

Highlights

• Shibiaoshan 石表山: National 4A scenic area of Danxia landforms.
• Daojia village 道家村: Village with Ming and Qing buildings including Fulong manor, Sizhi Hall and Tongji Bridge.
• Yuan Chonghuan's home village, Xinma 新马村袁崇焕故里: 3A scenic area with a memorial hall, his former home site and the He family ancestral hall.
• Tengxian lion dance 藤县狮舞: National intangible heritage since 2011, performed as ground-based caiqing lion and high-pole lion.
• Taochun Garden 陶春园: Centre for Liubao tea and Teng porcelain with pottery and tea-making sessions.