Nanpiao District 南票区

History

Under the Jin dynasty the seat of Anchang County (安昌县) stood at today's Nuanchitang (暖池塘). From 1906 most of the present district belonged to the Jinxi sub-prefecture (锦西厅), which became Jinxi County in 1913. Mount Dahongluo (大虹螺山), inside the district, is linked by the district to the Yuan-era rising of Zhang Jing (张鲸) and to Sun Chengzong's (孙承宗) late-Ming inspection of the frontier defences beyond the pass.

Nanpiao District itself was formed in January 1983 from Nanpiao town and Shaguotun commune (沙锅屯) under Jinzhou. In June 1989 it passed to the new prefecture-level city of Jinxi, gaining Nuanchitang, Gangyaoling (缸窑岭) and Huangtukan (黄土坎); Jinxi was renamed Huludao in 1994. In May 2012 Gaoqiao (高桥), Hongluoxian (虹螺岘), Jinxing (金星) and three townships moved over from Lianshan District. Nanpiao appears among China's second group of resource-depleted areas.

What to see

The Shaguotun Stone Pagoda (沙锅屯石塔), east of Shaguotun village, was built in 1206 under the Jin dynasty: a solid six-sided stone tower about five metres high with five tiers of close-set eaves. It joined the seventh batch of national key protected sites in 2013. The district also names the Neolithic Shaguotun cave site, Bronze Age rock carvings at Xianglu Mountain (香炉山), Liao tombs at Aijiagou (艾家沟) and Mingxing Temple (明性寺), which it calls a fine Qing building group of western Liaoning.

Gaoqiao Town Station (高桥镇站) on the Shenyang–Shanhaiguan railway was built in 1899 and was one of three Beijing–Fengtian railway stations in late-Qing Jinxi.

Food and local products

When the boundaries changed, Lianshan District handed six of its listed heritage items to Nanpiao, three of them foods. Gaoqiao pickles (高桥小菜), on Huludao's city list, date from 1868; their founder, Liu Yongpeng (刘永鹏), came to steep vegetables in shrimp oil he made himself, which gave them a fresh, crisp taste in place of the bitter saltiness of salt-cured pickles. There are seafood and plain kinds. Kaoshantun dried tofu (靠山屯干豆腐) from Hongluoxian has workshops recorded from 1733; its sheets are thin enough to read print through and are eaten rolled, stir-fried or stewed. Gaoqiao mature vinegar (高桥陈醋) dates from 1842 and is brown, fragrant and sweet-sour. The three performing arts that moved with them are the Bawang whip dance (霸王鞭), the three-piece clappers (三节板), a sung and spoken art, and the Taiping drum (太平鼓).

Highlights

• Shaguotun Stone Pagoda 沙锅屯石塔: Solid hexagonal Jin-dynasty stone pagoda of 1206, a national key protected site since 2013.
• Gaoqiao pickles 高桥小菜: Pickles steeped in home-made shrimp oil, dating from 1868; on Huludao's city heritage list.
• Kaoshantun dried tofu 靠山屯干豆腐: Thin tofu sheets from Hongluoxian, made by village workshops recorded since 1733.
• Gaoqiao mature vinegar 高桥陈醋: Brown, fragrant sweet-sour vinegar first brewed in 1842.