Jiuzhou Ancient Town 旧州古镇

About Jiuzhou Ancient Town

The town is laid out on four main streets, east, west, south and north, and keeps many groups of Ming and Qing buildings. Wang Shunxiang, party branch secretary of the town's tourism association, describes the tunpu buildings as stone below and timber above, roofed with stone tiles, with carved doors and windows and splayed gateways; the houses are mainly four-sided and three-sided courtyards, generally built of stone walls, timber rooms and stone roof tiles. In recent years the town has repaired its old houses and its old post road on a repair-as-was principle, and has added tourist paths and landscaped water channels. Local people have carried on a great many customs dating from the Ming: the annual round at Jiuzhou includes the tunpu new year, dixi opera processions and the carrying of the city god, and women in the town wear the traditional Fengyang Han dress.

What to look for

• The four main streets, east, west, south and north, which set the plan of the town.
• The Ming and Qing building groups that survive along them.
• The tunpu houses themselves: stone below and timber above, stone roof tiles, carved doors and windows and splayed gateways.
• The four-sided and three-sided courtyards that most of the houses are built as.
• The old post road, repaired on a repair-as-was principle along with the old houses.

Location & getting there

Getting to Jiuzhou 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 旧州古镇 with 安顺市 and 西秀区.