Huize Ancient City 会泽古城

About Huize Ancient City

The old town's core protected zone covers 0.92 square kilometres; on 18 May 2013 the State Council approved its listing as a national historic-cultural city. Yunnan Net traces the town's rise to a copper trade running back more than 3,000 years, from a Zhou-dynasty bronze basin sold nationwide to a nickel-copper alloy Huize metalworkers are said to have developed centuries before it appeared in Europe; in the Ming and Qing the town became the main supplier of coinage copper to the central government, moving more than six million jin of copper a year over the long road north to the imperial mints for more than 170 years. Merchants and prefectures from other provinces built 108 guild halls, temples and ancestral halls in the town, of which 36 survive in good condition today, alongside 65 distinctive residences and a collection of 8,241 relics; the guild halls, represented by the Eight Great Guild Halls, were listed by the State Council in 2006 as a national key cultural relic protection unit.

At the centre of Huize county town stands a copper sculpture of a Jiajing Tongbao coin, cast at 39 times the size of the original, 22.6 metres tall and weighing 8 tonnes; Yunnan Net describes the original Ming-dynasty coin, cast at the Dongchuan prefectural mint, as the largest and heaviest ancient metal coin so far discovered anywhere. The feature's suggested tour route runs from the Jiangxi Guild Hall past Tang Jiyao's former residence to the Huguang, Guizhou, Jiangnan and Yunnan guild halls, the Confucius Temple, Jinzhong Mountain and Shuicheng Eco-park.

What to look for

• The guild-hall district, anchored by the Eight Great Guild Halls, a national key cultural relic protection unit since 2006
• The Jiangxi Guild Hall and the Huguang, Guizhou, Jiangnan and Yunnan guild halls, all named on the feature's suggested tour route
• Tang Jiyao's former residence, the stop that follows the Jiangxi Guild Hall on that route
• The giant Jiajing Tongbao coin sculpture at the centre of town, cast 39 times the size of the original coin
• The Confucius Temple, listed on the same route ahead of Jinzhong Mountain

Location & getting there

Getting to Huize Ancient City

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

• Search for 会泽古城 with 曲靖市 and 会泽县.