Photo adjustments
EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Explore the region
About Houliu Ancient Town
The county's culture and tourism bureau explains the name: Houliu takes it from the stretch of willows along the Han River bank there, and because the site has water on three sides and a peninsula shape it is also called a 'water town'. The bay beside the old town, more than 500 mu of water, formed where backwater from the Xihe hydroelectric reservoir met the return flow of the Zhongba River, and the page describes it as inseparable from the town. The same page records that the old town's historic character survives in outline, that the Huoshen Temple relic site is largely intact, and that the story of the War of Resistance figure Wang Fantang is well known locally.
A 2024 county government page describes Houliu as a Ming and Qing wharf town and its long stone-flagged street as lined with grey-tiled, white-walled buildings whose flush-gable roofs, horse-head gable walls and timber-posted, tile-roofed upper storeys give it, in the page's words, the feel of a Jiangnan water town. It also names the old wharf, from which the Han River's Three Gorges are in view.
A 2025 report on the Ankang municipal government portal records that Houliu is among the country's first batch of key rural tourism towns, and that in 2024 Houliu Water Town was rated a provincial-level tourist resort. The same report describes continuing work on the town's three lakes and its old street. None of the cited pages states which parts of the old town are open to visitors.
What to look for
- The long stone-flagged street, lined with grey-tiled, white-walled buildings the county page compares to a Jiangnan water town
- The Huoshen Temple, the relic site the county page records as largely intact
- The old wharf on the Han River, from which the river's Three Gorges are in view
- The willow-lined Han River bank that gives the town its name
- The bay beside the old town, formed from reservoir backwater and the Zhongba River's return flow
Location & getting there
Getting to Houliu 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 后柳古镇 with 安康市 and 石泉县.
Find Houliu Ancient Town
后柳古镇 · 石泉县
No reliable map pin yet: search by the Chinese name.
Sources & visit information
The linked sources support the identity and background described in this introduction. Opening hours, admission, activity availability and exact arrival arrangements have not been comprehensively checked. Confirm current visitor information with the venue; the original catalogue locality and editorial review flag are retained.