Qixia 栖霞市

Setting and landscape

Almost the whole city is upland: mountains cover 72.1 percent of it, hills 21.8 percent and plains only 6.1 percent. Five ranges run across it from east to west, Yashan (牙山), Tangshan (唐山), Fangshan (方山), Aishan (艾山) and Canshan (蚕山), and Mount Ai is the highest point at 814 metres.

All 114 of Qixia's rivers rise inside the city. The largest, the Baiyang (白洋河), flows east into Fushan District (福山区) and on to the Yellow Sea. Menlou Reservoir (门楼水库) in Fushan, downstream on the Baiyang and the Qingyang (清阳河), is Yantai's largest reservoir and main water source, and a local saying claims that eight and a half liang of every jin (ten liang) of water drunk in Yantai comes from Qixia.

History

The name refers to an old description of red clouds at daybreak lighting up the town walls. People have lived here for about 6,000 years. Qixia County was created in 1131 from Yangtuan town (阳疃镇) of Penglai and part of Laiyang, and became a county-level city on 30 November 1995.

What to see

The Mou Family Manor (牟氏庄园) stands in Guzhendu village (古镇都村) north of the town. Building began in 1723 and was largely finished by 1935; the manor is described as the largest and best-preserved landlord estate in northern China. The Mou family, originally from Gong'an (公安) in Hubei, descends from Mou Jingzu (牟敬祖), who became the county registrar in 1370. Its courtyard houses in the Jiaodong style form three groups and six compounds, each four to six courtyards deep, with names such as Rixin Hall (日新堂) and Baoshan Hall (宝善堂).

Provincial heritage sites include the Yangjiaquan site (杨家圈遗址), the Li family manor (李氏庄园), the former First Branch of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University (抗日军政大学第一分校) and the Jiaodong Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery (胶东革命烈士陵园).

Food, crafts and traditions

Qixia is the core growing area for Yantai apples, with more than a million mu (about 67,000 hectares) of orchards. Its national intangible heritage items are the Bagua drum dance (八卦鼓舞) and mantis boxing (螳螂拳); provincial items include bobbin lace (棒槌花边), Jiaodong drum singing (胶东大鼓) and the custom of decorated steamed buns (胶东花饽饽).

Highlights

• Mou Family Manor 牟氏庄园: National protected site; landlord estate built 1723–1935 in three groups of courtyard houses.
• Mount Ai 艾山: Highest peak in Qixia at 814 metres.
• Mantis boxing 螳螂拳: National intangible heritage item listed for Qixia.