The ancient town of Gongtan is recorded in the "Huayang National Chronicles" of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and it belongs to Fuling County in the Shu Han period of the Three Kingdoms (221-263 AD), and has a history of nearly 1,800 years. However, due to the water conservancy project, the whole Gongtan is relocated two kilometers away from the old town. The ancient town is not only a microcosm of the past and present life of the Sichuan Salt Ancient Road, but also reflects the unique wharf culture of Chongqing.

Originally, before the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Gongtan was just an inconspicuous small land, due to the collapse of the Fenghuangling cliff, blocking the waterway of the Wujiang River, the water depth of the Wujiang River in the Gongtan section became shallow, and this place became the passenger and cargo transfer station of Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunan and Hubei. Later, due to the increasing frequency of road transportation, the stones of the Wujiang River were blown up again, and the role of Gongtan's cargo transfer station and distribution center gradually disappeared. In 2005, the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics started the relocation and reconstruction of Gongtan Ancient Town, relocating and rebuilding 12 county-level cultural relics protection units such as the Xiqin Guild Hall, making clear provisions on the construction of residential buildings, and sending an expert team to provide guidance and help. The new Gongtan is built according to the pattern of the old Gongtan, and most of the materials are also derived from the old Gongtan, which has a high degree of similarity. The original neighbors are still neighbors, and the former warehouses and inns have become restaurants and guesthouses.

The Xiqin Guild Hall and Yongding Chenggui are all cultural relics protection units that have been restored from the original, and they have the most tourist value. The West Qin Hall was built by Shaanxi salt merchants in the late Qing Dynasty during the Guangxu period, and its architectural style is similar to that of ordinary temples. The hall is surrounded by a red-pink beacon wall, also known as the "Red Temple" by the locals. The hall has the main hall, the side hall, the ear room, the theater building, the tube tile roof, and the previous local culture and drama performances have been restored. The Xiqin Guild Hall is still grand and upright in the ancient town, and compared with the wooden stilted buildings of the local representative buildings, it is a sign that Gongtan is moving towards a modern commodity economy. The inscription is engraved on the Yongding Cheng Gui, which reflects the history of the wharf where the salt industry flourished, so visitors can also see that the ancient town of Gongtan still retains the tradition of hanging "salt lanterns" in every household.

Although the scale of the new Gongtan is slightly smaller than the old town, it still has a high ornamental value for foreign tourists, and the wooden stilted buildings everywhere have a deep sense of historical precipitation at a glance, and the bluestone slabs of the old Gongtan on the ground still have the vicissitudes of time. Gongtan, which has undergone vicissitudes of life, has returned to people's attention as a historical town, and there is no strong modern commercial atmosphere of other ancient streets on the street, which is more calm and simple, with a vague cultural arrogance and full of personality.

Information Reference

Tickets: The ticket price of the ancient town is 20 yuan/person, and the ticket price of the Wujiang River cruise is 158 yuan/person

Opening hours: 07:30-18:00