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Langzhong
Where legendary ancestors lived
The oldest legend about Langzhong concerns Hua Xu, the goddess, who is said to be the mother of Fu Xi, the first human. Langzhong is regarded as the birth place of Hua Xu. Mythology being the shadow of history, the mysterious stories concerned with Langzhong have something to say about the origins of humanity.
The name of Langzhong came into existence in 314 BC, and it has remained unchanged for over 2300 years. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, Langzhong is endowed with amazing scenery. As a Chinese character, lang means a high gate, which here refers to the high mountains around. The name of the ancient town means a city perched on the mountains.
An ancient city preserved in perfect condition, Langzhong is built on a diversified layout with its architecture featuring a combination of the southern and northern styles. A street named Guanxing (star keeping) and a tower named Guanxing (star watching) are related to an interesting story about astronomical research in ancient China. When Emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty (206-220 BC) ascended the throne, he accepted advice from Sima Qian, a great historian, who proposed to solicit opinions from men of letters about reforming the calendar. Luo Xiahong, a native of Langzhong, hurried all the way to Xi'an, the capital, to submit his plan. Among 18 reforming options, Luo's was outstanding and accurate in calendar calculation since he combined agricultural science, astronomy, and mathematics in his system. As a result, Luo's plan was accepted by the emperor. In 104 BC the new calendar was proclaimed and put into use in the country. However, giving up the coveted official status he had gained, Luo petitioned to go back home, preferring to carry out research in astronomy on his own. It is interesting that more and more renowned astronomers came from Langzhong after Luo Xiahong was there.
In West Street stands Zhang Fei's Temple, which was built to remember Zhang Fei, a famous general of the Period of Three Kingdoms (220-280 AD), who was stationed in Langzhong as magistrate. He stayed in the town for seven years until he was murdered. The local people established the temple in front of his tomb to honour the general for his loyalty and bravery. In the following 1700 years the temple suffered a lot of destruction and reconstruction.
Today's temple was built in the Qing dynasty. It has an ancient compound structure. The external part looks magnificent, and the internal part is exquisite.
In Xuedao Street there is a building called Gongyuan, the place where the imperial examination to select civil servants in the Ming and Qing dynasties was held. Langzhong people have a tradition of working hard at reading. As a result, this town produced four zhuangyuan (the name for the winner in the nationwide imperial examinations for civil servants), and it is therefore acclaimed as the home of zhuangyuan. There is no historical record of when Gongyuan was constructed. However, it is certain that there were 40 examination rooms here in the Ming dynasty. Later Gongyuan was expanded and renovated, and stood high above the private houses nearby.
High on Yutai Mountain, the Tengwang Tower was erected. It was Tengwang, son of Emperor Gaozu in the Tang dynasty, which ordered the tower to be built. But what is remembered in history is Du Fu, a great realistic poet of the Tang, he wrote a poem during his tour to Langzhong in 764.
Du spoke highly of the tower in his verse: "The duke made the structure on the Bashan Mountain, and the tower is too high to climb without a huge ladder." Since then, the fame of the Tengwang Tower has spread near and far.
Location
Langzhong is situated in the north of the Sichuan basin, on the middle reaches of the Jialing River, 188 miles (300km) from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.
Climate
The area has four seasons wit an annual average temperature of around 64.4F (18C).
Of Special Interest
As the cradle of the Ba culture, Langzhong is a model of harmony between heaven and man, representing the best choice of location for a town for ancient Chinese people.
Main Attractions
Zhang Fei’s Temple, the Young’an Temple, the Wulong Temple, and the Jingpingshan mountain scenic area.
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