Fiery red lanterns are hung high, and laughter is everywhere...During the Spring Festival of the Year of the Tiger, the ancient village of Henghechen in Xiachen Street, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province was very lively and welcomed a group of people. A large number of tourists linger here to celebrate the New Year.
It is understood that the village has a history of nearly 700 years. The villagers live by the water. Lotus ponds and stone bridges are everywhere. Because the river passes through the village, most of the villagers are named after Chen, which was used for water transportation in ancient times. The commercial port has a bustling market, a collection of local products, and outstanding people. It was also selected into the fifth batch of Chinese traditional villages in 2019.
Bluestone roads, blue and black tiles, mottled walls, and deep alleys. Compared with some slightly commercialized ancient villages, Henghechen is quiet and elegant, retaining its original charm. After many changes, many original residents still live there, making it the ideal water town in the minds of countless people.
Although the village is not big, it has delicacies that foodies miss, old houses from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the slow life of local residents. People come here to admire ancient buildings, read couplets, attend fashion fairs, go shopping on the streets, pray and make wishes, and buy new year goods... There is an endless stream of tourists who come here to drink tea, chat and roast sweet potatoes at the Internet celebrity pop-up New Year teahouse.
Henghe Chengu Village has many cultural relics and heritage, such as the seaside bookstore, Chenzhen Temple, ancient fort tower, Zhuangyuan Mansion... walking through it, you can feel the heavy atmosphere of history. The most lively place is undoubtedly Henghe Old Street. Henghe Old Street is an ancient street with a history of six to seven hundred years. It is like the soul of Henghe. It is because of it that the prosperity of the ancient village can be achieved.
Walking on the old street, you will see hundreds of quaint buildings scattered in an orderly manner, with carved roofs and alleys criss-crossing the streets from north to south, among which you can vaguely recognize the plaques of time-honored brands, making you feel like you are in another world.
As a golden business card for the development of beautiful towns in Xiachen Subdistrict, in recent years, Henghechen Village has based on its own endowments and given full play to the "agglomeration effect" of using ancient villages as characteristic activity venues, becoming a village with industrial characteristics. The beautiful urban construction of the famous Xiachen Street is a unique bright color.
(Photography/Luo Xuecheng)