One-Day Tour of the Port Carved Tower ~
Today I came to the Carved Tower Scenic Area, which is now a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. It is located in the millennium-old ancient town of Chai Xu, a place with profound cultural heritage, numerous historical relics, and a concentration of traditional architectural styles.
The first phase of the scenic area covers a total area of 88,000 square meters. It is grand in scale, with a pleasant environment and elegant and refined buildings. Built during the Qianlong period, the wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone carvings in the garden are extremely skillful, all masterpieces of the carving art at that time. It is known as the "First Tower of Jiangzuo" (the left of the Yangtze River). Films such as From Slave to General, A Snowless Winter, and Prelude to the Eastward Advance were shot here.
The Sun's Four-Sided Tower, built in the late Qing Dynasty, features exquisite carvings and ornate European-style columns and railings, a perfect combination of Chinese and Western art. It now serves as the "Enlightenment Center for Chinese Traditional Culture". The Qi's Jinshi Mansion (Mansion of a Successful Candidate in the Imperial Examination), an official residence from the Ming Dynasty, is solemn and magnificent. It now houses the "Chinese Martial Jinshi Museum", the only venue in the country dedicated to showcasing the culture of martial arts jinshi. The Qi's Jinshi Mansion was built after Qi Shiguang, the ninth-generation descendant of the Qi family, passed the highest-level military examination in the second year of the Tianqi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1622 AD). The residence faces south. The original building was constructed in the Ming Dynasty. It now consists of five successive halls: the main gate hall, the opposite hall, the open hall, the roll-roof hall, and the main hall. Above the main beam of the open hall hang a pair of gold-plated wooden niches carved with dragon patterns, inscribed with "Imperial Edicts". In front of the gate stands a 400-year-old boxwood tree.
Li Xinchang Transit House, located on the north side of Chai Xu Road, is one of the best-preserved and largest transit houses in Gaogang. It is a historical witness to the prosperity of trade and commerce in the Port area. The building features the residential architectural style of the late Qing Dynasty. Inside, there are eight exhibition halls covering historical evolution, commercial culture, folk culture, religious culture, red culture, celebrities of Gaogang, the Eight Scenes of Chai Xu, and the new look of Gaogang, comprehensively showcasing the historical evolution and distinctive culture of Gaogang.
