Xixing Ancient Town in Hangzhou! A charming ancient town!

Xixing Ancient Town|||Xixing Ancient Town An ancient town on the south bank of the Qiantang River Xixing Ancient Town on the south bank of the Qiantang River was historically the gateway to Zhejiang, with developed transportation and a strategic location. It has long been known as the "first place in eastern Zhejiang, the throat of Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Taizhou." The history of Xixing can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period. Fan Li, a minister of the State of Yue, built a city here to resist the State of Wu, which was then called Guling. During the Six Dynasties, it was called Xiling. Qian Liu, the King of Wuyue, changed Xiling to Xixing because "ling" was considered an inauspicious word. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Xixing was under the jurisdiction of Xiaoshan County, Shaoxing Prefecture, and this continued during the Republic of China. After liberation, Xiaoshan County was incorporated into Hangzhou, and Xixing became part of Hangzhou. In 1996, the three towns of Puyan, Changhe, and Xixing in Xiaoshan were incorporated into Xihu District, Hangzhou, and later became Binjiang District. Therefore, although Xixing belongs to Hangzhou, its language and architecture are closer to Shaoxing than Hangzhou. The west end of Xixing Old Street in Xixing Ancient Town is connected to the source of the ancient Zhejiang East Canal, which is the origin of the ancient Zhejiang East Canal, which is more than 250 kilometers long. It passes through Xiaoshan, Shaoxing, Shangyu, Yuyao, and Ningbo, and flows into the East China Sea south of Zhenhai City. Xixing is a transit port for travelers from the south and north, with merchants gathering and people coming and going, making it a bustling city. As a result, the "Guotangxing" emerged, which was a "transit line" for transporting goods for passing merchants. Merchants from the north and south, and goods from the east and west, had to gather here for transit, so Guotangxing was everywhere in Xixing, marking the peak of Xixing's commerce. "Xixing Guotangxing and Wharf" is part of the "Zhejiang East Canal" of the "Grand Canal" on the World Heritage Tentative List. At its peak, Xixing had seventy-two and a half Guotangxing. The business scope of the seventy-two and a half Guotangxing was roughly divided: eight for passengers and poultry eggs, including Zhao Yongli and Yu Xiaobafang; four for tea, tobacco, and medicinal materials, including Lai Jinbiao and Sun Taihe; twelve for cattle, sheep, pigs, and fish fry, including Zhong Dachun and Fu Sanfang; six for wine and soy sauce, including Fu Ruxian and Chen Guangji; seven for cotton, silk, and satin, including Cao Dabeng and Shen Huiquan; twenty-nine for miscellaneous goods, lanterns, woodenware, tin foil, and fan bones, including Xie Hengxiang, Xu Bingji, and Shen Bafang; three for building materials, including Yuan Shenghe and Wang Chengfu; two for other goods, including Li Qingji; and only one for silver dollars, Xu Guopei. As for the half Guotangxing, it was because the seventy-two Guotangxing were open all year round, but Sunjia Hui "Huangshanxing" only transported seasonal goods such as eels and was not open all year round, so it was jokingly called half a "Guotangxing." Xixing Old Street is one of the historical streets protected by the "Hangzhou Historical and Cultural City Protection Plan" and is part of Hangzhou as a Chinese historical and cultural city.