Gongtan Town’s Reappearing Act

By WANZHOU LAOZHENG

Gongtan is home to the largest grouping of preserved stilted houses in China.

GONGTAN, a town with over 1, 700 years of history, is located in Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, in the southeastern part of Chongqing Municipality. It originally sat at the confluence of the Wu-jiang and Apeng rivers. But with the announcement that a hydroelectric power plant would be built on the Wujiang River, a resettlement project for the town’s residents was initiated in 2005.

Four years later, the whole town had been moved to Xiaoyintan, one kilometer downstream from the riverbank. Locals took their houses with them; every brick and tile from the old town was transported to Xiaoyintan, where they were used in reconstruction. Even Gongtan’s old bluestone street was relaid at the site of the new town.

These days New Gongtan is barely distinguishable from old Gongtan. Though the relocation took some years, elderly residents say the town has the same feel as it did when it was one kilometer closer to the river, and that they now feel at home in their new “old” residences.

Goodbye, My Old Town

I enjoy old towns. To escape the frenetic activity of booming metropolises, nothing is better than to head to the countryside and hole up for a weekend in one of the country’s idyllic historic locales.

China is relatively resource-poor, and I recognize the need for the country to tap into its vast hydropower potential. Nevertheless, in the past I was skeptical of town relocations due to dam construction; surely, I assumed, reconstructed towns would be shadows of their former selves and devoid of their historical significance.

For that reason, I put off visiting New Gongtan for some time. The wealth of history of the old town attracted me, but the new town, I presumed, would be just another commercialized fake.

I was wrong. This year I passed through New Gongtan on my way to Hubei Province. I was in for a real surprise; by all accounts, it is a mirror image of the old town. Some say the Xiaoyintan area is even more tranquil and idyllic than the town’s former location.

I arrived after two days of driving along precipitous mountain roads and couldn’t wait to turn in. But after a quick dinner, my traveling companion was reenergized and curious to explore the town in depth. I joined him in ambling about the old streets, and we ended up with some splendid opportunities for twilight photography.

Evenings in old towns are bliss. China is a country of cities that never sleep. Heading out at nighttime in Beijing, Shanghai or Chongqing, neon lights rob your eyes of darkness while honking traffic assault your ears. Not in old towns, and certainly not in Gongtan. As darkness fell, the town sunk down under a blanket of the stars. Their twinkling provided the only illumination in the town’s alleyways. We saw only one or two people, who were out walking their dogs. They called out to their pets in hushed voices, as if to preserve the night’s silence.

By 10 o’clock in the evening it was cold outside. Heading back to our inn for the night, we were surprised to hear a loud banging noise disturbing the peace from afar. We were even more surprised when we realized what it was; Gongtan has kept up the ancient Chinese tradition of Night Watch. Late evening and throughout the early hours of the morning, a night watchman bangs on a wooden board every two hours. He does this to warn against theft and fire. With the knowledge that our night would be criminal-free, we fell soundly asleep.

Rich History Renewed

In past days, old Gongtan Town prospered as a hub of water transportation. Exploiting its natural geography, Gongtan grew rich on through-trade along the Wujiang and Apeng rivers. Later, it became a goods distribution center. Records show that at its peak, Gongtan saw annual cargo throughput surpassing five million tons.

The grandest building in Gongtan today is surely Xiqin Guild Hall, built by Shaanxi businessman Zhang Pengjiu in the late 19th century. At the time, the town was home to a salt trade office set up by the Sichuan General Administration of Salt. As an essential living food, salt had from time to time played the role of currency in the region. It was quite common, for instance, to leave a quantity of salt as payment for a meal in restaurants. Gongtan, as a “center of salt,” was an important town in Chongqing and adjoining Guizhou and Hunan provinces.

Another scenic spot is the Yard of the Ran, a local family of note. The compound was a place of lodging for members of a local trade brotherhood in the first half of the 20th century. Today it is used by many film studios as a set.

On my visit to the yard, I spotted a towrope lying looped in the center of a hall. On closer inspection the rope turned out to be made of thin slices of bamboo soaked with tung oil. The rope had been used for many years by local boat trackers. Pulling, or “tracking” boats across the shallows of the river using only this piece of rope, trackers’ hands had dyed it jet-black with dirt and sweat. Thank God we have engines nowadays, I thought.

The most noteworthy features of Gongtan are perhaps its bluestone street and stilted houses. The street extends roughly three kilometers, and its old stoneslabs have been trodden long enough to gain a sheen of well-polished jade. Walking down it, I felt I had stepped back in time. Out of the residences that line the street came enticing wafts of local cuisine. Occasionally one of the residences’ heavy wooden doors would creak open and an old resident would peer out, searching for someone or something. A loud slam, and the doors would close again.

I am not the only one to have fallen in love with the bluestone street. Distinguished contemporary painter Wu Guanzhong used it as his inspiration for The Ancient Street, one of his best-known ink-and-wash paintings. Wu passed away in 2010, but his spirit lives on in his magnificent ode to Gongtan.

One facet of the bluestone street that particularly appeals to peace-seeking tourists is the lack of hawkers there. Street vendors jostle for business in many of China’s old-town streets; in Gongtan, however, it seems peace and quiet have scored a rare victory over commercialism. There are shops on the bluestone street, but vendors sit quietly and never shout out to customers. There was one trade center on the street, but it has long since disappeared.

Stilted Houses

Gongtan is home to the Tujia ethnic minority. The well-preserved Tujia stilted residences are an architectural standout in the town.

For 1,700 years, the Tujia people constructed their houses by the Wujiang River, and their stilted dwellings had survived along roughly two kilometers of riverbank right up until the dam construction. The original constructions were relocated to the site of the new town and today stand as they have done for over a millennium. The houses embody the unique artistic and cultural attributes of the Tujia to allow fresh air from and beautiful views of the river. Standout dwellings include Zhinü, Yuanyang and Xinhua. They are wooden constructions, but have nonetheless stood the test of time. The boards between the columns open as doors or windows, and latticework windows adorn the side that faces the river.

A typical Tujia house is built on a riverside slope, with its back standing against a hill and façade built up on stilts 20 to 30 centimeters in diameter. It would be two to three stories high and made almost entirely from wood. In New Gongtan, the relocated Tujia houses still afford visitors a panoramic view of the river. The youngest of the houses is over 100 years old.

Gongtan’s architectural splendors are one thing, but for us, the highlight of our stay was the townsfolk. Warm, friendly and always willing to give directions to us hapless tourists, we found ourselves growing jealous of the fact that they could stay on here, while we had to head back to the manic city where a smile from a stranger might be a sign of danger.

My travel companion and I were loath to leave Gongtan. On the morning we departed, the town was covered in a light drizzle; it seemed even the weather was conspiring to keep us there. We drove off, and as the town’s old stilted houses faded off behind us, I couldn’t help but think I’d never been so sad to leave a place.

Gongtan Guide: Scenic Spots

Xiqin Guild Hall: The grandest construction in the town, it is completed in the local architectural style. The exterior wall is painted red and the floor is paved with stone slabs. Facing west to the street, the construction includes a main hall, a side hall, a penthouse, and a theater. As the hall resembles a place of worship, locals usually refer to it as the “Red Temple.”

The Yard of the Ran: The Rans are a notable Gongtan family. The yard is said to have a history of over 300 years. Its style is similar to Huizhou residential dwellings, but differs in that one side is open, the corridor connecting different buildings extends to the street, and the main and side halls feature a column and tie construction style. All these are typical Gongtan architectural features. The yard thus integrates the Huizhou style and local characteristics.

The Yard of the Xia: There is an old local saying: “The most beautiful maidens come from the Yard of the Xia.” Having managed the salt trade for generations, the Xia family grew very rich, and their women were renowned for their fine clothes and exquisite jewelry. A board hanging on the main gate is inscribed “Cixiao,” meaning parents love their children and children honor their parents. “Cixiao” is one of the principal tenets of Confucianism.

The Ancestral Hall of the Dong: The hall was built with donations from the wealthy Dong family. Walking up the several stone stairs and over the high stone threshold, visitors see an ancient wooden main hall with a square patio. Dishonored members of the Dong clan would receive punishment there, and important clan matters would be discussed by elders. Memorial tablets recognizing the heads of the clan are also enshrined in the hall.

Transportation

Geographic isolation and inconvenient transportation meant Gongtan’s economy suffered in the 20th century. Today it is prospering thanks to tourism generated by its growing reputation as one of the region’s best-preserved “ancient” towns.

Trains run from Chongqing, Changsha and Huaihua to Youyang. From Chongqing the journey takes four to five hours.

From 9 am to 6:30 pm regular buses run from Chaotianmen Bus Stop in Chongqing to Youyang. The trip takes roughly four and a half hours.

From Youyang, a minibus to Gongtan Town takes approximately two hours.

Souvenirs and Delicacies

Xilan Kapu means “flowery sheets” in the Tujia language. The cloth is said to be filled with the wisdom of the Tujia and is known as the “flower of the Tujia.” Each family’s piece is a cherished possession. Every Tujia girl must be able to weave a piece of Xilan Kapu before getting married.

Gongtan stuffed tofu is one of the town’s traditional delicacies. It is traditionally served at weddings of the Tujia ethnic group, served to guests at birthday parties and presented when new houses are finished or when babies are born.

Gongtan mung bean powder is a favorite native dish. It is on sale throughout the town and makes for a tasty souvenir.

Gongtan Shaobai, made of sliced pork belly, is a special dish popular in Sichuan and Chongqing. Though its fat content is fairly high, it is not greasy after being steamed with various seasonings.

Yiju tea is a special product of the namesake town perched at an altitude of over 800 meters and shrouded in mist all year long. As early as 800 years ago, the tea produced here was presented to the head of the province as tribute. Yiju tea leaves are rich in vitamins, especially in amino acids. Yiju is also known as the “Town of Tea.”

Kuqiao Wine is Tujia’s alcoholic staple. Kuqiao, or tartary buckwheat, is grown in the area, usually without chemical fertilizer or pesticides. It is an ingredient in popular local dishes, and is also used in Chinese medicine.

Gongtan fungi are a rare class of wild fungi that resist artificial culture. It has many medical functions.