1000 年の歴史を持つ重慶磁器口古鎮 |重慶の古き良き時代へ戻る 🇨🇳 重慶磁器口

1000 年の歴史を持つ重慶磁器口古鎮 |重慶の古き良き時代へ戻る 🇨🇳 重慶磁器口

I am here in this 1000-year-old town called Ciqikou 磁器口 but first let you see where I stay for the night this is the room tour there is a European style lamp a queen size bed a voice activated Bluetooth curtain and lights controller a movie projector and a movie screen a sofa a bathtub and luxury toiletries guess how much I paid for this hotel in Chongqing 重庆? all for just 88 Chinese yuan I thought I had it all figured out I install all the must have apps Alipay, WeChat pay link them to my credit card this is just a series of application that I have downloaded I also change a small amount of local currency just in case and now I am off to China to Chongqing 重庆 one of the world most breathtaking cyberpunk cities Ciqikou Ancient Town (磁器口古镇) – one of Chongqing’s most iconic and historic places, often referred to as “Little Chongqing”. In this travel vlog, we explore this 1,000-year-old town, where Ming and Qing architecture, flavorful street food, and rich culture come alive! but despite my careful planning none of my e wallets work Alipay, WeChat pay blocked and my international credit cards those cannot be used in China and I am stuck in China with just 300 Singapore dollars about 1,500 yuan for the next 6 days come see how I stretch every dollar survive and thrive in this surreal city of lights Chongqing 重庆 now I am embarking on my next journey to Ciqikou 磁器口 first of all, I need to go to railway number 10 which is here after making a 2-day one night side trip to Wulong 武隆 instead of going straight into Chongqing 重庆 city centre I am on my way to visit Ciqikou 磁器口 which is located just 15 kilometre west of Chongqing 重庆 city while most people might do Ciqikou 磁器口 as a side trip I decided to stay here for one night before moving into Chongqing 重庆 I booked myself a hotel room just outside the Ciqikou Old Town which is a less than five minute walking distance from the subway station for 88 Chinese Yuan which is about 12 USD I am shocked when I see my room it is a hotel suite complete with a movie system and even a bathtub I am so satisfied what can I say! I could have spent the rest of the evening soaking up in the bathtub in this newfound luxury but I choose to go to Ciqikou 磁器口 Old Town which is just across the streets where my hotel is located Ciqikou 磁器口 at night is a visual delight the 1000-year-old ancient town transform itself into a glowing maze of red lanterns warming lit alley and lively shop fronts as the warm street light shines the old-style architecture, wooden balconies and cobblestone streets are bath in golden hues this creates a magical almost theatrical atmosphere that draws both tourists and locals the reflection from the lanterns and signage on the stone paved path add a nostalgic glow that feels both romantic and bustling however during my visit I find that Ciqikou 磁器口 at night surprises me with his unexpected stillness while I have yet to see what daylight brings after nine pm this ancient town sees his crowd empties out almost dramatically the once crowded alleys become calm and hushed with only the soft glow of the red lantern and dim shops lights lighting the narrow streets I hear the occasional footsteps echo off stone walls or the distant sounds of someone packing up their stalls but otherwise it is peacefully quiet the quiet side of Ciqikou reveals a completely different mood one that feels almost poetic without the tourist buzz I can actually appreciate the architecture the fading scent of the street food and the tranquil rhythm of local life winding down that is one of the reasons why I like to visit old towns at night rather than during daytime when the crowd is thick I have the entire lane to myself it is the perfect time for slow stroll, reflecting or capturing atmosphere night shots without the crowd Ciqikou 磁器口 is certainly a place that feels overly commercialize by day but transform itself into something mysteriously beautiful after dark after 9 p m the crowd vanished shops begin to close a hushed calm descends leaving the ancient town eerily tranquil I would expect Ciqikou to be very commercialized during daytime but that is something I would only know tomorrow morning I see is the glow from the lantern and the raw building itself where the red lantern combined with the soft lights and the occasion classical music playing from the clothes shops turn Ciqikou 磁器口 into a dream light setting I can stroll undisturbed, soaking in the charm of its architecture without distraction from the crowd and noises, I notice details The old walls faded paint tree roots with entwining stone foundation it is this quiet moment that the soul of Ciqikou 磁器口 by the time I am done it’s almost 11 PM and most restaurants are closed for the day I ended up at a tiny hole in the wall restaurant near my hotel I ordered a bowl of dumplings which is spicy dumpling soup for 16 Chinese yuan the dumplings were okay but the MSG filled broth keep me thirsty all night good morning from磁器口 重庆Old Town I just woke up from the hotel right behind me which is over there this is where the Old Town is located I am here to take a walk around the Old Town before checking out and leave this place so this is Ciqikou 磁器口 this is Ciqikou 磁器口 during daytime I want to get a flare of how Ciqikou 磁器口 turns out during daytime and see how different it is from nighttime after all Ciqikou 磁器口 has been around for more than 1000 years and is reputed as little Chongqing 小重庆 among the tourists and such I want to get the flavour of what little Chongqing 小重庆 before seeing the real Chongqing 重庆 itself later I set off and enter Ciqikou 磁器口 early in the morning well before the crowd from Chongqing 重庆 descend upon this place this is the most peaceful time of the entire day where the shops are preparing to start business there are very few tourists around still what I can see are shops trying to prepare for their business their goods are lay on the shop shelf itself and the food in full preparation in anticipation of the hordes of tourists later during the day Chinese workers are known to be super hardworking such early time, I see many of the stalls already fully prepared trying to receive the first wave of their customers Ciqikou 磁器口 ancient town has 12 streets in total and most of the architecture on the streets were built in the Ming and Qing era and many of the streets road are paved with cobblestones delicate specialty stalls features snacks stall and old-style tea houses can be seen all over the town 你好谢谢 to be frank I am not too keen in the reconstructed commercialized shop scenes all I want to see is the old Chongqing 重庆 charm manifested in the ancient town of Ciqikou 磁器口 as such I walk quickly and whisk through the shops 嘿来来 来这边走 这边吃糍粑 手工打的糍粑 现做现卖 嘿 嘿 and walk all the way towards the river Ying Long Men Gate Ciqikou迎龙门or welcoming dragon gate is a significant historical landmark in Ciqikou 磁器口 ancient town Chongqing 重庆 serving as one of the main entrances to the century old riverside settlement Ying Long Men Gate Ciqikou迎龙门 stands as both a symbolic and functional gateway marking the transition from the modern city into the preserved charm of old Chongqing 重庆 that is precisely what I am here for back in the ancient time this port here catapult Ciqikou to be a transportation hub and a famous business city despite the modern structure added in the last decade or so there are still some bits and pieces of old Chongqing 重庆 found here especially the watermark visitors to Chongqing 重庆 can observe the watermark on buildings and walls indicating past flood water levels of the Jialing River 嘉陵江 yes, Ciqikou 磁器口 is commercialized but if you slow down look past the shop front and pay attention to the small details I must admit I stumble upon Baolun Temple 磁器口宝轮寺 the Baolun Temple 磁器口宝轮寺 nested within Ciqikou 磁器口 ancient town is a historical Buddhist century with a rich heritage spending over 1500 years admittedly it is a tough climb up to the temple given the unique hillside terrain of Chongqing 重庆 itself I must have climbed more than 5 storeys high up to reach the temple ground itself Baolun Temple 磁器口宝轮寺 is renowned for its traditional Chinese architecture design notably constructed without the use of a single nail that is bare testament to the ancient building techniques and of course from the high vantage point I can see the Jialing River 嘉陵江 and the building beyond its shores I venture deeper into Ciqikou 磁器口 determined to get myself lost inside this Old Town I find that as I go deeper the buildings here get more authentic granted they are lesser business activities inside there no tourists will be sane enough to walk so deep in there I stopped by a unique shop selling grilled corn and tapioca from one of the grilling boxes this grill box is definitely not historical but I must say it must be the same age as me or older I have yet to see this contraption in those fast turnaround shops outside I really have my full admiration in such shops selling Slow food of cheap value stuff I forgot how much one piece of corn is sold 皮可以吃的吧 哎一个就够了 一个就够了 为什么两个 放两个嘛 要断了哎 哦哦好 我在这边吃 谢谢啊你 你剥开一点点 然后你尝尝 好的 and that I have to wait at least 10 minutes for each piece as the stall owner carefully grill it inside this big old oven by the time I start to get out of the labyrinth of this Ciqikou 磁器口 ancient town 哎好哎 it must be close to noontime that is when the tourist crowd begins to stream in that is when the stall promoters begin to work full swing 来来来 进店 清仓 来来 帅哥 where the tour buses roll in, tourists pour into the main streets 来这边 走这边 瞧 and the quiet town transformed itself into a marketplace buzzing with energy 来往里面走 大姐 鱿鱼啊 铁板鱿鱼 猪尾牛筋 来这边 来抢购了 啊 来吧 这边看一下 香港阿霞 看表演 明代老鼓楼 老戏楼 看变脸 吐火 霸王别姬 都有 by now the shops are fully open when vendors are in full swing handling out samples calling out prices and engaging in theatrical selling the aroma of grilled skewers herbal tea and fried snacks fill the air such highly commercializing is not really my cup of tea I do have a mild fear of bumping into too many people and the loud speaker announcements jostling people and cues at famous stalls do not help at all Ciqikou 磁器口 in the early morning feels like stepping back in time by late morning, I can’t help but to feel that I am fully back in the 21 century China Fast, crowded and hyper commercialized if you have time try to see both it’s a tale of two cities just hours apart to end this vlog I hunted down Chongqing 重庆 legendary Chongqing ban ten mee 重庆板凳面 or stool noodles traditionally eaten while squatting on stools by the streets I find a place still serving the humble dishes 酸菜吧酸菜牛肉丝 酸菜肉丝 给我2两 要辣椒不? 啊是微辣 微辣啊 好 酸菜肉丝2两微辣啊 except that it is not eaten while squatting on stools but rather on proper table and chairs here in China one would order their noodles in terms of the unit of measure Liang (两) a 2 两 (liang) noodle is the medium sized noodle in Chinatown but for people in Singapore it’s more like the large serving the taste of the noodle is solid the noodle is bathe in spicy mala taste swimming inside a deep savoury broth and at a 2 两liang serving which is equivalent to a medium to large serving this bowl of noodle was just more than enough I have now checked out from Ciqikou 磁器口 heading to my next destination Chongqing 重庆 fresh from the fiery mala in my taste bud I am leaving Ciqikou 磁器口 let me have a final look at the Ciqikou 磁器口 from the train station again if you enjoyed this vlog give me a like share it with your travel buddies and don’t forget to subscribe for more stories from the lesser-known corner of Asia and until next time, travel slow, eat well and stay curious

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“一條青石路，千年磁器口”

Ciqikou is an ancient town in the Shapingba District of Chongqing Municipality, People’s Republic of China. It was originally called Longyinzhen and was also known as Little Chongqing. According to an old Chinese proverb: “One flagstone road, and one thousand years’ Ciqikou”.

People always say: “If you weren’t on Ciqikou, you weren’t in Chongqing”. Ciqikou Ancient Town, or called Ciqikou Old Town, is a great place to stimulate the tastebuds and find unique souvenirs (wooden knickknacks, porcelain, clothes, foods to bring home, etc.). The area is also very suitable for picture taking and enjoying traditional architecture and street performers.

Located 14km west of Chongqing Chaotianmen Peir, Ciqikou Ancient Town is reputed as “Little Chongqing” among tourists. Surrounded by three mountains and ran through by one river and two streams, Ciqikou has the great location to be a transport hub. In fact, it was a famous business port in the ancient time. At present, it’s a great place to relax for the locals.

With a long history, Ciqikou Ancient Town was first built from 998 to 1003 and it was firstly called as Baiyachang. At the beginning of Qing Dynasty (1636 ~ 1912), Baiyachang was famous for producing and selling porcelain (there are over 70 porcelain stores at the peak time and most merchants from other places were coming for the porcelains here), and porcelain is pronounced as “ciqi” in Chinese, so Baiyachang was called as Ciqikou since then.

Ciqikou Ancient Town has 12 streets in total, and most of the architectures on the streets were built in Ming or Qing architectural style, and the roads on the streets are all paved with stone plates. Delicate specialty stores, featured snack stores and old style teahouses can be seen all over the town. Take your time to taste the local flavors, or just order a cup of tea and at the same time, watch the folk performances, like Sichuan Opera or Sichuan Qingyin, let Ciqikou take you back to the old time of Chongqing.

Tourists can also taste Chongqing cuisine in Ciqikou. Chongqing cuisine is reputed by its pungent and spicy flavor. Chongqing hot pot, poached fish in chili oil, barbecued fish and steamed chicken with chili sauce are all popular dishes.

If possible, please visit it in weekdays, for in the weekends, it’s really crowded and you can’t enjoy yourself from such noisy environment. If you only have weekends to use, then arrive at the town before 10:00 am, and tourists at this time are less than other time.

Timecodes:
00:00 Room tour of Chongqing Ciqikou 重庆磁器口
00:35 How did I end up in China CHONGQING airport WITHOUT my Alipay and Wechat e-wallets?
02:07 from Chongqing Wulong 重庆武隆 to Ciqikou 重庆磁器口
03:04 Ciqikou Ancient town at night 重庆磁器口
07:11 A late dinner of dumplings 抄手
07:38 Ciqikou Ancient town during early in the morning 重庆磁器口
11:27 Yinglong Men 迎龙门 is the old port of Chongqing Ciqikou 重庆磁器口
12:40 Ancient temple of Ciqikou Baolun Temple 重庆磁器口宝轮寺
14:08 I got lost in the deep end of Chongqing Ciqikou 重庆磁器口
14:51 grilled corn and tapioca in this hidden gem
15:58 Ciqikou Ancient town during early in the morning 重庆磁器口
18:39 Chongqing Small noodles/ Xiao Mian 重庆小面
20:01 I leave Chongqing Ciqikou 重庆磁器口 to Chongqing 重庆

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