Travel in China
The porcelain port of old Chongqing - a thousand-year-old wharf town of flagstone lanes and black-tiled roofs on the Jialing River.
Ciqikou (Porcelain Port) was founded during the Song dynasty and flourished for centuries as the main shipping port for porcelain from the kilns of the surrounding hills down the Jialing River to Chongqing and beyond. The name literally means 'Porcelain Port' - a reminder that this was once a working commercial wharf.
Today the old town's dozen flagstone lanes are lined with Ming and Qing dynasty buildings - black-tiled roofs, wooden storefronts and stone-paved alleys descending to the river. The atmosphere is festive rather than historic: sugar painters, chilli shops, teahouse opera and the famous Chen Mahua fried dough twist stalls draw crowds every day.
Ciqikou is touristy but genuinely charming - the riverside setting, the smell of frying dough twists and the sound of Sichuan opera from the teahouses create an atmosphere China's recreated old towns cannot match. Try the maocai (a dry-pot version of hotpot) and the Chen Mahua twists, then walk down to the river for the view of the old wharf.
Highlights
The Flagstone Lanes
A dozen stone-paved alleys of Ming and Qing merchant houses descending to the river.
Chen Mahua Fried Dough Twists
The town's signature snack - fried dough twists sold from street-side vats.
The Riverside Wharf
The old shipping wharf at the foot of the old town - views of the Jialing River.
The Teahouse Opera
Sichuan opera with face-changing performances in a traditional courtyard teahouse.
The Sugar Painters
Artists drawing dragons and characters from molten sugar on marble slabs.
The Old Post Office
A restored Qing-dynasty post office building on the main lane.
Photo Gallery
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