Luodai Ancient Town is 18 km away from the Chengdu downtown and 10 km away from the north of Longquan Town. It is known as “The First Town of Hakka in the World” and boasts the most intact Hakka ancient town in China. It is surrounded by the Longquan Mountains and the Second Emei Mountain foothill. (Photo by © amanderson2 via Flickr)
Loudai Ancient Town was constructed during the Shu-Han Period in the Three Kingdoms era. The legend is that Liu Shan, the prince and the son of the Shu-Han Emperor, Liu Bei, had a jade fell that fell into a well with an octagon shape near the town. Thus, it was named Luo Dai, which is translated as “belt falling”.
General Information
The residents of the Loudai Town are 90% Hakka. They were able to preserve a very thick ancient culture with their one thousand-year-old street and Hakka folk houses. The old street has a pattern of “a street with seven alleys” and has several shops with distinct architectural designs located on its sides. The Loudai Ancient Town is a place, which is rich in the history of Hakka immigrants and their unique culture, values, architecture, and science.
The Town has become one of Chengdu’s amazing areas where the citizens choose to go every weekend to wine and dine, play mahjong, and mingle with each other. The locals refer to the old town as the back garden of the Chengdu where people can enjoy sipping a cup of tea from the frontage tea houses. It is a very comfortable and relaxing place for the whole neighborhood.
History of Luodai Ancient Town
During the Han Dynasty, the Loudai Ancient Town was only a street named “Wanjing Street”. When the Three Kingdoms period came, Zhuge Liang, the Shu Prime Minister in ancient China, revived the market and changed the name to “Wanfu Street”.
Due to the incident of the falling belt of Prince Liu Shan in Shu-Han, it was then named “Luodai”. It was during the Tang and Song Dynasties when Lingquan County (now Longquanyi District) was established under the Chengdu government.
In the Ming Dynasty, Luodai Ancient Town was part of the Jianzhou state (now Jianyang), which was renamed by the Qing Dynasty as “Zengzichang”. In 1955, Jianyang claimed the Town as their 14th district with jurisdiction over 10 townships. It was then in the year 1976 when the ten communes of the Loudai Ancient Town were placed under the Longquan administration.
Another legend for the name source of the Loudai Ancient Town is a river surrounding the town, which resembles a shape of a jade belt.
Attractions Of The Luodai Ancient Town
With the well-preserved buildings, walking in the old streets of the Luodai Ancient Town will give the tourists an immersed experience of the Hakka culture. The seven lanes crisscrossing the main street are the North Lane, Huanshu Lane, Fengyi Lane, Chaishi Lane, Jiangxi Hall Lane, Kangshi Lane, and Macao Yan Lane. The buildings are supported by curved roofs and designed with a traditional architectural style of old China.
Four Guildhalls
The guildhalls are the most unique edifices in the Loudai Ancient Town. They are known as the Four Guildhalls, which are called separately as Guangdong Hall, Huguang Hall, Jiangxi Hall, and Chuanbei Hall. They were constructed during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) with a compound courtyard house style feature. The Four Guildhalls’ layout is symmetrical along a core axis and their walls are painted and carved with exquisite details.
Guangdong Guildhall
The most famous hall in this list is the Guangdong Guild Hall, which is also known as Nanhua Palace. It was constructed in the year 1746 with a total area of 3,310 square meters. The Guangdong Hall is the largest guildhall in the whole of China and one of the most well-preserved. There are couplets carved in its wall, which is said to reflect the hardships of the town’s ancestors in starting a new life and their loneliness while being away from their loved ones.
The Jiangxi Guildhall
The Jiangxi Guildhall covers an area of 10 square meters and depicts delicate and warm styles of Delta in the southern Yangtze River. Inside the hall, there is a small stage in which, seats were available for the audience to use during performances and acts in the ancient days.
Huguang Guildhall
In the south of the town, you can find the Huguang Guildhall which is also known as the Guildhall of Hunan And Hubei. It has a shrine for Great Yu to commemorate his deeds in taming the floods during his time. The locals believe that the Luodai town is not experiencing the floods because they are being protected by Great Yu.
Chuanbei Guildhall
The Chuanbei Guildhall or the Guildhall of North Sichuan Province was originally from the Wolongqiao Street in Chengdu but later moved here in the Loudai Ancient Town. Today, it is a cultural relic protection site that is not open to the town’s visitors.
Hakka Museum
In Huguang Hall, you can find one of the most comprehensive Hakka Museum in China. The museum gives its visitors a glimpse of the Hakka migration to the province as well as their achievements. There are also various cultural exhibits in the museum such as the potteries, irons, bronzes, carving stones, coins, and other hand-made arts and crafts.
Hakka Park
The Hakka Park of Loudai Ancient Town is located to the north of Fengyi Lane with a total area of 40,000 square meters (10,000 acres). You can find plenty of trees, flowers, and grasses in the garden. Visitors can rest and enjoy a quiet afternoon in the garden’s tea houses and pavilions. One unique tea house in the garden is the Women’s Tea house which is only open for the ladies. During the olden days, the tea house was a place for Hakka women to relax and unwind while having a cup of tea.
Festivals
Fire Dragon Festival
The most famous Loudai Hakka dragon dance in this festival is the “Liu Family Dragon”. It got its name because all the members who join the dragon dance performances are from the Liu families who are native Hakkas from Jiangxi province. The Liu family has been in Luodai Town for more than 300 years and 14 generations. Their dragon dance, which was developed from the old Chinese dance, has been passed down in history and keeps the most original steps and aboriginal simplicity ceremonials of ancient Chinese dragon dance.
Water Dragon Festival
The most significant festival in the Loudai Ancient Town is the Water Dragon Festival. Hakka people moved to the coast because of the war in the central plains. Since the coastal water is rich with natural resources, the Hakka people have lived in the town in abundance. It was believed that their wealthy life was because of their close contact with the East China Sea dragon king.
The Hakkas would dance every summer to celebrate their harvests to show their gratitude. Since then, the celebration has become a custom of the town. During the dragon dance, the dancers only wear a pair of shorts with no shirts. The audience splashes water onto the dragon and the dancers using basins and squirt guns. Water is considered by the Hakkas as a symbol of wealth. They believe that the more they get splashed with water, the more they will gain wealth.
Local Snacks
The Shangxin Bean Jelly is a well-known snack in Luodai Ancient Town. In history, when Hakkas who migrated to Sichuan due to war, used to munch the bean jelly made from traditional techniques; therefore, they would instantly feel homesick and lonely. Because of this, the local snack was named Shangxin Bean Jelly (Shangxin means sad).
Many visitors would also cry upon eating the bean jelly, not because of being homesick, but because the snack is too spicy. To remove the spiciness from your palate, you could also try the Kaixin (happy) Bean Jelly, which has a sweet taste.
Another Chinese food in the Loudai Ancient Town is Swan Eggs. They are flour-made snacks that are shaped like a swan egg. It has a crispy texture with a soft sandwich inside that every tourist enjoys.
Tourist Guide
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| How to get to | |
|---|---|
| By Bus | You can take the bus which directly travels from Xinanmen Bus Station to Luodaihe Guzhen. |
| By Bus | You should take bus 2, 4, 4 Express, 23, 58, 66, 71, 91, 94, 122, 141, 223, 855, 856, 857, and any lines that can help you to reach the Wuguiqiao Bus Stop and move to bus 219. |
| By Metro | If you choose to go by Metro, take Line 4 to Xihe and leave from Exit A. You should then ride Bus 219 to go to Luodai Passenger Transport Center. |
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The local foods in Loudai Ancient Town are usually spicy and crisp; therefore, if you don’t like such foods, you will need to bring enough food with yourself. Finally, if you have any more information to add, feel free to leave your comments and thoughts with us. Besides, if you have any questions about the town, send them to us and our professional guides will reply as soon as possible.
