THE SIGN HUNTERS

CHINA: Chongqing’s Porcelain Port: Ciqikou Ancient Town

Written by Laszlo, 5 December 2022

Ciqikou (磁器口) is in Chongqing (重庆市). It is located on the right side of Jialing River (嘉陵江) in Shapingba District (沙坪坝区), about 14 km west of Chongqing's central Yuzhong District (渝中区). It was built on Ma’anshan (马鞍山) and the main streets follow the mountain. It is easily accessible by metro line 1 and several bus lines also go to the area.

With its long history, Ciqikou Ancient Town (磁器口古镇) embodies what Chongqing – not even in the distant past – was like. It was first built during the Xianping (咸平) period (998–1003) by Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty (宋真宗). The earliest name of Ciqikou was Baiyanchang (白岩场) and was named after the Baiyan Temple (白岩寺) here. “Baiyan” means “white rock”, which is due to some of the hill’s white rock exposures.

Legend has it that in the fourth year of the Ming Dynasty (1402), Emperor Jianwen (建文帝), with its personal name Zhu Yunwen (朱允炆), escaped from the palace, he cut his hair and became a monk. In his exile, he hid in Baolun Temple for several years. Whether the story is true or just a folk tale, Baolun Temple was renamed to Longyin Temple, and Baiyanchang (白岩场) was also renamed to Longyin Town (龙隐镇) respectively. (The word “lóng 龙" in Chinese means dragon, and in China, dragon refers to the emperor.)

The town had long been known for its high-quality porcelain manufactories. During its time, the advancement of craftsmanship, the variety of porcelain increased, and its fame also expanded. In Longyin Town, there were more than 70 porcelain industries at its peak. These merchants gradually changed the name of Longyin Town and called it Ciqikou (磁器口, Porcelain Port), because it was more appropriate for trade and fame.

The town currently has 12 streets in total, and most of the architectures on the streets were built in Ming or Qing architectural style. Ciqikou Ancient Town is reputed as “Little Chongqing” and it is a famous tourist attraction and shopping area: specialist delicacy stores, featured snack stores, and old-style teahouses can be seen all over the town.

One of the town’s most famous attraction is, without doubt, Baolun Temple (宝轮寺).

Formerly known as Baiyan Temple (白岩寺), Baolun Temple is one of the most famous Buddhism temples in Chongqing. The temple has a long history, and folklore says that it was built by Wei Chigong (尉迟恭) of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝), and some believe it was built during the Western Wei Dynasty (西魏 535–556 AD). It is officially believed that the temple was founded during the Xianping period (咸平) of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty (998-1003 AD), but in any case, it is at least 1,000 years old.

Due to the legend told above, the temple is also called Dragon Hide Temple. Aside from its long history, Baolun Temple is a marvel of Chinese Architecture, having been built without the use of a single nail. It is a pity though that, similarly to many other temples across China, Baolun Temple had also been the subject to major wars during the past centuries in which most buildings were destroyed. What we see today is mostly reconstructed, but nonetheless, very impressive. Baolunji Temple is divided into Daxiong Treasure Hall (or Main Hall, 大雄宝殿), Chuanzhu Hall (川主殿), Guanyin Pavilion (观音阁), Heavenly King Hall (天王殿), Medicine King Hall (药王殿), Zen Room (禅房) and Tibetan Sutra Building (藏经楼).

Below find a small selection of photos of Ciqikou and its famous Baolun Temple.

Additional information:

• In November 2006, Ciqikou Ancient Town was rated as a national AAAA tourist scenic spot.

• On November 18, 2020, Ciqikou Ancient Town was elected as one of the "Top Ten Cultural Tourism Industry Landmarks in Chengdu and Chongqing".

• On August 23, 2022, the Ciqikou Ancient Town Scenic Area was selected as a typical case of Chongqing Smart Tourism Scenic Spot.

• In September 2022, Ciqikou Ancient Town was selected as a national "Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Scenic Spot".