I. Introduction of Cicheng Ancient County Town Cicheng Ancient County Town is the most complete and well-preserved ancient county town in the south of the Yangtze River. Celebrated as “the No. 1 Ancient County Town in South China” and the “Model Ancient County Town in China”, it is a National 4A Tourist Attraction and China's only hometown of the culture of compassion and filial piety. Founded in 473 BC, Cicheng was known as Juzhang in ancient times. It was the earliest ancient capital of the Yue State, and the birthplace of Ningbo city. From the Tang Dynasty up to 1954, it was known as Cixi County Town for more than 1,200 years. When construction of the county town began, it was then given the name Cicheng. Cicheng has been well-endowed throughout its long history. The city's landscapes are in harmony, and its unique layout has been described as “Nine Dragons Playing with Beads, Enclosed by Four Spirits”. The surrounding rivers and lakes create the layout of “Four Waters Returning to Court”. It enjoys a tranquil ecological environment and embodies the ancient residents' pursuit of "harmony between man and nature, a fertile land that produces outstanding talents". With a history that dates back more than 2,500 years, Cicheng boasts of rich historic and cultural resources. Also known as “China’s first city of scholars”, Cicheng had produced 5 top imperial scholars, 1 second-place imperial scholar, 3 third-place scholars and 519 successful candidates. Jokes have been made about the imperial court being full of Cicheng natives. Cicheng’s ability to churn out so many outstanding talents is truly amazing. Famous Cicheng talents include Lin Ding (Prime Minister of Wu-Yue State), Yang Jian (Southern Song philosopher), Le Xianyang (Military Minister of Ming Dynasty and the King of Medicine), Feng Yunhao (an extremely successful business man during the Qing Dynasty), Zhou Xinfang (Beijing opera master), Mei Yinding (calligrapher), He Yujie (educator), Yan Yanhou ("Ningbo Gang" founder), Jin Runqing (financier) and Yin Changqi (industrialist). In addition, accomplished academicians Tan Jiazhen, Zhu Zuxiang, Yu Songlie, Yan Minggao, Tong Zhipeng, Ji Liangnian, and the renowned writer Feng Jicai, were also the pride of the Cicheng people. For thousands of years, Cicheng had produced numerous filial sons (and daughters), earning the county town a folk culture of love and compassion. Several cultural sites have been named with the word “Ci”, such as Ci-jiang (River Ci), Ci-hu (Lake Ci) and Zhangxiaozi (Filial Zhang) Ancestral Hall, Jiexiao (Fidelity and Filial) Temple and Xiaozijin (Filial Well) etc, showing the depth and reach of Cicheng’s "CiXiao” Compassion and Filial Piety Culture". A large number of cultural relics had been carefully preserved, including the county examination shed, residence of the county official, ancestral hall archway and ancient academy etc, forming part of more than 600,000 sqm of ancient architecture. In 2009, Cicheng’s ancient architecture was awarded the "UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation Award." II. Introduction of Cicheng‘s Attractions 1. Confucius Temple Located in the city center, the Confucius Temple was built during the first year of the Northern Song Dynasty. It is the only fully preserved academy in the eastern Zhejiang region, and is an “Important Historical Monument under Special Preservation”. 318 years older than the current Confucius Temple in Beijing, it represents an important part of the Chinese Confucian tradition in Cicheng. The architectural layout, which embodies the Confucian aesthetic standard of “harmony is beauty”, is breathtaking. 2. Ancient County Office According to records from the Qing dynasty, Cicheng County was founded in the 26th year of the Tang Dynasty (AD 738). It was built by the first official of the prefectural government and was initially built on Mount Fubi. Invasion by foreign forces and natural disasters had repeatedly destroyed the building and the existing county office were rebuilt based on the detailed map of Cixi County during the Guangxu period. The county office covers an area of more than 40,000 square meters and provides a precious glimpse into the past for visitors. 3. Examination House Known as the examination shed amongst the common folk, this is the place where the initial stage of the feudal examination system was conducted. During the Qing dynasty (Year 1835), Cixi native Zheng Tingrong and his son made a generous donation of 24,000-liang silver to build a school, but it was later destroyed. The current examination house had been reconstructed according to the detailed map of Cixi County during the Guangxu period. The south-facing complex covers an area of nearly 8,000 square meters, with a Chinese traditional symmetrical axis layout and the use of traditional Ming and Qing architectural styles. 4. Qing Taoist Temple Located to the east of Cicheng atop Tashan hill, the Qing Taoist Temple was built during the Tang Dynasty (AD 749) and is the most prestigious Taoist temple in the whole of Zhejiang province. It had been destroyed and rebuilt after the Yuan Dynasty and was demolished again during the Cultural Revolution. The current Qing Taoist Temple had been reconstructed in 2008 and serves to exhibit the essence of China’s traditional Taoist culture. 5. Lake Ci Lake Ci is a backyard garden that was inspired by the southern landscape academy-style design. Located in the northeastern part of Cicheng, it was formed because of an order from Cixi's first county magistrate to irrigate the farmland. At that time, it covered an area of 150 mu. During the Song dynasty, monks from Puji Temple constructed an embankment in the heart of the lake to connect the lakes. Not only is Lake Ci known for its magnificent scenery, it is also home to several cultural landscapes and beautiful legends which had been handed down from generation to generation, such as Shigu Pavilion (a rhyme written by Mister Lake, Ci Yang Jian) and water cemetery etc. 6. Feng Yu Residence Feng Yu Residence is a representative ancient architecture in Cicheng Ancient County Town. It houses five themed museums, with exhibitions on the most exquisite porcelain exhibition from Jingde Town, clay figurines from Huishan (Wuxi), ceramic pots from Yixing, representative Chinese woodcraft and exceptional Chinese costumes. 7. Feng Yue Painted Gate Located in the historic district of Taihu Road within Cicheng, this was the former residence of Feng Yue, a Minister during the Ming Dynasty. The site is now home to an art gallery with six themed exhibitions - Chen Caoqian’s China Red House, Chen Xiasheng’s Chinese Knots Museum, Nian Bihua’s Chinese Embroidery, Wu Yuanxin’s Blue Printed Fabric and Hansheng’s Paper-cutting. The diverse exhibits encompassed the passion of world-class masters of Chinese art and visitors can learn traditional crafts such as Chinese knots, paper cutting etc. 8. Taihu Road, Taiyangdian Road Historic District The Taihu Road, Taiyangdian Road Historic District is located on the eastern side of Cicheng. This is a quaint area characterized by elegant and tasteful historic houses, ancient streets, official residences and traditional houses. The architecture compliments stories about the lifestyle and traditions of the ancient Cicheng residents, creating a leisurely ambience.