Fangliao Old Town Introduction
Fangli was originally the site of the Puyuma people's Fangli community, part of the Dakas tribe. In the third year of the Xianfeng era, residents built a street north of Fangli Village. At its peak, the salt store produced 2,000 sheng (a unit of measurement), and the dyeing industry was also very prosperous. Residents of Fangli found it inconvenient to engage in commercial activities, so the main streets were paved with stone slabs, and houses were built with awnings, creating a lively scene that obscured the sky, bustling with activity. In the fifth year of the Xianfeng era, gentry Chen Zhidong and Cai Xichou led the initiative to raise funds for city construction. The perimeter of Fangli City was approximately three miles, with walls made of earth and stone, featuring four city gates to the east, west, south, and north. Outside the city, thorny bamboos were planted, and beyond that, there was a moat lined with sharp stakes, demonstrating considerable development potential. However, good times were short-lived. In the second year of the Guangxu era, a disaster struck, causing the market to become abandoned. With the establishment of a railway station on Yuanli Street, commercial activities shifted, and Fangli Street gradually declined. Today, the city walls have completely disappeared, leaving only remnants of the large moat in the north, faintly reminding us of the once-thriving Fangli City. Although Fangli City has become a part of history, the village still holds a wealth of historical artifacts, such as Shuntian Temple, the Fangli Stream Memorial Stone, and the Cai Family's ancient house, all of which are well worth exploring in depth for visitors.
