Potan Ancient Town, about 25 km to the west of Xianju County, is a provincial cultural relic. The town sprung up along Yong’an Brook as early as 998 and is thus blessed with convenient water transportation. A 1.5-km-long cobblestone street has weathered thousands of years of tumultuous history and is lined with beautiful residences which were built in the Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties as well as the years leading up to1949. 

Potan Ancient Town [Photo/en.zjtz.gov.cn]

In addition to the residences of famous scholars, there are also over 260 stores preserved along the once bustling street, including barbershops, clothes shops, grocery stores, ceramic shops, pharmacies, dye houses and even brothels. The town is home to a unique lantern-making technique which received the gold award at the China Arts Exhibition and the Fourth International Expo. Lanterns from Potan are considered among the best in China.

The town is only one kilometer away from Tongjiang Academy, where Zhuxi, a great scholar during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), sent his sons to school. Two kilometers away from Santoujiu Residence stands a typical residence of ancient wealthy families near the south Yangtze River. Life in this town continues today much as it did in ancient times.

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