The town was originally built of stone. Fantastic stone walls still remain, with gates facing north, south, east and west. There were originally eight stone tablets outside the gates and three of these remain today, each with intricate sculptures.
Many other historical relics survive. Among its 37 tourist attractions are 9 temples, 8 shrines, 5 pavilions, 3 caves, 2 ancestral halls, 1 palace and 1 academy. There are also 3 ancient archways. Most of these ancient buildings are exquisitely carved with terrapins, dragons and other traditional Chinese patterns.
Less exquisite but still of interest are the remains of a catholic and a protestant church. The protestant church is still in use.
Qingyan Old Town is 29 kilometers away from the center of Guiyang City and is located within the 1-hour economic circle of Guiyang City. There are many transportation options to choose from, whether driving or taking public transportation.
Together with Zhenyuan, Bing'an and Longli, they are known as the four ancient towns of Guizhou. The historic town was built in the Ming Dynasty. It was once a military fortress. The town has preserved a large number of ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is also the shooting location for the movie "The Missing Gun". You can take a walk on the Qingshiban Road in Qingyan Historic Town, look at the exquisite ancient architecture, and taste snacks such as the braised pork feet during your leisurely holiday.
There are many "scholar pork trotter" stalls serving stewed pork trotters. So-called scholar's pork trotter because during the Qing dynasty, a candidate from Guiyang scored the highest after eating the stewed trotter here. Bring your schooling children here, it will be a nice place for kids to know the local education stories besides the local delicious cuisine.
