Huili Ancient Town: Key to Sichuan and Yunnan
24 Apr 2026, 06:41 GMT
Source URL: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-04-24/Huili-Ancient-Town-Key-to-Sichuan-and-Yunnan-1MBgN8HTZbG/p.html?UTM_Source=cgtn&UTM_Medium=rss&UTM_Campaign=Documentary
Huili Ancient Town, at the southern tip of Sichuan Province, was established in the Western Han Dynasty (111 BCE). It was a key stop on the Southern Silk Road, an ancient trade route to Southeast Asia. Huili is the only well-preserved Ming Dynasty military guard town. The town is laid out around a Bell and Drum Tower (built 1723–1735), with streets leading to four gates. The northern gate tower, Gongji Tower (first built in 1398), has a rare structure: Yuan Dynasty foundations and Ming upper parts—known as "Yuan foundation with Ming superstructure."