Today, five streets and 72 lanes can still be found in the ancient city, each lined with many shops. Courtyard houses of the Ming and Qing dynasties are scattered all over the place, while the ancient architectural clusters of the two dynasties, such as the Temple of the City Gods, and the Jiulang, Dongying, and Beiying temples, make the city even more splendid.

The steps of the park lead right to the north-south-going Jincheng Street, by the sides of which were lined two-storey brick or wooden buildings. The first floors of most buildings are in fact shops, providing various daily necessities for the local residents. Walking on the street, one can easily hit upon surprises, such as a large courtyard with a gateway that reads: "Li Zicheng's Imperial Palace (Li Zicheng led a peasant revolt that eventually caused the downfall of the Ming Dynasty)."

It is really a luxury for people to live quietly in the ancient Hancheng city, as almost every brick of the local buildings has a story behind. From the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Hancheng had 115 jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination, also known as palace graduate), and 544 juren (successful candidate in the imperial examination at the provincial level during the Ming and Qing dynasties).

Hancheng Museum represents the most completely preserved Ming and Qing architectural complex, with a collection of over 5,000 pieces of relics and more than 30,000 ancient coins.

The large-scaled Temple of City Gods is situated in the north of the city. The temple has four rows of courtyards along the middle axis, with Taoist Temples on both sides. These are also ancient architectures of the Ming and Qing styles.

Author: Jessie

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