Our final stop of this two-days Wulong Karst tours was Gongtan Ancient Town (龚滩古镇). It traces its roots back roughly 1,800 years to the Shu Han Dynasty (Three Kingdoms period). Its geography dictated its destiny as it positioned precisely where the Wujiang and Apeng rivers converge, forming a natural gateway between Sichuan, Guizhou, and Hunan provinces.
Towering, sheer green cliffs rose sharply on both sides of the deep river valley, creating a living landscape painting scroll.
Access to wander the ancient town's old stone streets is generally free, but specific historical guild halls or internal courtyard museums may require small individual entry tickets. The town features 3 kilometers of flagstone streets, Ming and Qing dynasty courtyards, and the largest collection of preserved traditional stilted houses.
The Old Street (老街) consists of a winding, cobblestone pathway lined with local eateries.
For centuries, Gongtan remained a hidden regional secret. That changed when Wu Guanzhong (吴冠中), one of the fathers of modern Chinese painting, visited the town. Enchanted by the jagged geometry of the stilted houses balancing over the misty river, he famously captured it in his renowned masterpiece painting, "Old Street". His high praise of the town's architectural essence thrusted Gongtan into the national spotlight, transforming it into a legendary pilgrimage site for Chinese artists, sketchers, and photographers.
The most critical chapter in Gongtan's modern history occurred in 2005. The construction of the Wujiang Peng Hydropower Station (dam) meant that the rising reservoir waters would completely submerge the 1,700-year-old town. Rather than letting the heritage vanish, the Chinese government executed a massive, meticulous engineering feat. Over a three-year period, workers carefully numbered, disassembled, and moved the historic town one kilometer downstream to a higher cliffside area called Xiaoyintan. More than 400 original stilted buildings, Ming-Qing courtyards, and even the thousands of worn, blue flagstones that paved the old streets were completely transported and re-laid.
Unlike many commercialized ancient towns across China that feel like modern theme parks, Gongtan successfully balanced tourism with real heritage. When the town was moved, the indigenous Tujia and Miao residents (土家族和苗族) moved with it.
Gongtan’s journey to becoming a national 4A-level tourist attraction and an officially designated Chinese Historical and Cultural Town relies on the above three major historical turning points.
We spent about 45 minutes in the town before embarking on a long journey back to Jiefangbei in Chongqing city.
