How beautiful can a town be to be named the most beautiful ancient town by 'National Geographic'? Behold the ancient town of Tiantai in Quzhou

Tiantai Town, located within the territory of Jiangshan, Zhejiang, is a historic and cultural town, a creative base for writers in Zhejiang Province, situated at the junction of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi provinces. Historically, it was an important market town in the border area, known as the 'Lock and Key of Fengxi', experts praise it as a 'cultural enclave', and scholars call it 'a dream lost in the mountains.' The ancient town still retains 2 traditional ancient streets, 36 ancient dwellings, 2 Confucian temples, 14 Zeng temples, 10 major landscapes, 4 major families, 13 dialects, and 142 surnames; With its rich and colorful cultural landscape, simple and rich folk customs, and unique and profound cultural heritage, the quaint and elegant Tiantai Town stands out dazzlingly amidst the encirclement of modern civilization. Attractions to check out: Wenchang Pavilion Built in the first year of the Xuantong era of the Qing Dynasty (1909 AD), the building faces south and covers an area of about 1570 square meters. The main building, the central hall, is a three-story building, with a double-eaved roof and flying corners. The wood carving art and rich colored paintings of the entire building are very distinctive. Confucius Temple Built during the Xuantong era, it covers more than 1500 square meters, with the main hall being a two-story building with double eaves and a resting mountain top. The building is surrounded by flying eaves, very tall and majestic. The interior is most characterized by wood carving art and rich colored paintings, with all beams, rafters, ridgepoles, and ceilings painted with landscapes, human stories, and images of dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and birds. The themes are rich and the images are vivid, like a treasure trove of art. Great King Temple The Great King Temple, also known as Dongyue Temple, is dedicated to the Eastern Mountain Great Emperor. The temple is most beautiful at sunset, with its pink walls and black tiles shimmering in the sunlight. Shui'an Bridge The bridge was originally built in 1864 (the third year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty), more than 20 meters long and nearly 6 meters wide. Crossing the Shui'an Bridge, following the ancient path, one can go west to Jiangxi, south to Fujian, known as 'stepping into three provinces with one foot.' Wanshou Palace Crossing the Shui'an Bridge, one is immediately faced with a tall ancestral hall-style mansion, with walls almost twice as high as the typical ancient houses in the south of the Yangtze River. The door lintel bears the three characters 'Wanshou Palace', which was the old Jiangxi Guild Hall, a place for people from Jiangxi to rest and conduct business. Fengxi Old Street The ancient street is lined with neatly arranged shops on both sides, generally three rooms per household, separated by tall horse-head walls. The shop fronts have deep eaves, with beautifully carved wooden braces supporting the beams, and the gable sides are staggered to extend the eaves more than a meter outwards. The eaves of the houses on both sides of the street face each other, leaving a narrow strip of sky above the heads of pedestrians. Fengxi Watching the Moon Fengxi Bridge is a semi-circular single-arch stone bridge, built in 1838 (the 18th year of the Daoguang era). The small bridge, like a rainbow arching over the stream, is covered with green vines, and the sound of water is constant underneath. Standing on the nearby water dock, the semi-circular arch of the bridge and its reflection in the water form a perfect circle, with ripples on the water, like a round moon. This scene is thus called 'Fengxi Watching the Moon.' A town that steps into three provinces, hidden deep in the Xianxia Mountains of Quzhou Jiangshan, it is hard to imagine such a mysterious, secluded, and primitive ancient town at the junction of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi. What meets the eye are well-preserved buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, with just a few thousand people speaking eight or nine different dialects and having more than 140 surnames. The architectural styles are even more diverse, with four or five different schools. It seems this is the martial arts square where characters from all walks of life in Mr. Jin Yong's novels exchange and spar. Tiantai is not large, and wandering around at will is the best route. With 2 Confucian temples and 36 ancient dwellings, one should appreciate the beauty of the architecture and breathe the fresh air. In the evening, join the hustle and bustle of the main thoroughfare's trade market, or climb up to 'Success Pavilion' early in the morning to overlook the entire panorama of the ancient town.