Ganzhou: A City That Holds Half of Song Dynasty History

Spring 2025, Qingming Festival holiday. After morning ancestral worship, we set off for Ganzhou, Jiangxi. The journey was about 430 kilometers. The road was smooth until we entered Jiangxi, where there were noticeably more trucks. The most annoying part was trucks overtaking each other, which drastically reduced speed, seriously affected driving safety, and caused traffic congestion. We arrived in Ganzhou at 2 PM and had beef rice noodles and meat pie soup before returning to our accommodation. We booked a suite this time, a three-bedroom apartment that was perfect for our family trip. First, let's have some kung fu tea! After a short rest, we headed to Ganzhou Central Park. The park is quite large with a lake in the center, divided by a bridge. People were relaxing and camping everywhere on the lawn. It was flower season and very pleasant! The Ganzhou Museum is also next to the park. In the evening, we went to Xiao Caishen Restaurant for dinner. It was crowded with decent ambiance, but not highly recommended as the food was average. After dinner, we walked back, passing through Mixc Mall for a brief visit, then returned to our accommodation, ending our first day. The next morning, we had breakfast at Zhou Ji Restaurant. It was very crowded but offered authentic old Ganzhou flavors - highly recommended. After breakfast, we went to Yu Gu Tower, a place rich in cultural and historical heritage. The first thing we saw was the statue of Xin Qiji. Walking up to Yu Gu Tower, we saw the poem "Writing on the Wall of Jiangxi Zaokou" by Xin Qiji, inscribed by Chairman Jiang Zemin: "Below Yu Gu Tower flows the clear river, how many travelers' tears have fallen in between?" The author's concern for the country and people was palpable! After visiting Yu Gu Tower, we walked along the old city wall. Chiang Ching-kuo's former residence is right beside the wall. Walking towards Ba Jing Tower, which is located at the confluence of three rivers. Further along the wall is Yong Jin Gate, though the tower is not open to the public and awaits renovation. Since we had such a big breakfast, we didn't have lunch until 2 PM at a nearby small restaurant, which was quite good! After lunch, we walked along the Gong River to the ancient Song Dynasty floating bridge site, which was made up of hundreds of connected boats. There were fishing boats moored by the bridge selling goods, with dried fish being the most eye-catching, and the bridge was crowded with people. In the evening, we walked to Song Chao Bu Ye Cheng, a commercially developed area full of people taking photos in ancient costumes. We exited through the Military Gate Tower and went for dinner, concluding our second day. On the third day, we had breakfast at A Wu Diao Restaurant, another authentic old Ganzhou establishment. Afterward, we visited Wei Family Mansion, Fushou Gou Museum, and Confucian Temple. The Confucian Temple dates back to the Tang Dynasty, though the current structure was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty - worth a visit. There's a Song Dynasty Ci Yun Temple inside the nearby elementary school, but unfortunately it's not open to the public - what a pity! Then we visited Zao'er Lane and the Standard Clock. After lunch, we went to Jiangnan Song Cake to buy some pastries before heading home, arriving at 9 PM, successfully concluding our Ganzhou trip. This Ganzhou trip was a great experience with reasonable accommodation and food prices! Especially recommended for those who like taking photos in ancient costumes.