This living ancient town from the Ming and Qing dynasties near Chengdu is like a time machine!

The rain on the green tiles is like ink that hasn't dried, and the moss-covered archway stretches in the morning mist. When I stepped on the first bluestone slab in Cangshan, it was like I had activated a secret time switch. The aroma of tea and old wood wafted from behind the creaking wooden door, and the wind chimes on the eaves shattered 600 years of time. 🚶♂ The alleys tell stories Hey, look at the cracks in the bricks! Each brick from the Ming and Qing dynasties has the fingerprints of the craftsmen, and the hitching post at the corner still has the bite marks of warhorses. Be sure to touch the "breathing wall" on South Street. The green bricks are mixed with rammed earth, making it warm in winter and cool in summer like a natural air conditioner (even the cats in town love to nap here 🐈). 🛕 Dance on the temple roof The flying eaves of Chaolong Temple are a hidden gem! Climb to the viewing platform on the back mountain to see the "ballet on the roof ridge" - the nine-story Xieshan roof looks like a phoenix spreading its wings, and on sunny days, the reflection of the glazed tiles can turn the whole street golden 🌇. Remember to bring some sunflower seeds and sit on the stone steps of the mountain gate to listen to the old abbot strike the morning bell, which can wake up the wild pigeons three kilometers away 🕊. 🎭 Survival guide for the ancient theater The Sichuan opera that starts on time every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon is not just a performance! The white-bearded troupe leader will randomly pick someone from the audience to go on stage and paint a mask (don't ask me how I know this 😭). The most amazing thing is that they use bamboo baskets as gongs and tiles as clappers, and a performance of "The Legend of the White Snake" can make you laugh until you cry. It's best to get a seat early, as the tobacco smoke from the uncle in the back row can create a three-meter barrier 🌫. 🍜 Spicy food that will make the kids next door cry Look for the third yellow banyan tree on North Street! Under the tree is the unmarked "Wang's Spicy Hot Pot," where three generations have used the same iron pot to make the broth. Be sure to try the hidden menu item - "Ghost Food" (actually just pig brain and fish mint), which is so spicy that you'll be jumping up and down but can't stop eating 🥢. By the way, if you buy a bowl of ice jelly and sit on the stone pier at the door, the passing auntie will give you some homemade dried sweet potatoes 🍠. 🛏 Sleep in the folds of history Highly recommend the East Wing Room on the second floor of "Qingyun Inn"! The carved canopy bed comes with its own BGM - the night wind hums "Jasmine Flower" as it passes through the window lattice, and when you open the wooden window, you can see the entire Milky Way falling into the courtyard 🪔. If you think the old house is too noisy, go to the "Time Capsule" B&B on New Street, where the smart toilet is paired with Sichuan embroidery bed curtains. This magical mix is something only Sichuanese people could come up with 🤣. While other ancient towns are busy replacing their lanterns with electronic ones, the people of Cangshan are still using tung oil to maintain their wooden doors and well water to chill their watermelons. Time here is not a specimen, but a still-beating ancient heart - if you don't believe me, go sit in the tea shop at the South Gate, where the boiling water in the copper pot is clearly the sound of rain from the Zhengde period of the Ming dynasty.