It's another niche but worthwhile place to visit~
It's another niche but worthwhile place to visit~
To get to Shangbao Village from Suining County, you need to take a bus. After arriving at the village town, there is actually almost an hour of mountain road ahead, with attractions such as waterfalls along the way. We had a clear goal and headed straight for the ancient Shangbao Kingdom.
The ancient Shangbao Kingdom is said to have been established by the Miao chieftain as a 'kingdom within a kingdom'.
According to records, during the Tian Shun era of the Ming Dynasty, Li Tianbao from Macheng County in Hubei claimed to be a descendant of Emperor Taizong of Tang. He gathered tens of thousands of Dong and Miao residents in Suining County to rise up, using places like Shangbao as their base. They proclaimed themselves kings, changed the era name to Wulie, and attacked cities and territories, causing tremors near and far.
After the uprising was suppressed by the Ming army, Shangbao Village was burned down, and the once prosperous settlement became ruins. Later, Dong, Miao, and other ethnic groups gradually moved here, forming a new settlement.
It is hard to imagine today that in ancient times, when transportation was not developed at all, in the mountains surrounded by mountains, and even now it takes an hour to drive in the mountainous hinterland, there was once an independent regime.
The existing 'Dismounting Stone' is still there, but the Jinluan Hall has been completely destroyed, leaving only the stone wall in front of the Jinluan Hall's gate. The bell tower seems to have been repaired later, majestic and spectacular.
The is very famous locally, which is actually not tea leaves, but the leaves of the Qingqianliu tree. After being dried in the sun and soaked in boiling water, it tastes a bit sweet.
It's quite niche, so there are fewer tourists, the climate is pleasant, the air is fresh, and it's a nice choice to spend a day visiting. If you happen to be there on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, it's the very grand , where you can experience many folk cultures.