Qiandeng Ancient Town

Qiandeng Ancient Town is located in the Yangtze River Delta, in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. The town covers an area of 84 square kilometers, and is bordered by Qingpu District in Shanghai to the east and Suzhou to the west. It is 35 kilometers from downtown Suzhou. Qiandeng Ancient Town has a history of over 2,500 years, and is the hometown of Gu Yanwu, a patriotic thinker from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It is also the birthplace of Kunqu Opera. Qiandeng was formerly known as Qiandun, and there are two theories about its origin. One theory is that the Wusong River flows from Wumen to this place, and there are piers and thousands of piers on the north and south sides of the river, hence the name "Qiandun." Another theory is that 30 miles northeast of the county, there is a place called "Papaya," which has 999 piers, and together with Shaoqing Mountain, they form a thousand piers, hence the name. Qiandeng Ancient Town is home to the Yu Pawnshop, known as the "No. 1 Pawnshop in China." The Ming and Qing stone streets in the ancient town are known as the "No. 1 Wonder in Jiangnan," and are the longest and most complete stone streets in Jiangsu Province, stretching for 2 kilometers. There are also seven arched Huanlong stone bridges built during the Ming and Qing dynasties in the town. Important attractions in Qiandeng Ancient Town include the Former Residence of Gu Yanwu, Gu Yanwu's Tomb, Qin Feng Pagoda, and the Gu Jian Memorial Hall. In 2008, Qiandeng Ancient Town was rated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction.