General situation of Huili

  Thousand years old city, happiness Huili. Huili ancient city is a national famous historical and cultural city, and also one of the most intact ancient cities on the Southern Silk Road.
  With the bell and Drum Tower as the center, it extends out four main streets in the East, South, West and North. South and North streets mainly focus on commerce, East and west streets mainly focus on catering, and the three streets of Dongguan, Xiguan and Beiguan with the north gate as the center are the seven main streets in the ancient city. South Street to Beiguan is three li three in length and seven meters in width. The whole ancient city forms a chessboard pattern of "Three Li and three li through the city, nine Li and nine Li around the city" and "four streets, three passes and twenty-three lanes" centered on the North-South central axis.
  With a little attention, you will find that the space of the whole ancient city is orderly, with clear primary and secondary functions. In the west of the city, there are cultural buildings such as academic department, Confucian temple and park; In the north of the city, the alleys where craftsmen gather are the center, and most of them are inns, handicraft workshops, horse shops and so on; There is a money making Bureau in the south of the city, where most bank operators live. There are seven streets in the city, along which are shops; In the alleys of the city, there are squire houses and courtyards; In the northwest region, there are many large buildings, such as government offices, Taoist temples, theatres and squares.
  There are more than 20 well preserved alleys in the ancient city, paved with stone slabs and winding paths. On both sides of the lane, most of them are residential courtyards built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. They open a small door at will, passing through hundreds of years in an instant, with a unique artistic conception. The architectural style is a mixture of North and south, and every family is full of flowers and leaves. Enjoy it slowly and savor it carefully. Just think it's the Qing Dynasty Folk House Museum in China. It's free to visit.
  When you come to Huili, you don't have to rush to see the ancient buildings. First, you have to deal with the Huili people. Their ancient sense of dealing with people and things is the living soul of this ancient city. To be able to manage people's life, up to now, they have not been disturbed by the outside world too much. They live a comfortable and leisurely life. People who come to travel may as well relax their heart slowly first, so as to sink into the unique atmosphere and breath of Huili and experience her beauty with heart. Maybe, in this small town, you will find your hometown which has been lost for a long time. Since the Yuan Dynasty, Huili built a city with loess, and the site is the "outer city" of Huili today. In 1398, the inner city was built with bricks and stones, and a drum tower was built on the north gate. In 1632, three towers were built in the East, the South and the west to build a complete defense system. In 1756, the bell and Drum Tower, the landmark building of Huili ancient city, was completed. In the fifth year of tongzhi (1866) of the Qing Dynasty, the outer city and the three passes of East, West and North were built, which laid the foundation for today's Huili ancient city.