This is Langzhong, China. In part 1 of this two part series, we show you more street food, plus we show you the this ancient city’s rich history, as it’s been around for 2,300 years.
The city is one of China’s four greatest ancient cities. It’s famous for it’s ancient architecture and great street food, and a trip there shows you how China’s 5,000 year history still mixes with modern life. If you’d like to go there, check out this review on tripadvisor.
This city, which was around a few hundred years before Christ, is famous for a number of things. First, it was once guarded by the great general Zhang Fei, who is known as one of the greatest generals of ancient China. He guarded over this city for seven years, during China’s Three Kingdoms period.
Second, it produced some of the Chinese Emperor’s top officials, during the Qing dynasty, and is the site of one of ancient China’s examination halls. Passing tough exams were how people in ancient China came into the emperor’s service, and become officials and adsivors to the emperor.
The city stood during many periods of ancient history. The city was once the capital of the ancient Ba kingdom, at a time when the country was constantly in a state of war with itself.
If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of China’s (and Asia’s) “tiger moms,” you might argue that the concept started with the imperial exams. In the ancient world, being successful in an exam was seen as a ticket to a better life for you and your family, at a time when common people had a very short life span and lived in poverty (pretty much like all other common people in the ancient world).
This emphasis on education is still strong today in China and Asia. That’s why in places like Korea, China and in Chinese communities in the West, iron-fisted mothers crack down on their kids and force them to study hard.
Aside from history, the city lights up at night (see video above) and visitors can see red lanterns and a host of other lights that make the city seem majestic.
We further sampled the city’s great street food at a well-known noodle chain that’s been featured on Chinese TV for its home-style noodles that taste like grandma’s.
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