There is an alley, no wider than "six feet," yet known as the "widest" alley. There is a small hill, not listed among the Five Great Mountains, yet it captivates countless literati. There is a small city, not adhering to the conventional square and rectangular forms, yet it holds the prestigious title of "China's Literary Capital." This is Tongcheng. From history to the future, its cultural heritage is long-lasting and ever-flourishing.

The Panoramic View of Tongcheng City.

Tongcheng is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Anqing City, Anhui Province. It was formerly known as Tongguo and was once called Tong'an. It got its name from the suitability of growing tung oil trees and has a history of over a thousand years. From a bird's-eye view, Longmian Mountain is visible. Located at the eastern foot of the Dabie Mountains and north of the Yangtze River, it is said to "reach Tianzhu and rest against Longmian, pull the Yangtze River and lead Zongchuan." As a remnant of the Dabie Mountains, Longmian Mountain winds gracefully past the city, earning its name from its resemblance to a slumbering dragon. The Song Dynasty painter Li Gonglin retired here and his painting "Longmian Mountain Villa" depicts the scenery of this mountain.

Tourists walk along the old street of Kongcheng in Tongcheng City.

Crossing the mountains, entering the city. The old city is filled with numerous streets and alleys, where buildings dating back to the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties are visible everywhere. Zilai Bridge, Confucian Temple, Banshan Pavilion, Gaochun and Xuan, Jiangxue Garden, Zuo Guangdou's former residence, Fang Yizhi's former residence, Yao Yuanzhi's old residence, Liu Chi Lane... ancient streets and alleys are filled with stories.

Exterior view of the Confucian Temple located in the city center of Tongcheng.

"Wenli Wenqi" is the unique temperament of Tongcheng, which can be seen from the layout of the ancient city. The Confucian Temple is located in the city center, and to the south of the city lies the water celery field, which echoes "Qinzao" in the Book of Songs, metaphorizing scholars of talent, thus praying for the prosperity of literary fortune. During your student days, you might have memorized "Climbing Mount Tai" in its entirety; its author, Yao Nai, was a native of Tongcheng. The "Tongcheng School" he represented was the largest prose school in the literary world of the Qing Dynasty, renowned both domestically and internationally with the reputation of "articles reigning supreme across the land, and scholars adorning the capital."

Fang Yizhi's Former Residence.

"Three scholars in five miles, two champions across the river." From ancient times to the present, Tongcheng has produced many prominent figures, from the encyclopedic scholar Fang Yizhi to the master of aesthetics Zhu Guangqian, and the computer scientist Ci Yungui... The folk saying "Never abandon books in poverty, never abandon pigs in wealth" has been passed down in Tongcheng for a long time and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. If you visit Tongcheng, you must take a walk through Liu Chi Lane, a narrow alley no more than two meters wide and a hundred meters long, which witnessed a story about courtesy and yielding.

The Six-Foot Lane in Tongcheng City.

Historical records state that during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Ying, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhuadian Hall and Minister of Rites, faced a dispute between his family in Tongcheng and their neighbor, the Wu family, over property boundaries. Zhang's family wrote to him for help, and upon receiving the letter, Zhang Ying responded with a poem: "A single letter came only for a wall, letting him have three feet, what harm would it do? The Great Wall, thousands of miles long, still stands today, but the First Emperor of Qin is no more." After receiving the letter, Zhang's family understood and voluntarily gave up three feet, which deeply moved the Wu family, who also gave up three feet. The six-foot narrow lane was filled with the spirit of "harmony," becoming the broadest alley in the heart. The philosophical ideas of courtesy, harmony, kindness, and good neighborliness, as well as the pursuit of peace, harmony, and unity in Chinese civilization, have been passed down for thousands of years.

Tongcheng Cuisine - Daguang Water Bowl.

Tongcheng has "literary spirit," "harmonious atmosphere," and "liveliness." Tongcheng water celery, Tongcheng fenggao (a type of steamed cake), Kongcheng rice dumplings, and Daguang water bowls are famous delicacies far and wide. Tongcheng zinc rice, Tongcheng Xiaohua tea, Tongcheng autumn stone, Tongcheng old wine, and down quilts are renowned specialty products. Tongcheng jade carving, paper cutting, egg carving, and cloisonné enamel are unique craft artworks.

Tongcheng Special Handicrafts - Cloisonné Enamel.

Since the reform and opening up, the people of Tongcheng have dared to be pioneers and continuously strived, starting from "small bags, small lids, small brushes, and small accessories," and have propped up a sky for the private economy. In recent years, Tongcheng has moved towards "green" development, creating a model for small and medium-sized enterprises in the green packaging industry cluster, while continuously increasing the "new content" of the industry, developing the three leading industries of "two new and one medical," namely new energy vehicle components, photovoltaic new materials, and medical and pharmaceutical health industries. Annually, the city has achieved revenues of over 10 billion yuan and applied for nearly a hundred valid invention patents.

Production Workshop of Zhonghuan (Tongcheng) New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.

Cultural cities are moving towards the "new," while millennia-old cultural capitals are advancing towards the "high."