Mianhu Town is a town under the jurisdiction of Jiexi County, Jieyang City, Guangdong Province. It is also one of the rare Millennium ancient towns in Chaoshan area. It was built as early as the Northern Song Dynasty in 977 AD. But in addition to being famous in Chaoshan area, foreign tourists know little about it. Even the Meizhou people next door said they had never heard of it. On the whole, Mianhu is the "most primitive" and "least known" ancient town in Guangdong.
In Guangdong, Hakkas usually live in mountainous areas. The area near the river slope in Jiexi County is their main residential area, and Chaoshan people mostly live in plain and hilly areas. Mianhu Town is the central town in this area, with good basic industries and trade. Many people in nearby towns want to work here to make a living.
Miangu Town used to be called Daojiang Town, with a cloud lake in the center. In the past, kapok trees formed on the shore. In late spring, flowers bloom and fall, and the scenery is beautiful. Daojiang Town was renamed as "Mianhu Town".
The cloud lake in the past was turned into a park many years ago. Today, it is still the landmark building of Mianhu Town. It is a place for local people to walk and entertain. Unless there are special circumstances, people play chess, exercise or sing in the park every day.
Huyun Park is a typical tidal classical garden. There is a tourist plank road in the park with classical guardrails on both sides. This plank road is a bit like a zigzag bridge, winding to the middle of the lake and ending in a pavilion. This pavilion is the viewing pavilion of Huyun Park and a part of the landscape itself. In the summer evening, there are always local tourists going to the pavilion to see the scenery.
Huyun Park has a strong subtropical atmosphere, but the palm trees planted on the lakeside islands are like tropical oil paintings.
In the eyes of local people, Huyun Park is a regional symbol and the place with the most sense of hometown, but it has no special feeling for the scenery. If you come to play on a sunny day, the harvest is still relatively large.
The lake covers an area of 80 mu, and the sky and clouds are reflected on the lake, which looks particularly atmospheric. If you take pictures in the soft dusk, it is easy to get a dreamy feeling.
Speaking of Mianhu, we have to talk about Guo Mansion. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Mianhu became a prosperous commercial port, and its commercial status was not lost to Hongyang, the old county town of Puning next door.
In the middle of Qing Dynasty, Guo Lai was a leader in the commercial field of Mianhu Town. He made his fortune in the sugar industry and was known as the "King of Sugar Industry". Guo Lai has built a big house near Huyun Lake for more than 200 years. Outsiders think it is a miracle, but there are actually many articles.
When the building was first built, the construction workers deliberately mixed brown sugar into the concrete, which has the advantage of enhancing the adhesion of wall materials and making the wall stronger over time.
This move sounds simple, but it is full of wisdom, which may be the experience accumulated by Guo who has been engaged in sugar trade for many years.
Guo's architecture is not as accurate and comprehensive as the maintenance of famous monuments, and then it is circled to sell tickets. Instead, it retains the original historical appearance and is open to all tourists free of charge.
The biggest feature of this building is the exquisite craftsmanship of painting, wood carving and porcelain inlay. The unique quadrangle pattern is also called "Chaoshan Folk Palace".
How long does it take to visit Mianhu Ancient Town? Basically half a day is enough. First visit the park, then Guo Building, and then visit the nearby Sing Tao Academy. If you still have time, you can visit the old local church. The food in Mianhu Lake is very distinctive. Rice wine and French fries are worth a try.
Travel:
If you don't drive by car, there are shuttle buses to Mianhu in many big towns in the Pearl River Delta, Shantou, Jieyang City and Jieyang Chaoshan Airport, and there are also shuttle buses outside Puning high-speed railway station.