Lóngtán gǔzhèn yī kǒu jǐng, Zhào Shìyán gùjū yī dòng; Wànshòu Gōng qián, lìshǐ wénhuà míngzhèn yī pái. — One dragon-pool well in the old town, one house of Zhao Shiyan; before the Longevity Palace, one plaque of a famous historical town.
Longtan Ancient Town (龙潭古镇, Lóngtán Gǔzhèn) is a 4A-rated (graded November 2012), free-access town at No. 27 Longquan Street, Longtan Town — a nationally listed famous historical and cultural town (历史文化名镇) whose address is two-sided: the Zhao Shiyan former residence (赵世炎故居), the house where the early revolutionary martyr was born, and the Longevity Palace (万寿宫), the guild-hall building that marks the town’s commercial past. The old town’s own furniture — the dragon-pool well, the street’s old house line — fills out the walk between them.
The county’s modern history starts in this house: Zhao Shiyan, born in Longtan in the town’s old streets, went on to become one of the early organisers of the Chinese labour movement and died a martyr in his twenties — the town’s domestic architecture and the country’s political history share an address here. The residence is kept as the visit’s anchor, and the town’s heritage listing exists partly to keep the street the house stands on.
The residence is the visit — the rest of the town reads as its setting. The Longevity Palace is the second stop and the old house line is the third; the whole walk is a morning. The town is free, so it lives as a town, and its mornings are the residents'.
flowcloud would say that the town’s heritage plaque and the martyr’s house share one address — and that the street exists partly to keep the house company.
Practicalities
- Rating: 4A (graded November 2012)
- Tickets: free
- Address: No. 27 Longquan Street, Longtan Town
- Getting there: the county-seat road south to Longtan Town ⚠️ (checked October 2026, subject to change)
- Time needed: 2–3 hours
Words and Names
龙潭古镇 Lóngtán Gǔzhèn — Longtan Ancient Town · 赵世炎 Zhào Shìyán — Zhao Shiyan, the early revolutionary martyr born here · 赵世炎故居 Zhào Shìyán Gùjū — the Zhao Shiyan former residence · 万寿宫 Wànshòu Gōng — the Longevity Palace guild hall · 龙泉街 Lóngquán Jiē — Dragon-Spring Street · 历史文化名镇 lìshǐ wénhuà míngzhèn — famous historical and cultural town