The Town Where Time Stood Still

As most larger Chinese cities continue accelerating their paces of modernization， some small and medium towns have preserved their traditional side – whether intentionally or not. Perhaps they cannot rival Beijing， Xian， and Hangzhou in terms of historical significance， but they have endured the test of time with persistent internal vitality and remain more placid and amiable due to poetic simplicity. The city of Quzhou in eastern Chinas Zhejiang Province is one such place.

Confucian Nostalgia

Of all Confucian temples in China， only two were built by Confucius descendants. One can be found in Qufu， the other in Quzhou. Confucian culture has long prospered along with the ancestral sanctuaries of Confucius.

During the late Northern Song Dynasty（960-1127）， nomadic troops invaded Confucius homeland from the north. Kong Rui- you， a 48th-generation descendant of Confucius， fled south with his clan along with a wooden statue and several portraits of the sage. They ended up settling in Quzhou， where they constructed an ancestral temple modeled after the one left in Qufu.

Presently， Quzhous Confucian temple is managed by Kong Xiangkai， first descendant in the 75th generation of the Confucian family. In 1944， at the age of only six， Kong was nominated by the Kuomintang government to serve as the 75th-generation sacrifice officer of the southern Confucian descendants， the last to serve in such a position. Today， he endeavors to spread Confucian philosophy through activities such as ancestral worship， so he resumed the memorial ceremony for Confucius in Quzhou. However， he refuses to deify Confucius， so he decided against placing a spirit tablet to him in the temple.

An old saying goes： “Qufu has a Confucian temple， but no descendants of Confucius； Taipei has descendants but no temples； only Quzhou has both.” Visitors to the Confucian temple in Quzhou can join a group recital of Confucian classics for an hour every week. Also， everyone is given a free copy of Analects. When recitation of Confucian classics reverberates through the air， it can be difficult to identify the present century.

A Multicultural Town

Of all old towns in Quzhou， Nianbadu is the largest with the greatest number of preserved ancient buildings.

Located on the southernmost tip of Quzhou， the old town borders Fujian Province. Its history can be traced back 900 years to the Northern Song Dynasty. Many traditional shops， eateries， and grocery stalls can still be found on its streets， including vendors of tongluo cake （round pastry made of sticky rice and Chinese mugwort juice）. Because most local youngsters work elsewhere， only a few old regulars can still be found in the shops. Many shopkeepers kill time chatting or playing chess with elderly locals on roadsides.

The most exquisite building in the town is Wenchang Palace， which features complex dougong （traditional Chinese architectural practice employing interlocking structural wooden brackets） and bright-colored murals. Local buildings are particularly impressive for their diverse architectural styles such as Anhui-style gables， Zhejiang-style roofs， Jiangxi-style eaves， Fujian-style earthen walls， and even some European-style structures.

Various styles and building materials from different origins can even be found within a single structure. For instance， one residences top half has Western-style windows， while the gate tower on its first floor is decorated with stone carvings of bats， which symbolize blessings in traditional Chinese culture. Yang Qingshan， 87， is a retired primary school teacher. Since retirement， he has devoted most of his time to researching the towns history and culture. According to him， the original builder of the residence often did business in Ningbo， a coastal city in Zhejiang， and brought the Western architectural style back after witnessing it there.

Along with its plethora of architectural styles， the town also stuns visitors with diversity in family names and dialects. A 2005 survey showed that local residents had 141 surnames and spoke 13 dialects. Its location on the upper reaches of the Qiantang River positioned the ancient town along a heavily-trafficked artery connecting Zhejiang， Fujian， and Jiangxi provinces since the Tang Dynasty （618-907）. To the south of the town is ancient Xianxia Road， one of only three routes leading to Fujian in ancient times. Over the centuries， travelers and settlers injected their own unique cultures， contributing to the towns multicultural atmosphere.