We were returning to Guiyang city after a 7-day tour of China's beautiful Guizhou province. Before arriving at Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou, we called at Qingyan Ancient Town at the southern edge of the city.
The 600 year old town is worth visiting for its history, panoramic vistas, grand walls, stories, shopping and delicious food.
Truth be told, I wasn't really looking forward to yet another repurposed "ancient town" with cookie cutter kitschy trinket and generic food / snack stalls. These were there inevitably, but Qingyan Ancient Town still has its own unique personality which I appreciate.
Qingyan was an important mountain top garrison town during the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644) which had some 300,000 troops controlling Guizhou province.
Qingyan remained a key military outpost during the Qing dynasty (1644 to 1912). Its walls reminiscent of the Great Wall of China, though obviously of much smaller scale.
The Dingguang Gate 定广门 (south gate) built in 1660. Qingyan was known as Town of Stones because stones harvested from the surrounding mountains were used to build the walls, roads, gates, homes, shops, and even make household implements like mortar and pestle. The stones were held together with powdered limestone, glutinous rice and oil extracted from tung tree nuts.
With high walls and thick gates, Qingyan town weathered many battles including successfully repelling a six month long siege by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom rebel army in 1855 (the rebels later captured Nanjing in 1864).
The secret of Qingyan's triumph over the Taiping rebels was preserved provisions such as fermented vegetables and air dried pork which are still sold in the shops here.
The air dried pork don't look appetising but inside, it is beautifully mouth watering alluring 🤤 These air dried pork belly retail at around RMB40 per kati (500 grams).
Besides being a garrison town, Qingyan was also a trading post especially of salt, rice and grains since the Ming dynasty. Qingyan is the southern gateway to Guiyang - goods and produce were brought here to be traded (even to this day).
In Medieval China, salt was tightly controlled and rationed by the state / palace. Guizhou province which was at the periphery of the empire and rather restive, the palace kept the population under control by limiting their salt rations.
That's why you will find that food in Guizhou is generally light handed on salt (which I appreciate as it allows me to taste the natural flavours of the ingredients more). Light handedness pervades Guizhou cuisine in general. For example, despite their affinity for chili pepper, Guizhou people palate is relatively mild and flavour intensity is moderate. Not too hot. Nice!
When you comb the centuries old stone cobbled streets of Qingyan, you will see many stalls selling stewed pork trotter, known here as 状元蹄 Scholar's Trotter.
Scholar's trotter is made by stewing pork front feet in a concoction of soy sauce and more than 20 spices and herbs. The resulting stewed trotter is lusciously soft tender juicy and rich with savoury soy and spice flavours. The skin is relatively tender chewy providing texture nuances with the soft tender meat and melt-in-the-mouth fat.
Why Scholar's Trotter?
According to legend, during the Qing dynasty the top scholar was from Qingyan town. Zhao Yijiong was hungry while studying, preparing for the Imperial Exam late into the night. So, he went out to town for supper and ate several stewed pork trotters. The trotter seller wished the aspiring scholar success and named the dish Scholar's Trotter. As it turned out, the young man scored the highest in the country and the name Scholar's Trotter remained to this day.
Today, people eat Scholar's Trotter in Qingyan because it is delicious, an icon of the ancient city, and for good luck in exams. Success in exams still open doors to opportunities in China today.
Zhao Li Lun archway commissioned by the emperor to celebrate Qingyan's top businessman and Imperial scholar Zhao Li Lun's 100th birthday.
Do drop by Qingyan when you are in Guiyang. You will have a lot of fun. Just needs around 3 hours to cover the little town with a lunch or dinner included.
Qingyan Ancient Town 青岩古镇
Address: China, Guizhou, Guiyang, Huaxi District, 114县道 邮政编码: 550601 (30km south of downtown Guiyang)
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Written by Tony Boey on 3 Dec 2024
References
Why is it called Scholar’s Trotter?
ReplyDeleteBecause back in the day, aspiring scholars needed a leg up—literally and figuratively! A hearty pork trotter was the secret to success: brain food for exams, plus a reminder that even the brightest minds sometimes need a little pig-headed determination!😆