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Discovering charm, character of local villages
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ABOUT an hour’s drive from the city center of Ningbo lies the town of Xikou. Surrounded by the picturesque Tiantai and Siming mountain ranges, this unassuming town, home to just 84,000 people, holds great historical significance.
As a testament to the town’s charms, scholars of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) once complied a list of 10 scenic sites in Xikou that were worth a visit.
Today, the ancient town, which is in the highest rank of the country’s official tourist attraction rating system, is most well-known for being the birthplace of Chiang Kai-shek, the former head of the Kuomintang (KMT).
The buildings of Chiang’s former residence are well preserved and relatively untouched. According to historical accounts, Chairman Mao Zedong specifically instructed his army should not destroy any building symbolically linked to Chiang when they entered Xikou in 1949. Along with intermittent restoration works, entering the sprawling residence feels like a step back into the early 1900s.
The Wuling Gate Tower marks the entrance into the Xikou heritage area. On its left stands the Wenchang Pavilion, constructed at a scenic spot overlooking the Shanxi River.
The two-story pavilion was built during the Qing Dynasty and was once Chiang’s private library and villa. Predominantly constructed with black bricks, it is characterized by typical Qing-style architecture, with overhanging eaves and beams bearing carvings of Chinese symbols and art.
Here, one can have a peek into the private lives of one of China’s most famous couples — Chiang and his wife, Soong Meiling. The second floor of the villa contains an exhibit in the Chiangs’ bedroom.
Situated just adjacent to the pavilion is the two-story Western-style building where Chiang’s son, Chiang Ching-kuo, lived with his family. Informational boards are hung up on the walls explaining the lives and history of the Chiangs.
Walking further down the smooth stone pavement along the riverside, one will be greeted by small shops selling local delights such as seaweed biscuits and taro — the latter being one of the area’s most famous delicacies. Rickshaws are the main mode of transport within the heritage site, with a ride costing about 10 yuan (US$1.50).
Fenggao House, located on the Middle Street, is a five-minute walk from the Wenchang Pavilion. It was here where the Chiang family originally resided. The house is an archetype of early-1900s Chinese design, with its quaint courtyards and various chambers for family members.
The highlight of the Fenggao House is the center chamber, which houses Baoben Hall, the memorial hall of the Chiang family. Memorial tablets of four generations of the family are placed in the hall.
Fenggao House is also where Chiang’s first wife, Mao Fumei, was killed when Japanese planes bombarded Xikou in 1939. A sign marks the very spot where she was killed, just outside the kitchen.
The last stop at Xikou Town is the Yutai Salt Shop, a further five minutes’ walk from the Fenggao House. It was here where Chiang’s father and grandfather, who were salt merchants, ran their business. The shop is also particularly significant as it was where Chiang was born, on the second level in a corner room.
Another village retreat
Xikou is not the only town outside Ningbo that is ideal for a day trip. The old town of Shipu, about a two-hour drive from the city, is also worth a visit.
Founded in 1387, this quiet ancient fishing village, with its winding alleys and narrow pathways, has withstood the test of time. Much of its architecture, like its double iron-wrought gates and walls dating back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), is well preserved.
Much like Xikou, entering Shipu is like a step back in time, with visitors given an insight into how life was like at an ancient fishing village. Local practices dating back hundreds of years are still in place, with fish being dried on racks and flowers still grown in conch shells as makeshift flowerpots.
The local museum at Shipu has an exhibition of the maritime culture in the village, depicting the lives of fishermen during the village’s heyday in ancient times.
Shipu also has a claim to fame with the famous daredevil, Sau Leung “Blacky” Ko, a native of the town. Ko, known as “Asia’s Flying Man,” was most famous for successfully driving a car over the Yellow River in 1997 and for jumping across the Great Wall with a motorcycle. He died in Shanghai in 2003 at the age of 50. There is a museum dedicated to Ko in Shipu, where visitors can view the vehicles he used for those stunts.
Day trips outside Ningbo provide a brief respite from the bustle of the city life, and allow one to soak in the tranquility of these quaint towns that are steeped in a rich diversity of culture and history.
How to get there: It takes about two hours from Shanghai to Ningbo by high-speed train.
To Xikou: Take a bus at the Ningbo South Coach Station near the Ningbo Railway Station. It departs every six minutes (6am-7pm) and takes about half an hour to Xikou.
To Shipu: You can get to Shipu directly by taking the Fishing Village luxury bus at the Ningbo South Coach Station, or take buses No. 1, 2 or 9 from the coach station to Shipu East Bus Station.
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