Mid-Autumn Approaching: Huili Ancient Town, Gateway Between Sichuan and Yunnan

Huili is an ancient town lying in the far south of Sichuan Province. Founded in 111 BC, its name conveys the meaning "rivers and plains converging". As a key stop on the Southern Silk Road, it earned the title "Gateway Between Sichuan and Yunnan". Huili features a well-preserved Ming Dynasty military guard post, with streets radiating from the Bell and Drum Tower to four gates, part of a checkerboard layout that also comprises 23 lanes. Gongji Tower, with its earthen walls faced with stone, is a rare "Yuan foundation, Ming facade" structure. The 156-meter long Kejia Lane is famous for having been home to more than 390 high-level scholars in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Across Huili, its Ming and Qing residences, guild halls and ancestral temples, as well as its stone-paved streets, retain a powerful sense of past glory.