Jinjiang River Scenic Area

The Jinjiang River runs through the centre of Tongren, and the riverside walkway gives the most direct access to the older sections of the city — stone-paved lanes, wooden buildings with carved facades, and the remnants of the river trading economy that once defined this corner of the province. The Jinjiang feeds the Wujiang River system and drains a large catchment of the Wuling mountains; in summer flood season, the water level can rise dramatically and the banks are worth keeping an eye on.

The old town quarter along the west bank, between the main bridge and the smaller pedestrian bridge downstream, has the highest concentration of pre-modern architecture in the city — a few hundred metres of lanes worth exploring on foot. Most of the buildings are now occupied as ordinary residences and small businesses, which is a more convincing version of a historic district than the fully commercialised alternative.

things to do sight
A story
The Jinjiang River passes through Tongren city between banks lined with old trading houses and warehouses — the remains of the river commerce that made Tongren the commercial gateway to northeastern Guizhou before the railways arrived. The river walk along the eastern bank passes several of the surviving merchant buildings, their stone foundations still solid, their upper floors in varying states of repair. The view from the old bridge at dusk, when the river reflects the lights of the city below the karst ridgeline to the north, is the image most residents would show you if you asked them what their city looks like.