Xituo Old Town

Xituo is the old river town on the south bank of the Yangtze in Shizhu, the county's only Yangtze port, facing Shibao Zhai across the water. It was called Xijietuo, covers 66 square kilometres, and was named a Chinese historic and cultural town in 2003. Its street is the point: the Cloud Ladder, built with the slope, climbing from the water in steps between Ming and Qing stilt houses, with the Ziyun, Yuwang, Wantian and Ersheng halls and the Guihua garden along it. Trade here was already busy in the Qianlong reign, when the stair was how the hills' goods reached the river.