Zhangqiu Ancient Town

The Great Xuan Dynasty had a saying: "Suzhou and Hangzhou in the south, Linqing and Zhangqiu in the north."

"Linzhang" referred to Linqing in Liaocheng and Zhangqiu in Yanggu.

During the Da Xing era, once the Huitong River section in Luzhou was opened, the Grand Canal began flowing through the three towns of Zhangqiu, Acheng, and Qiji in the eastern part of Yanggu County. They quickly flourished, becoming three famous towns along the canal.

Zhangqiu Town in particular.

It stood on the North Bank of the Yellow River and served as a wharf entering the Huitong River section of the Grand Canal, as well as an important distribution center for goods.

Bamboo, timber, citrus, rice, tung oil, silk, tea, and other products from Jiangnan were mostly unloaded here before being transported by land to Jinzhou, Shanzhou, Yuzhou, Luzhou, and other places.

Inland goods, including locally produced black dates, donkey-hide gelatin, and Jiaozhou sea salt, were also loaded onto ships here and sent south. It was therefore the most prosperous of the three towns. This little town had nine gates and nine outer wards, seventy-two streets, and eighty-two alleys.

Since ancient times, wharves had been gathering places for the Three Religions and Nine Schools.

Zhangqiu Town was naturally no exception.

It was especially so because this place was located in Yanggu County.

The fame of Jingyang Gang had spread far and wide with the Water Margin.

Since the Song Dynasty, the spirit of Liangshan's martial world had never faded.

At that moment, the wharf was a forest of cloud-white sails and masts.

Porters sweating like rain, livestock whose neighing rose one after another, merchants speaking in accents from north and south... The entire wharf resounded with ceaseless clamor, presenting a scene of prosperity in a golden age.

And this was only