It might not be top of the must-visit list for many tourists, but Lvxiang Town is certainly worth a look. Tan Weiyun discovers some fascinating facts behind this often-overlooked area of Jinshan District.

     Hidden in the mid-west of Jinshan District, Lvxiang Town can be easily neglected. It might not be as famous as the nearby Fengjing ancient town that boasts elegant waterway views or Langxia Town featuring well-preserved ancient residential houses, but the small and low-key Lvxiang is still rich with a profound cultural background.

    Lvxiang took shape during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), developing along the Gan Canal that traverses the town. The river got its name from the noted sword maker Gan Jiang in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

    The oldest "living" resident of the town could be the 600-year-old ginkgo tree that stands by the Lugang River running from east to west.

    The tree is more than 20 meters tall, covered with a green lush crown. Its thick trunk, more than 1 meter in diameter, requires three people to wrap their arms around it.

     "When I was little, we played under the tree after school. Sometimes we climbed the tree when playing hide-and-seek," recalls Lvxiang native Xu Jinghong, who moved to Shanyang Town several years ago but often returns to visit her hometown.

     Today, people are forbidden from climbing the tree and the local government erected an iron fence around it several years ago to ensure its preservation.

    At weekends, however, candles and joss sticks are neatly aligned on the stone-paved ground around the tree. Local residents burn the incenses and pray for health and peace because they believe that the old gingko tree is an incarnation of Buddha, who can bless them and bring them good luck.

    In fact, there was a temple near the tree in olden times, but it was destroyed during the civil wars. It is an unwritten rule in China that a temple is always accompanied by a gingko tree. In Buddhism, gingko is respected as a "sacred tree" and the Buddha niche, an ornament made from gingko wood, is said to dispel evil and welcome gods.

    "Pious Buddhists and locals keep the tradition of worshipping here today," says Ye Jiankang, a researcher of the town's cultural relics.

    In order to let the tree receive enough sunshine, the local government relocated the residents living to the south of the tree, and it also suggested that no buildings be constructed on the southern side. "The real estate developer will lose millions because of this, but it is worth it," the researcher says.

    Gingko trees often grow in pairs, the male tree and the female variety that bears gingko fruits. But strangely, this male tree lives alone. "It's a pity it cannot bear fruits," Ye says.

    Rumor has it that the tree was actually a snake who wanted to be immortal. The Jade Emperor, the supreme ruler in heaven, heard about this and tried to punish it. He directed lightning and thunderbolts at the tree and killed the ambitious snake.

    "If you look close, you might find several scars on the branches, which were made by lightning," the researcher says.

     Only a short distance to the west of the tree, a stone bridge built during the Song Dynasty stretches across the Lugang River. It is almost 23 meters long and 3.2 meters wide with a 7.5-meter span.

     The bridge was originally called Youche (a cart to carry oil) because there was an oil plant nearby in olden times. In 1992, it was renamed Shoudai, which literally translates as "longevity."

     Locals believe that a dragon is crouching in the town. The dragon's head lies in the town's northern Wulong Temple and its tail is situated on the bridge.

     In ancient times, the area was a busy trading center but later went downhill. The story goes that a traveling hobo from Jiangxi Province was fishing from the bridge one day and caught a jade shrimp in the river. He happily ran away with the shrimp, but since that day the place began to fall into decay.

    "People said that the jade shrimp hidden in the river was the blessing of the town. When it was gone, the town's spirit was gone too," Ye says.

     Two giant stone lions guard the bridge at its southern end. On the bridge, ancient craftsmen carved eight small lions on the balustrades. In the center of the bridge deck, a square stone was engraved with clouds shaped to resemble the pattern of ancient ba gua, or the Eight Diagrams from "I Ching" ("The Book of Change"), which was used with eight combinations of three whole or broken lines for divination.

    There is no detailed record of how the bridge was established. "It might have been built by monks," Ye says, pointing to the Namo Amitfabha, or "the most merciful Guanyin Buddha," which is carved on the bridge pier.

     Along the river lies Xinxi Street, a short ancient road flanked by old two-story houses on both sides. The street retains how it looked centuries ago, although the houses appear dilapidated. Locals run grocery stores, noodle bars and repair shops on the first floors, while people reside on the second floors. Life flows slow here.

    The government has no plans to develop the old street. "It still keeps the same old look," Ye says.

    How to get there

    By public transport: Take Metro Line 1 to Lianhua Road Station and then transfer to the Lianzhu (Lianhua Road-Zhujing) Line. After you reach Zhujing Bus Station, take either Zhushi (Shihua-Zhujing) Line or Jinshi (Jinshan Bus Station-Shizi Street) Line. Get off at the Lvxiang stop.

   By driving: Take S4 Expressway and get off at Tingwei Highway, then transfer to Zhulu Highway, which passes Lvxiang.