Yes, the streets lined with newly built structures home to dozens of trinket stores and local delicacies were re-built at the same spot as the Qianzhou that started 1000 year ago during the Song and flourished as a military centre during the Ming and Qing dynasties, but my brain could not accept that the barely 10-year old walls, houses and watchtowers had any sort of historical value.
This “ancient” town has no soul. To me, Qianzhou was as fake as NorthFace backpack bought at the Silk Market in Beijing …
Different Views
While heading south of Guangzhou to visit the Kaiping watchtowers (开平碉楼), a Chinese friend worried they had gone through a fanxin-like renovation process. I said that it was not possible because part of them are protected by UNESCO and listed as world cultural heritage. She raised an eye-brow.
