An ancient ferry with a prehistoric city, Ming temple, dragon boat heritage and living craft on the Chengdu Plain
— Jin means ferry. In AD 216, Li Yan, governor of the Qianwei commandery, cut a pass through Tianshe Mountain and opened a new ferry on the Min River, giving the place its name: Xinjin, literally “the new ferry.” A county was established here in 557, and it was officially reorganized as a district of Chengdu in 2020. Five rivers — Jinma, Yangma, Yangliu, Nan and Xi — converge here, creating a unique waterscape. Built in 141 BC by Governor Wen Weng, the Tongji Weir still irrigates approximately 34,700 hectares of farmland and was listed as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) in 2022.
The river-born ferry also nurtured river-centered folk traditions. The Xinjin Duanwu Dragon Boat Fair, a Sichuan provincial intangible cultural heritage, dates back to the Tang and Song dynasties and has thrived for over a millennium. Held on the wide confluence of the five rivers, the annual dragon boat races are a signature folk event in western Sichuan and a core symbol of Xinjin’s water-town identity.
Water nurtures culture. Across this land, a prehistoric ancient city, Ming Dynasty Buddhist temple and living folk craft weave together a continuous cultural fabric stretching thousands of years.
Baodun: Dawn of Civilization by the Xi River
Five kilometers northwest of the urban center, where the Xi River meets the Tiexi, lies the Baodun Ancient City Site. Dating from 4,500 to 3,700 years ago, it has the best-preserved rammed-earth city walls of any Neolithic site in the upper Yangtze basin. The ancient city has inner and outer enclosures, with the outer enclosure measuring approximately 6.2 kilometers in perimeter. Ditches lie outside the walls, and the site covers approximately 2.76 million square meters. Some experts believe the walls and ditches served both defensive and flood-control purposes. Together they reflect mature rice agriculture and advanced social organization of the time.
Excavations between 2020 and 2021 uncovered rice paddies dating back approximately 4,500 years, the oldest known in the upper Yangtze. Sanxingdui culture developed on the foundation of local Baodun culture, incorporating influences from other regions. Named a Major National Historical and Cultural Site in 2001 and a National Archaeological Site Park in 2025, Baodun saw its ancient pottery fingerprint replicated on the grip of the flame-collection rod used for The World Games Chengdu 2025, bringing a 4,000-year-old mark of civilization into the modern era.
Guanyin Temple: Ming Dynasty Murals in the Jiulian Hills
Nestled at the foot of Jiulian Mountain, Guanyin Temple was founded in 1181 during the Southern Song Dynasty and is a Major National Historical and Cultural Site. Its 94-square-meter Pilu Hall murals, completed in 1468, are representative works of Ming Dynasty fine-brush heavy-color mural art and are of high artistic value.
A Ming Dynasty incense burner unearthed in 1980 bears an inscription confirming that imperial artisans were dispatched from Beijing to supervise the work. Painted with mineral pigments including azurite, malachite and cinnabar, using relief gilding techniques, the murals retain clear layers after nearly 600 years. Architect Liang Sicheng praised them as “orderly, elegant and exquisitely wrought” during his 1939 survey.
Xinjin Rope Weaving: A Living Craft from Laojun Mountain
Laojun Mountain was one of the earliest Taoist centers in Sichuan, dating back to the late Han Dynasty. Xinjin rope weaving originated here, first created by Taoist priests for ritual use before spreading to local communities and evolving into a folk craft. Yang Wenyi, a municipal-level representative inheritor of Xinjin rope weaving, is skilled in more than 120 traditional knot patterns.
During the 2023 Chengdu World University Games, rope weaving was featured at the Athletes’ Village, showcasing traditional knotting skills to athletes from around the world. Today, visitors can try hand-knotting at Anxi Intangible Cultural Heritage Village and take home a personal cultural souvenir.
From an ancient ferry to today’s Wujin Subdistrict, served directly by Chengdu Metro Line 10, Xinjin has always been defined by its waters. According to the 2025 Statistical Communiqué on the National Economic and Social Development of Xinjin District, the district received 14.5671 million tourist arrivals in 2025, up 7.1 percent year on year, and generated tourism revenue of 6.091 billion yuan, up 14.0 percent. In the same year, Xinjin was ranked among China’s Top 100 Municipal Districts for Tourism Development Potential by industry evaluation.
Rice fields still cover the land above Baodun. Tongji Weir’s waters still flow after 2,000 years. Dragon boats race every Duanwu Festival. The morning bell still rings at Guanyin Temple. Rope knots are still woven by hand below Laojun Mountain. This is no museum of scattered relics, but a living place of civilization. Come to Xinjin: walk the ancient fields, admire the Ming murals, tie a traditional knot, and feel the pulse of millennia-long civilization in the river breeze.
Contact Info:
Name: Wendy He
Email: Send Email
Organization: The Xinjin District People’s Government
Website: https://www.xinjin.gov.cn/xjxrmzf/index.shtml
Release ID: 89207751
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Source : Xinjin: Where Five Rivers Meet and 4,500 Years of Civilization Endure
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