Street Tells: Caozhou Ancient Town in Heze

Editor's Note: 2024 Shandong High-Quality Cultural and Tourism Industry Development Conference opened in Linyi on April 25. To promote the international influence of the two-day event, Zailinyi, the app of Linyi’s leading news agency Linyi Daily, publishes a series of bilingual reports focus on old streets and ancient towns in cities across Shandong Province. Published in English and Chinese with the name of Street Tells (《一街，一世界》), the series aim to tap and show the profound cultural deposits and historical remains behind the old streets or ancient towns in different cities of Shandong. Jinan, Qingdao, Heze, Weifang, Dezhou and Rizhao join in the series, further enriching the stories of Street Tells.

Caozhou ancient town is a representative cultural icon for Heze city. Shaped like a square inside a circle, the ancient town was planned by Caozhou’s mayor Fan Xizheng in 1446 AD.

In recent years, Heze has taken steps to preserve and revitalize historical districts. Fan Garden, which was built to commemorate Fan Xizheng, owns a set of courtyard moved from Suzhou Gardens (the outstanding representatives of Chinese gardens). It is comprehensively comparable to Suzhou Gardens.

Now, Caozhou ancient town has evolved into  a complex of culture and tourism featured with multiple elements including history, culture, tourism, business, etc.

With a rich history spanning over hundreds of years, Caozhou ancient town not only boasts a treasure trove of old buildings but also showcases. All visitors can breathe in a mixed air of the ancient and the new while strolling around Caozhou ancient town.