Women chat under the eaves of old houses along the main street through Xilai Old Town in Pujiang county.[Photo by Chen Liang/China Daily]

To escape the hustle and bustle of city life, the writer seeks tranquility in old cities

Nurtured by the centuries-old Dujiangyan Irrigation System and not being a battleground of any major war for more than 300 years, the Chuanxi (western Sichuan) Plain in Sichuan province is known as the fertile heartland of "Heaven's Granary", and is home to a dozen historical towns in the countryside. Many of them have become popular tourist destinations in the past few years, such as the old Hakka town of Luodai and the riverside ancient village of Huanglongxi, both in the suburbs of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. A few are just getting known by people from outside the region. With winding lanes, black-tiled guildhalls, stone bridges and atmospheric teahouses, Xilai and Yuantong old towns are two of them and they offer independent travelers fantastic day trips from Chengdu.