On the north bank of the Han River, along Xiangyang's Hanjiang Avenue, the Zhongzhou Wharf descends into the silt-laden water in two distinct tiers of interlocked masonry. The upper tier consists of twenty-five strip-stone steps. Below it, seventeen steps meet the river. Stonemasons of the Qing dynasty shaped this landing using square strip stones laid flat, sealing the seams with a dense, pale mortar of glutinous rice, lime, and sand. Two carved stone mooring holes remain anchored in the stone revetment.

This wharf was named for the Zhongzhou Guild Hall, which once stood directly opposite. Henan merchants spent nineteen years funding and constructing that hall, establishing a base for trade. Fancheng District became a bustling logistics hub, celebrated as a thoroughfare of seven provinces where southern boats met northern horses. At this very bank, workers loaded crates of tea onto vessels bound for northern markets along the Great Tea Road. During the Daoguang era, Prefect Zheng Dunyun secured funding from these merchant guilds to rebuild Fancheng's vulnerable dirt banks into these resilient stone steps, securing the city against seasonal floods.

The physical structure preserves the memory of human labor and unexpected modern disruptions. Today, the wharf is decommissioned from commercial shipping under the city's modern bank utilization plan. It serves as a quiet public leisure space, a crucial component of the local flood protection infrastructure, and a key nomination site for the UNESCO World Heritage Great Tea Road. Visitors walking down these gray steps can touch the rough ancient mortar, trace the cold mooring holes, and look out over the same river route that once carried the wealth of empires.