The Grand Canal of China travels thousands of miles and travels through thousands of years, and is an important symbol of Chinese civilization. Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Zhenjiang section, where the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal meet here, forming the "Golden Cross Waterway" in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Its unique geographical location makes Zhenjiang an important commercial port in the north and south of the canal. Today, the story of the canal we are going to tell starts with a hand-drawn map of the Zhenjiang section of the canal.
Yama Store, Dacaifang, Silver Dollar Trading House... These ancient store names that have long been away from modern people's lives. Do you feel that you have traveled a little time? But for the 84-year-old Xiong Zhangming, these store names have been deeply embedded in his mind. The hand-painted "Schematic of Old Xinhe Street" in front of him was written by him. Xinhe Street is located in Jingkou District, Zhenjiang City, close to the Yangtze River. The ancient canal passes through the street. Its special geographical location makes it almost one of the most prosperous commercial streets by the canal once. Today, there are a few famous houses in Xinhe Street. For the sake of protection, many experts and scholars have come to investigate. In order to let experts and scholars understand Xinhe Street more, Mr. Xiong volunteered to draw this "Schematic Diagram of Old Xinhe Street" by himself, who likes painting.
former resident Xiong Zhangming said: "According to my memories, it was quite prosperous at that time. My black dot represents shops, small shops, shops, and all of them are. The Yangtze River comes to the Grand Canal, this inland river, and this place is the canal."
Mr. Xiong Zhangming told reporters that he had been 84 years old and had worked hard to draw the old map of Xinhe Street. Mr. Xiong said that some of the old bridges, old shops and old houses in the past are no longer there, and to "restore" these on the map, we can only rely on memory. From this hand-drawn map, we can see that there were once many shops on Xinhe Street, with more than 100 large and small, densely scattered on both sides of the ancient street. The picture details the name of each alley and shop. Each black dot represents a store, and the name of the shop is also marked next to the black dot. The stone levitation bridge and small gate entrance on the Xinneihe River have long been drawn by the old man.
Mr. Xiong said that the prosperity of Xinhe Street is due to its location at the intersection of the Yangtze River and the ancient canal, and the transportation is very convenient. In order to experience this once prosperous ancient street for yourself, Mr. Xiong decided to take us to a walk on the spot. Strolling on Xinhe Street, it is only more than 200 meters long, as if you can walk quickly, but it also seems that there is endless scenery: Tongshantang, an important charity in Zhenjiang in the past, and many deep courtyards, which also evoke the memories of Mr. Xiong when he was a child.
Xiong Zhangming introduced: "In the past, Xinhe Street was about 40 to 50 cm wide, about one meter long, and was paved with long strips. Because there were experts in front of them, there were more wheelbarrows. In the past, transportation tools were relatively backward, and four to five cm troughs were formed on all roads. There were also vegetables, fruits, and fish, and all kinds of them were transported from northern Jiangsu by boat. One by one, there were four or five boats and five or six boats." The horse racing building, wind and fire wall, and carved beams and painted buildings in the courtyard revealed a traditional historical atmosphere. Nowadays, because the houses are too old, like Mr. Xiong, the people who once lived here have moved away long ago, and the Xinhe Street shantytown renovation project is also being carried out. In the near future, this place will usher in a new look.
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Nowadays, Zhenjiang City is doing a good job in protecting historical and cultural heritage, and has also done articles on development and utilization. Xijindu block is a witness to the prosperity of the Grand Canal commerce in Zhenjiang's history and a typical representative of Zhenjiang's "promotion of the city with water". Xijin Dui is the ferry crossing of the Zhenjiang area. During the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the transportation between the canal and the Yangtze River was a must-pass route. Now, this place has been built into a lively tourist attraction. The ruins of Zhaoguan Stone Tower, Lifesaving Council, Guanyin Cave and other sites tell ancient stories, while various B&Bs, coffee shops, bars, and cultural and creative shops reveal modern vitality and attract tourists from all over the world.
Water is the soul of the river. Deepening the environmental improvement and ecological restoration of the canal has become a key task in Zhenjiang. When sorting out the relationship between Zhenjiang city and the canal, it is not difficult to find that the canal itself has long exceeded the category of "historical relics". It is a living water that not only flows for thousands of years, but also stirs up the surging contemporary symphony, sounding the clarion call for high-quality development.
