Travel Notes | The Two Point Scoundrel is Yangzhou——First Meeting with Yangzhou

On the second day of National Day, I took the train from Nanjing to Yangzhou. After arriving at the station, I plan to take the bus to the Slender West Lake Scenic Area. Yangzhou BusAlthough it supports Alipay scanning, it needs to be recharged in advance, which is a bit inconvenient. The bus basically runs along the east-west Wenchang Road. After arriving at the station, I did not leave immediately for Slender West Lake, but first went to the nearby Wenchang Pavilion . This pavilion was built in the 13th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1585) and belongs to the Yangzhou Fuxue Building Group. The rest of the government buildings have been gradually destroyed, and now only Wenchang Pavilion remains. Then I rode a shared electric scooter to Slender West Lake. Although there are no shared bicycles in Yangzhou, it seems more convenient to share electric vehicles.

Wenchang Pavilion is located at the intersection of Wenhe Road and Wenchang Road, and there are some historical districts ahead. Taken on 2021.10.2

"The famous capital of Huaizuo, the best place in Zhuxi", speaking of Yangzhou, there must be Xu Ning's "The world is divided into three parts on a bright moonlit night, and two parts are rogues in Yangzhou" , there will also be Li Bai's "An old friend bid farewell to the Yellow Crane Tower in the West, Fireworks descend to Yangzhou in March", and Xin Qiji's " Forty-Three Year, I still remember the beacon fire on Yangzhou Road". Of course Du Mu is absolutely indispensable. He was hired by Niu Sengru, the military governor of Huainan, and came to Yangzhou to serve as the secretary of the military governor. He left behind "A Yangzhou dream of sleeping in ten years" and "Spring Breeze Ten Miles of Yangzhou Road y19>", "Singing and blowing are Yangzhou" and other popular poems.

Yangzhou is located between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River. The ancient Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal passes through the city. It began in the Zhou Dynasty and experienced three heydays: Han Dynasty , Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties , Ming and Qing , almost as prosperous as ancient China The prosperous times are synchronized. In addition, this is a must-visit place for Qianlong during his six expeditions to the south of the Yangtze River.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the area around Yangzhou was called Han (Yin Han), King Fuchai of Wu opened Hang Canal ", connecting the Yangtze River and the Huai River. In the Western Han Dynasty, King Liu Bi of Wu opened the " Salt River ", opened the first prosperous period of Yangzhou. After the Sui Dynasty unified the north and the south, Luoyang As the center, the Grand Canal was dug one after another, and Yangzhou was thus connected with Yellow River System In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, forming a pattern where the political center was in Beijing and the economic center was in the south of the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal connected the two centers. At this time, Yangzhou ushered in its third prosperity.

Before arriving at the south gate of the Slender West Lake Scenic Area, you need to cross a bridge - Dahong Bridge . This bridge was built during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty. Under the bridge is the rippling blue waves of Slender West Lake. The real name of Slender West Lake is Baobao Lake . During the Qianlong period, Qiantang (Hangzhou) poet Wang Hang called it Slender West Lake after he came to Yangzhou because of its fame.

According to "Yangzhou Painted Boat Record" , in the more than ten years from 1751 to 1765, twenty sceneries have been formed on Slender West Lake: Juanshi Cave Sky, West Garden Qushui, Hongqiao Range Rover, Yechun Poetry Society, Changdi Spring Willows, Lotus Blossom Wind, Jasper Exchange, Fourth Bridge Misty Rain, Spring Terrace Bright Moon, White Tower Clear Clouds, Three Guoliu trace, evening light on Shugang, thousands of green pines, twin springs on Huayu Island , twin peak cloud stacks, mountain pavilion overlooking the wild sky, red clouds near the water, fragrant green rice, small bamboo market, flat Gang Yanxue. After 1765, four more scenery were added: Green Yangcheng Guo, Xianghai Ciyun, Meiling Chunshen, Shuiyun Shenggai, collectively known as Twenty-Four Scenes.

Looking at the rippling blue waves of Slender West Lake from Dahong Bridge, cruise ships are moored on both sides. Taken on 2021.10.2

Shuiyun Shengcai is located on the right lake bank in the direction from Diaoyutai to Wuting Bridge. Nowadays, there are four halls and three couplets built on the site of "Shenggai Tower", surrounded by corridors. Taken on 2021.10.2

The entire Slender West Lake scenic area is quite large. Entering from the south gate of the scenic spot, you first pass through a forest and then come to Xu Garden . There are Oriole Pavilion, Yanggong Stone, Spring Grass Pond Yin Pavilion , Yechun Houshe, Shufeng Pavilion, etc. built in the park. "Spring Grass Pond" is taken from a poem by Xie Lingyun, a poet of the Southern Dynasties, "Spring grass grows in the pond, and garden willows turn into songbirds". There is a couplet in front of the pavilion: " The pen falls on the green mountains and the ancient charm is drifting, and the green spring waves fill the Qianpi ". The first couplet writes about mountains, which comes from Du Mu's "He Xuanzhou Doctor Shen Dengbeilou Book Love", and the second couplet writes about water. From "Rice Field" by Wei Zhuang.

Xu Garden was built in 1915 on the former site of Taohuawu in the Qing Dynasty. It was originally a pavilion dedicated to Xu Baoshan, commander of the Second Army of the Revolution of 1911. Taohuawu is close to Changdi Spring Willow , one of the twenty-four scenic spots, and peach willows are planted among them. Jin Nong, one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, has a poem that says, "The setting sun shines back on Taohuawu, and the catkins fly over in red ", which describes the scene of Taohuawu under the setting sun.

On the moon gate of Xuyuan, the two characters "Xuyuan" are written in running script and cursive script. They were inscribed by Ji Lianggong (Mr. Haofeng), a calligrapher from Yangzhou in the late Qing Dynasty. Taken on 2021.10.2

After leaving Xu Garden, you can come to Diaoyutai . The original name of Diaoyutai is the Blowing Platform, which is a place where silk and bamboo orchestral music are played. Therefore, the architectural style of Diaoyutai is very similar to the Blowing Platform in the Taoran Pavilion in Beijing. In 1982 Liu Haisu Mr. Liu Haisu took a swim in Slender West Lake and swam to Chuitai. He heard that Emperor Qianlong once fished here, so he renamed the place Diaoyutai based on the allusion. From then on, Slender West Lake changed the name of Blowing Platform to Diaoyutai.

The Diaoyutai goes deep into the center of the lake and is connected to the shore by a trail. It is the only scenic spot that requires turning back when visiting Slender West Lake. It is a representative work of the "framed scene" art of Chinese gardens. Standing at Diaoyutai with an oblique angle of 60 degrees , you can see the horizontal waves of the Wuting Bridge in the round hole to the north, and you can just see the towering White Tower in the oval hole in the south. The borrowed scenery in the cave exactly corresponds to the name of "Samsung Gongzhao".

The top is the blowing platform in Taoran Pavilion, and the bottom is the fishing platform in Slender West Lake. The former was taken on April 1, 2021, and the latter was taken on October 2, 2021

Most people who come to Slender West Lake come for Wuting Bridge, and so do I. Wuting Bridge, also known as Lotus Bridge, is one of the ten famous bridges in ancient China and is known as "The most beautiful bridge in China". The Wuting Bridge was built in the 22nd year of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1757). It was modeled after the Wulong Pavilion and the Seventeen-hole Bridge in Beihai, Beijing.

When we got to the bridge, we found many people crowded on it. I was mainly attracted by the wind chime on the pavilion. When the wind blows, the sound they make is very clear, just like the sound of a small train ringing in the square.

Wuting Bridge from the perspective of Fuzhuang, the landmark building of Slender West Lake. Taken on 2021.10.2

There is one wind chime in each corner of each pavilion in Wuting Bridge. Taken on 2021.10.2

After crossing the Wuting Bridge, we reached the other side. The main attractions here are Fuzhuang and White Tower . Fuzhuang was owned by the local gentry Chen Chenshuo It was built on the east side of Wuting Bridge in the 9th year of the Republic of China. The White Pagoda was first built in the 49th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty, imitating the White Pagoda in the spring shade of Qiongdao Island in Beihai. Fahai Temple It was built in the late Sui Dynasty and early Tang Dynasty, and rebuilt in the Yuan Dynasty. It means the boundless Dharma Sea. Lotus ”.

The top is the White Pagoda in Beihai Park, the bottom is the White Pagoda in Slender West Lake, and the bottom is the White Pagoda Qingyun in the Twenty-Four Scenes. The former was taken on May 16, 2021, and the latter was taken on October 2, 2021

Fahai Temple, also known as Lianxing Temple and Baita Temple. Taken on 2021.10.2

Go further west. Twenty-Four Bridges Scenic Area When talking about the Twenty-Four Bridges, of course we have to mention Du Mu’s famous line “ On a moonlit night at the Twenty-Four Bridges, where does the beautiful lady teach me how to play the flute? ". This image also appears in the representative work "Yangzhou Slow" by Jiang Kui, a poet of the Song Dynasty: " The Twenty-Four Bridges are still there, the waves are rippling, the cold moon is silent Today, the Twenty-Four Bridges is just a mountain stream plank road, a single-arch bridge, a three-fold flat bridge and a flute pavilion. Combined Bridge Among them, the single-arch bridge is White marble railing The bridge is 24 meters long, 2.4 meters wide, with 24 railings and 24 steps up and down, corresponding to 24. There are also buildings such as Xichun Terrace, Wangchun Tower, and General Xiao Li's Painting Book in the scenic area.

The single arch bridge of the Twenty-Four Bridges can now only be represented by the corresponding number 24 to the historical Twenty-Four Bridges. Taken on 2021.10.2

Xichuntai is the main building of the Twenty-Four Bridge Scenic Area. Taken on 2021.10.2

After that, I felt that there were no distinctive attractions as I went further north. Except for a Jinquan Huayu , they were nothing more than some water, rocks, forests, bridges, flowers, grass, pavilions, platforms, buildings, and pavilions. symphony. From here, you can actually see the Qiling Pagoda in Daming Temple from a distance.

Jinquan Huayu is one of the 24 scenic spots in the Qing Dynasty. It was originally a doctor in the Ministry of Justice during the Qianlong period. Wu Shanyu Villa, later returned to the prefect Zhang Zhengzhi The park is divided into east and west banks, separated by water in the middle. Two springs float in the water, creating ripples, so it is also called " Huayu Shuangquan ”.

Jinquan Huayu, also known as Huayu Shuangquan, has the Yangpai Bonsai Museum on the east side and the west gate ruins of Tangluo City on the north side. Taken on 2021.10.2

From the scenic area North Gate After going out, you can see from a distance Guanyin Mountain as well as Tang City Ruins Guanyin Mountain is the natural high point of Yangzhou. Maze The mountain temple is very quiet and has a " First Lingshan The current abbot Master Fa Rong , is a very virtuous practitioner.

When I walked to the foot of Guanyin Mountain, I found that although the mountain gate was open, it did not accept tourists. The same is true for the nearby Daming Temple . The door is closed, and you can only look at the nine-story Qiling Pagoda in the temple from outside the wall. The Qiling Pagoda was built in the first year of Renshou in the Sui Dynasty, so the temple is also called "Qiling Temple". Unfortunately, it was reduced to scorched earth in the third year of Huichang by Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty. The current Qiling Pagoda was rebuilt in 1993 in the style of the Tang Dynasty.

Guanyin Mountain Gate, you can only look at the buildings hidden in the forest at the foot of the mountain. Taken on 2021.10.2

The Qiling Pagoda seen from outside Daming Temple. Taken on 2021.10.2

Daming Temple was first built by Emperor Xiaowu of the Southern Song Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty ( 457-464), Huaidong First View . Jianzhen Before he went to Japan, he was the abbot here and made Daming Temple a History of the Relationship between Chinese and Japanese Buddhist Cultural Relics It is an important ancient temple in the world. There is also a garden in the temple. Pingshan Hall , during the Qingli period of the Northern Song Dynasty Ouyang Xiu It was built when he was the governor of Yangzhou. From the balcony in front of the hall, you can overlook the mountains in the south of the Yangtze River, which are just at the same level as your eyesight. Therefore, it is called "Pingshan Hall".

Qin Guan called Daming Temple the first temple in Huaidong. Taken on 2021.10.2

I have to catch the high-speed train back to Shanghai in the afternoon, so I only have less than two hours. I decided to use the remaining time to visit some iconic places on an electric bike. The first thing I went to was the Jianzhen Library, but unfortunately it was not open either. The Jianzhen Library is located in the Daming Temple. There is a stone statue of Jianzhen in front of the gate.

Jianzhen Library, this is what I took with my phone outside the gate. It is said that a library in spring is a sea of ​​cherry blossoms. Taken on 2021.10.2

Jianzhen Library is located in the northwest corner of the Slender West Lake Scenic Area, and then I want to go to the historical district in the southeast corner. On the way, we passed Wenchang Pavilion again, and then continued eastward into the neighborhood. Starting from Dadongmen Street, then passing through Caiyi Street, then Dongguan Street. Although it is a historical district, it is similar to commercial streets everywhere, and the things sold are highly homogeneous. The difference between them may be that this street sells souvenirs and kebabs, and that street sells kebabs and souvenirs. The only thing that is special is Yangzhou Three Knives .

As a transportation hub along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the policy of the Ming Dynasty stipulated that salt merchants must first pay in Yangzhou to sell salt, so a large number of salt merchants from Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Anhui settled in Yangzhou. The extravagant spending of salt merchants promoted Yangzhou's service industry. Yangzhou is not only a good place for businessmen to do business, but also a high-end club for them to rest and entertain. The famous "Three Knives of Yangzhou" - kitchen knife , barber knife , pedicure knife , represent the prosperity of three service industries. Three knives are not only a skill but also an art in the hands of Yangzhou people, and have become a part of Yangzhou culture with unique local characteristics.

"The skin contains water in the morning, and the water contains steamed buns in the evening" This sentence describes the daily life of Yangzhou's wealthy businessmen and even Yangzhou citizens today: water in the skin is Yangzhou steamed buns, and in the morning The teahouse ordered sandwich buns, dried shredded noodles, and shrimp roe dumpling noodles; Shui Baopi went to the bathhouseto take a bath and get a pedicure in the afternoon. Due to time constraints, I have never experienced any of the knives in Yangzhou, nor have I had the opportunity to try the special snacks. One of Yangzhou people's favorite "skin buns" is the steamed buns from the famous Yangzhou Fuchun Tea House . Three diced buns, chicken thighs, pork belly, and fresh bamboo shoots must be finely diced. Blanch dry shreds . Cut a piece of dried tofu into 28 pieces, then cut into thin strips. Shrimp roe dumpling noodles The dumplings are wontons. To make the soup, first take the river shrimp roe. In addition, there are "Yangzhou's two specialties": Jade Shaomai and Thousand Layer Oil Cake.

Of course, the real protagonist of Yang style food is Huaiyang cuisine. It originated from the cultural imagination of Jianghuai salt merchants. Its special dishes include lion head, Wensi tofu, Yangzhou fried rice, golden onion Gaoyou Ma chicken, crystal pig's trotters, brine shrimp, oil port lobster, etc.

Geyuan is nearby on Dongguan Street, but I didn’t go to see it. Taken on 2021.10.2

This store located in Dongquanmen is said to be the head office of Yangzhou Three Knives. Taken on 2021.10.2

Dongguan Street does not allow electric vehicles to pass, so I left the shopping until the end. This street should be extremely commercialized, but the nearby Shuangdong Historic District is quiet and deserted. Walking through the alleys of Yangzhou, you can enjoy the authentic Yangzhou characteristic architecture.

Before visiting Dongguan Street, I first passed through Dongquanmen and arrived at the most "petty bourgeoisie" Pishi Street in Yangzhou. This street is wider and less commercialized. , the flow of people is also less. Every shop on the street is unique. At the end of the street is The First Garden of the Late Qing Dynasty——He Garden.

You can walk into Shuangdong Historical District from a small alley on Dongguan Street. The alley has many twists and turns, and you can travel freely. Taken on 2021.10.2

It feels like there are more historical buildings on the East Circle Gate, and many rickshaws are soliciting customers on this street. Taken on 2021.10.2

The spacious Pishi Street connects to Xu Ningmen Street and leads to He Garden. Taken on 2021.10.2

He Yuan didn't go in either. It is said that the new version of Dream of Red Mansions was filmed here. The windows here are also a major feature of the garden. Taken on 2021.10.2

He Garden, also known as Jixiao Villa, is a model of Yang style gardens. It was originally the site of "Shuanghuaiyuan" during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. During the Guangxu period, it was named after the expansion of Hubei Han Huangde Daotai and Jianghanguan Supervisor He Zhifan (Yin Dao). In the southeast of the garden is the "Plate Stone Mountain House", which has a rockery made of lake rocks. It is said to be the work of Shi Tao, a great painter in the early Qing Dynasty. It is known as the "only copy of Shi Tao's stacked rocks in the world".