【Original Works】
Written by Liu Tiejun
Written in front of the words
In 2021, I was fortunate to meet Dr. Lin, a famous doctor in Songzhuang, Tongzhou. Since then, every year I have to come to Songzhuang to seek treatment from him, Dr. Yi is the fifth generation of a family of Chinese medicine, he uses the method of Chinese medicine to regulate my body and mind, and he has benefited a lot during this time.
This year, in order to facilitate medical treatment, I Suoxing lived in the small town of Moon River in Tongzhou. Drive to and from Songzhuang National Defense Art District every day, passing through Jingyu Old Line, Lucheng Middle Road, and Xusong Road. After treatment, I visited Tongzhou Museum, Han Meilin Art Museum, Luo Hong Photography Art Museum, Songzhuang Art Museum, Tongzhou Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha Temple, Caodu Wharf of the Grand Canal, and also visited Songzhuang Antique City, Art Bazaar, etc., during this time, I had a lot of new understanding of Tongzhou and Songzhuang, and had a strong interest.
Tongzhou - Liu Tiejun photography
Out of professional habits and hobbies, I began to look through the local historical records, check the geography of transportation, and supplement a lot of knowledge. Tongzhou, as an important town of Caoyun and Zuofu of Gyeonggi, has been built here for thousands of years and has accumulated a profound historical context. After years of baptism and precipitation, the Grand Canal has formed a unique cultural heritage. Tongzhou is another new city of change, and the sub-center of Beijing has become the focus of the world's attention. There are three rivers in Songzhuang: Wenyu River, Xiaozhong River and Chaobai River, which add a touch of aura to this land. I don't know when it began, it attracted the attention of well-known people in the calligraphy and painting art circles, and some famous artists of calligraphy and painting moved their studios to Songzhuang, and gradually formed a scale. I've been wondering what is it that attracts these artists to come and flock to Songzhuang?
Because I have feelings and curiosity about this place, I always want to walk more, see more, take photos, and accumulate some materials about traffic and painting. I don't have enough research for Tongzhou and Songzhuang, let alone in-depth investigation, I can't make fine comparisons, the angle of my position is low, and the conclusions I draw can't stand up to logical scrutiny.
Photography by Liu Tiejun
I have walked the streets and alleys of Tongzhou several times, and walked through the small courtyards of Songzhuang, but fortunately, I have a lot of time every day except for treatment. The alleys under the narrow gray walls, the mysterious courtyard with mottled gatehouses and long grass, the taverns at the corners of the alleys, the grand and old-fashioned old government mansions, old businesses, and old schools, all made me stop for a long time. I am especially willing to talk to the local literati and scholars, especially the elderly, and listen to their stories about the ancient times.
Canal Cultural Square - Photography by Liu Tiejun
A great doctor must be a great Confucian, and a great doctor must have great virtue. At Dr. Lin, I came into contact with some local people, and some outsiders who have been working here for several years, all of whom have a sense of regional pride, hometown feelings and cultural identity. They are affectionate, good-looking, and etiquette, and each has its own style characteristics. Perhaps it has provided them with rich cultural nourishment, as well as nurturing respect and friendship between people. I felt the foundation of life in these people, and I also enjoyed respect and love.
Han Meilin Art Museum - Liu Tiejun photography
I have compiled a few short articles here to record what I saw and felt about living in Songzhuang, Tongzhou. Although each article has been revised repeatedly, it is still not very satisfying. "The Old Road of the Canal" and "On the Banks of the Grand Canal" are piled up in the historical books that have been found, and some records are expected to make new discoveries in recent years, but my research is really insufficient. In the original manuscript, there are also "The Changes of the Ancient Road of Jingyu", "The Ancient Village on the Bank of the Chaobai River" and "The Confluence of the Five Rivers", which cannot be restored to history, and everyone is the same, so several revisions have not been selected.
Photography by Liu Tiejun
"Paying Homage to Mr. Huang Yongyu's Wanhe Hall" belongs to the "trace visit", which needs to go out and conduct in-depth investigation. I saw a lot of changes in many places, and although I took some photos and took notes, it couldn't be compared to the past. Knowing that it is valuable, but lacking first-hand information, it is empty and not handy. The original "The Legend of the Father and Son of "Noodle Soup" and "The Centennial Box" also had to be put down.
"The Story of Songzhuang" and "Impression of Songzhuang" are images of these people and stories, and I like this form of expression. History is created by people, and there are many "cattle people" here, all of whom are people with distinct personalities, clear love and hate, and are worth looking up to. There should be more and more content on this.
"Pottery Coffee House", "Spring Breeze in the Bookstore" and "Small Courtyard" are "miscellaneous", free and unconstrained, as long as they do not exaggerate. Because I think there is a context here, and the context is like a big rope, which can string together all kinds of people and things, and the context is a soul, no matter where you go, no matter how far you go, you can't do without it.
Photography by Liu Tiejun
Tiejun on June 15, 2024 in Changchun without fasting
Author: Liu Tiejun
Liu Tiejun, a native of Changchun, Jilin Province, has been engaged in transportation planning for a long time and has published many academic papers. He retired in 2013 and began to write prose poetry.