The canal runs through the north and south, and the cultural context stretches from ancient to modern. Ecological resources and humanistic endowments, the Grand Canal contains a long history of romance and wisdom. Enjoy in the canal, eat in the canal, swim in the canal, the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal will bead the cultural bits and pieces into a chain, and the water vein and the cultural vein will breathe and grow together here.
Wuxi Dangkou Ancient Town
Enjoy the canal and wander the ancient towns along the Jiangsu section
Roam the ancient town, wander the poetry and the distance. Along the southward flow of the canal, Xuzhou Yaowan, Suqian Soohe, Huai'an River, Yangzhou Shaobo, Zhenjiang Baoyan, Changzhou Jiaoxi, Wuxi Dangkou, Suzhou Tongli...... The ancient towns of the eight cities along the line are dazzling.
"These ancient towns are located on the banks of canals or canal tributaries, and they are well-developed and were commercial and trade centers in ancient times. They are like small cities, and they are a comfortable place to live, work, and study. Zhuang Ruojiang, a professor at Jiangnan University and an expert in the study of Wu culture and Jiangnan culture, said.
The river network around Dangkou is dense, and the waterways extend in all directions. "Dang is the meaning of river swing. Dangkou is the place where the lake swings at the entrance and exit, and is named because it is at the entrance and exit of Goose Lake. Zhuang Ruojiang explained that because of the developed water system and convenient transportation, the Dangkou trade in the Ming and Qing dynasties was prosperous, and all industries were developed, and the casting and smelting industry, mulberry silk industry, wood operation, and brewing industry were rich in production, and they were famous for a while. In particular, in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, Huitongguan and Lanxuetang were the first to carry out copper movable type printing, which became the highland of ancient Chinese printing industry. ”
As an ancient historical town with a long cultural context, Dangkou has formed a strong "filial piety" culture after hundreds of years. The concept of "starting from farming and reading, and passing on poetry and rites" that has been inherited for hundreds of years has also achieved the style of respecting literature and valuing education in Dangkou Ancient Town, and created a unique cultural landscape where celebrities have produced many celebrities and dominated: Hua Sui, the pioneer of the book engraving and printing industry, Hua Yufang, the pioneer of modern science and mathematicians, Hua Shifang brothers, and Hua Junwu, the comic master Hua Junwu, and other Hua celebrities have all walked out of Dangkou; Other families with other surnames in Dangkou also have more handsome people, such as the famous composer and author of "Singing the Motherland" Wang Xin, the master of history Qian Mu, and the Chinese mechanics master Qian Weichang.
Looking to the north, the majesty of the ancient town of Yaowan contrasts sharply with the water town in the south of the Yangtze River. Here look at the sea in the east, look at Huaisi in the south, look at Pengcheng in the west, look at Taidai in the north, because it is located in Xinyi, Pizhou, Suining, Suyu four counties and cities junction, so there is the description of "four counties of chicken singing". Historically, Yaowan is an important military town, and the relics of Hanxin Dianjiangtai, Chu Wangcheng Tower, Guan Yu Manger and other relics have witnessed the ancient war history of Yaowan. Rows of ancient buildings, integrating northern and southern styles; Shanxi Hall and Shandong Hall are solemn and magnificent; The Wu family compound is the most well-preserved ancient house in the ancient town.
At the intersection of the Yangtze River, the Huai River and the canal, the ancient town of Shaobo stands quietly. Shao Bogu called Gantang, Shao Bodai, because of the Eastern Jin Dynasty famous politician and military strategist Xie An built a dam here to control the water. During the Song Dynasty, Su Shi was still unsatisfied after visiting Fanxing Temple in Shao Bo Ancient Town, and wrote a poem: "Camellia is planted relative to Ah Who, and no one comes alone in the drizzle." It is also the ancient town with the most heritage sites along the Grand Canal, such as the Shao Bo Ming and Qing Dynasty Canal Ancient Road, Shao Bo Wharf Group, Shao Bo Ancient Causeway, Shao Bo Old Lock, and Huaiyang Canal Main Line (Shao Bo Section) are included in the World Heritage Protection List of China's Grand Canal.
Eat in the canal, the treasures in the water taste north and south
On June 19, the 3rd China Grand Canal Ancient Town Development and Culture Week was held, and the "Grand Canal Food Challenge" was held simultaneously. Chefs from the eight ancient towns along the Grand Canal gathered three major Chinese cuisines to compete in on-site cooking, opening a cross-regional cultural exchange of Grand Canal cuisine. Classic Huaiyang dishes such as chrysanthemum fish and three shrimp and horse tofu have attracted much attention.
Eat in the canal, the delicious water is the Jiangsu people "carry it clearly", Jinling cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine, Suxi cuisine, Xuhai cuisine...... Relying on the mountains to eat the mountains and relying on the water to draft the water, the Su cuisine of "not showing the mountains and not showing the water" has distinctive characteristics and tastes in line with the north and south.
The Jianghuai region usually calls the eel "long fish", and the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China treats Chinese and foreign guests, and the Huaiyang dish "soft pocket long fish" is the first to be served, which is called "the first dish of the founding of the country"; Ringing oil eel paste, Subang vegetables, eel paste lying under the onion garlic and ginger shreds, poured on the hot oil, crackling; Liangxi crispy eel, originated from Wuxi boat vegetables, the eel silk is fried twice, the sauce is sweet and salty, the eel meat is crispy and palatable, and it will not be soft if stored for a few days.
Huaiyang cuisine "soft long fish"
"Suzhou people love to eat fish, and they pay attention to 'not eating from time to time'." Ye Zhengting, honorary chairman of the Suzhou Civil Literary and Artistic Association, a famous writer and gourmet, said that in the past, Suzhou had to eat 12 fish a year: snakehead fish in the first month, mandarin fish in February, soft-shelled turtle in March, anchovy in April, white fish in May, bream in June, eel in July, catfish in August, crucian carp in September, grass carp in October, silver carp in November, and herring in December.
"The thought of the perch" is synonymous with Jiangnan people's homesickness. This allusion originates from the "Book of Jin: The Biography of Zhang Han", the literati Zhang Han resigned and returned to his hometown because he missed his hometown's delicacies such as lettuce soup and sea bass. Ulva is harvested twice a year, in spring at the same time as Biluo Spring, and in autumn with Dangui. Ye Shengtao wrote in the article "Lotus Root and Ulva Cabbage": "Ulva itself has no taste, and the taste is all about good soup. But the green color and rich poetry are really intoxicating. ”
Swim in the canal and experience the ancient and new of cultural tourism
"When people come to walk and play along the canal, they may not pay full attention to the humanistic value of the canal itself, but the humanistic signs that are more clearly and vividly presented at the moment can make people more intuitively feel the interest of the integration of nature and humanity." Zhuang Ruojiang said that the canal scenery should not only meet people's willingness to take photos and check in, but also pay attention to excavating local culture such as ancient poetry, opera, and food, and combine it more closely with "food, accommodation, travel, shopping, and travel" through diversified presentation methods, so that the canal culture can be seen, felt, and known in the new era.
In early summer, "Night Tour + Tang Poetry" brought a rather impactful visual shock. "The light show itself is already very shocking, and when combined with the reflection of the water, it seems to take me to a space where the water and the sky are colorful." Tourist Hang Ru said. Yangzhou City and the ancient canal grow together, and Slender West Lake is a tributary of the Yangzhou section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The ancient charm and the modern wind complement each other, and the large-scale immersive night tour of Slender West Lake "Two Minutes of the Bright Moon Reminiscences of Yangzhou" uses holographic projection technology, 3D MAPPING projection technology, VR, AR, etc., to break the boundary between light and shadow media and garden landscape, and realize the perfect integration of scenery, emotion and environment.
Night view of the ancient city wall of Suzhou Canal
As the oldest section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Changzhou Nanshi River flows through Qingguo Lane. On the eve of this year's college entrance examination, many parents came to hang prayer signs in the post office with the theme of Qingguo Lane. In the small square outside the post office, there are also special scenery such as "champion and first", creative prayer wall, and red lanterns for students and tourists to take photos. Every holiday, Qingguo Lane is full of tourists. In recent years, Qingguo Lane has created a series of traceable, watchable and experiential theme activities in various forms such as performing arts, exhibitions, elegant gatherings, research and research, etc., which can be traced, watched and experienced, bringing high-frequency, diversified and high-quality cultural products to Changzhou, attracting many tourists to visit and check in on major holidays.
"The premise of the Jiangnan Canal is the Wugu Waterway, and the premise of the Wugu Waterway is the Bodu River. During the Sui Dynasty, in order to give up the distance and seek the near, the southern section of the Jiangnan Canal was partially cut and straightened, and the route was changed from the south gate of Wuxi to the south of the Qingming Bridge. Zhang Yongyi, a famous writer, literary critic and Jiangnan cultural scholar, said.
Today's Bodu River is still endless, and the scenery is infinite. When night falls, the lights come on, and many citizens and tourists come to have a citywalk in early summer in the Qingmingqiao Historical and Cultural District. Zhu Jiahao, a tourist from Hebei, said: "The ancient canal is very charming against the backdrop of the sound of oars and lights. If you have the opportunity, you will come to Wuxi again to see enough and have enough! This year's "May Day", the Ancient Canal and Encounter Museum in Qingming Bridge Square was officially opened, and the "Meet Ancient Shu: Sanxingdui Immersive Light and Shadow Art Exhibition" was popular and "hot" out of the circle. Nearly 1,000 square meters of light and shadow space, immersive digital interactive space and a new way of viewing audio-visual experience present a three-dimensional and fantastic cultural world of ancient Shu for the audience.
(Jiangnan Times reporter Zhang Ziyang)