The old Xi'an people tell the story of the East Avenue in their hearts
——Old streets, old shops, old goods
Author: Shang Ziyong
The two words of the city are often hung on the lips, but how many people have carefully considered their meaning?
A city is a compound phrase in which the city, according to the dictionary interpretation, refers to the city wall and the area within the city wall. As for the market, it refers to a fixed place for buying and selling goods, and the words derived from it, such as market, market, morning market, market, supermarket... None of them are related to the exchange of goods. Of course, in order to facilitate traffic, the urban area is indispensable to crisscrossing wide streets and narrow alleys, and the term "street market" obviously tells us that "street" and "city" are inseparable. Yes, the middle of the street is driving away, the streets are lined with stalls and shops, and the vitality and popularity of a city are displayed in the street market!
In a sense, the city can exist and develop by relying on the support of the street. In 2002, the evolution of a street in Guilin caused me to think deeply. This street is called Zhengyang Street, which was the "official road" leading to the Jingjiang Royal Palace in the Ming Dynasty, but after experiencing vicissitudes, it has lost all its former style. When renovating the old city, the Guilin municipal government saw that this street had a heavy historical accumulation and the advantage of being located in a bustling commercial area, and spent a lot of money to transform it. Now Zhengyang Street, set commercial square, walking shopping, leisure and entertainment in one, the buildings along the street reflect the strong Guilin local style, the road surface using Guilin bluestone panels, architectural sketch design and night lighting design is also full of cultural atmosphere. The original objects of the Song Dynasty "Qushui Liuqin" excavated during the renovation process were also carefully placed at the excavation site, adding a bit of ancient city style to this modern street. Strolling in Zhengyang Street in Guilin, I think of Wangfujing in Beijing, Nanjing Road in Shanghai... I can't help but sigh: a famous city should have a famous street.
So, as a famous historical and cultural city of Xi'an, which street is our famous street? My answer is: East Avenue. East Street is the longest street in the city wall of Xi'an, and most of the old shops in Xi'an City, which have rich historical and cultural accumulation and prominent reputation, are located on East Avenue, and many of the old goods they operate are Xi'an's business cards. People take food as the sky, only take the catering industry as an example, Xi'an Restaurant, Lao Sun Jia Bubble Steamed Bun Restaurant, BaiyunZhang Dumpling Restaurant... It even includes the Qingya Zhai Shabu Shabu-shabu that has ceased to exist, and the Dawn Bubble Steamed Bun House. They, and the delicacies they operate, undoubtedly occupy a considerable share of the Xi'an people's urban memory.
Take me. In 1961, I got a meal voucher from Xi'an Restaurant and could enjoy a delicious meal. Saying that it is delicious, in fact, it is just a plate of stir-fried meat slices, a plate of celery fried dried tofu, a bowl of shredded meat soup and rice, which can only be regarded as a simple meal by the current standards, but at that time, it was a rare high-end enjoyment. I drank the bowl of soup, and two plates of stir-fried vegetables and a bowl of rice were taken home to share with my family. Decades have passed, and now, many times a year, I have dinner with my family and friends at Xi'an Restaurant, and most of the plates delivered to the table are the leaders of Shaanxi cuisine. But to be honest, there is no time that can be as memorable and memorable as the two dishes of that year.
In 2003, I had a meeting in Taiwan with Ms. Long Yingtai, then director of the Taipei Municipal Bureau of Culture, and the conversation involved the topic of urban memory. She believes that urban memory is an important link that maintains the feelings of urban people and cities, so during her 3-year tenure, she spared no effort to protect ancient trees and restore celebrity former homes... Not long ago, a friend who had immigrated to Belgium for many years returned to Xi'an to visit his relatives, we gathered at the Xi'an Restaurant, everyone recalled the past, chewed history, from gourd chicken, yellow gui thick wine to East Avenue, there was an endless sigh. At that time, outside the window of Xi'an Restaurant, the reconstruction and expansion project of East Avenue was in full swing. I think that looking at the hardware level, any ancient street cannot remain unchanged forever; but the cultural accumulation hidden in the soul of this ancient street, especially the old shops and old goods that make this cultural accumulation can survive, must be passed down from generation to generation. Old streets, old shops, and old goods are not only crucial to enriching the material and spiritual life of citizens, but also an important part of the memory of citizens' cities, and therefore, they are indispensable and strong support for the vitality and popularity of a city!
Editor-in-charge: Liu Chen Yangzi
Typography: Le Chuan
Review: Chen Hao