Interesting names of streets and lanes

According to Chongqing Evening News, over the past 10 years, He Zhiya has taken a large number of photos of old Yuzhong, old Jiangbei City and old streets in Nan'an, especially before old Jiangbei disappeared, recording relatively complete historical old images.

According to He Zhiya, he wanted to record old Chongqing by film as much as possible.

There were more than 10 old photos of old Jiangbei City on display, not only including the whole picture of Jiangbei one or two decades ago, but also the streets and lanes that people in Jiangbei were familiar with when mentioned about, such as Chenghua Street, Xibutang Street, Xiyuanba, Huichuan street, Guihua Street, Baoding gate, Wenjin gate, and Jiangbei Park. There were also scenes of old residents drinking tea and chatting, hot street food, children playing hide games, and old people cooking.

Old streets and lanes in Jiangbei with interesting street names, recorded those dusty past stories. According to historical data, Chenghua Street appeared in around 1910. Most of the residents here made their living by making umbrellas. In Sichuan dialect, "umbrella" is also called "Chenghua", so it was called "Chenghua Street". Xibutang Street was named after a pond where weavers washed colored cloth in the pond. Guihua Street was named after a piece of local osmanthus tree in the late Qing Dynasty. Jinsha Iron Street was named for its close proximity to Jinsha Gate in Jiangbei, and most of its residents took iron as their business.

There were ten old gates

According to the exhibition, there were 84 streets, lanes and roads in Jiangbei City, covering an area of about 1 square kilometer.

In addition, there were ten old gates, but only Baoding Gate and part of the city walls are still preserved. Located under today's Chongqing Grand Theater and near the riverside park, it has become a city wall heritage park.

At Baoding Gate and the ruins of the city wall, on the mottled city wall, the roots of the old ficus virens tree have been drilled out of the cracks of the walls, firmly "biting" the stones for the wall. On the city gate, you can see the hole that once tied the door. 

To drink a cup of tea and chat with others

Baoding Gate, now preserved, was built in the 15th year of the reign of Daoguang Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, meaning "eternal peace".

Since Baoding Gate is close to the Xiahengjie Street, people had to climb the long stone steps from the wharf before. They might enter the city after passing through the Baoding Gate. Baoding Gate is actually the water gate of Jiangbei.

On the day of the interview, Huang Yuanqiong, 77, accompanied her family from Shapingba to Jiangbei. She spent her childhood, and youth in Jiangbei City.

"Now the north and the south of the river have all changed, and there is no clear distinction between the southeast and the northwest." Huang Yuanqiong said that in the past, the riverside of Jiangbei was an open sand dam. Generally, they needed to go out of Baoding Gate and fellow the steps here. Baoding Gate is full of stilts, and the inner floors of Baoding Gate rose layer by layer.

Huang Yuanqiong said that when she was a child, there were many small boats by the river. In winter, there were many freighters carrying carrots and bags to sell by the river, and many residents would come to buy cheap goods. “I remember two or three cents a catty for turnips and bags. When I was a child, I often followed my sisters to watch the activity. Sometimes adults would take us to Chaotianmen on the other side by ferry for three cents, and then go to the city.”

The Jiangbei Park carried many old people's memories. People who drank cup of tea and had a chat in the park were the most. In warm spring days, there would be surrounded by people, chairs and half pot of water. 

Huang Yuanqiong said, at that time, there were many people in Jiangbei Park to perform international dance on weekends, which was a popular weekend entertainment activity for many people.

Of course, the Jialing River Cableway and Bus No. 101 from Jiangbei to Guanyinqiao were indispensable in memory. (Translated by Luo Juan, Fathom Language Limited)

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