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Chongqing News

Memories of the mother city kept by traditional landscape areas

2021-09-28 14:17:43

Upgraded Shibati (Picture provided by the interviewee)

CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Green bricks and gray tiles, red lanterns hanging from the eaves... In the past few days, Deng Ji, the third-generation head of Chongqing authentic hotpot “In Chongqing”, is busy renovating the new restaurant. This restaurant is located in Chongqing Shibati Traditional Landscape Area, with its quaint Bayu dwelling style. On September 30, Chongqing Shibati Traditional Landscape Area will be officially opened after more than four years of fully enclosed restoration and reconstruction, and “In Chongqing” will also be opened on the same day.

Yuzhong District is the “mother city” of Chongqing and a demonstration area of the national historical and cultural city, with rich historical and cultural resources within its jurisdiction. In recent years, the local area has continued to deepen the inner unity of cultural protection, utilization, inheritance and urban development, and a large number of traditional landscape areas, represented by Shibati, have been upgraded and reopened, becoming an important carrier for the inheritance of the unique memories of Chongqing people.

Keeping the “moonlight” in the memory

“The earliest restaurant of ‘In Chongqing’ was opened in Shibati, which retains so many memories of my childhood, and now that I have opened the restaurant back, I feel particularly close to it.” Deng Ji's new restaurant is more than 300 square meters in size and has been specially decorated in an antique style to blend in with the traditional look of Shibati.

Shibati is the “moonlight” of Chongqing people. It connects the upper half of Yuzhong commercial district with the lower half of the old city, with streets and lanes of all sizes scattered along the staircase, offering noodle restaurants, teahouses, groceries and other shops along the way. As interpreted in the film I Belonged to You, Shibati in the old times was noisy and bustling.

In Yuzhong District, there are many other old neighborhoods like this one. In recent years, traditional landscape areas in the District have been renovated and upgraded to reshape the memories of the mother town through conservation and restoration.

“The whole Shibati Landscape Area is divided into a north-south landscape belt and an east-west tourism expansion belt. In the renovation, we paid attention to retaining the original layout and texture of the streets and lanes, restoring Shibati to its original historical appearance to the greatest extent possible, and presenting the city’s culture in its original form.” The relevant person in charge of Yuzhong District said.

Bringing traditional cultural resources to life

Coming out of Shibati, the reporter from Chongqing Daily walked up a gentle slope and turned a few corners before a Chinese and Western-style brick-wood building with white walls, red windows and gray tiles appeared at the end of the lane. It is located in the Mountain City Alley Traditional Landscape Area, and the sign at the entrance to the alleyway clearly reads “Former Residence of Guo Moruo”. In March this year, Guo Moruo's former residence was officially opened. Guo Moruo worked and lived here for eight years during his lifetime.

Although it was near closing time, many visitors still stayed in the former residence. An elderly man with gray hair walked out of the residence with great reluctance. He said that he lived in the old residential area nearby when he was a child, and he had heard since he was a child that there was an old building nearby where Guo Moruo had lived, and he always wanted to see it, but the neighbors could not tell him exactly which one it was. The reopening of Guo Moruo’s old residence not only fulfilled his childhood dream, but also gave him a new understanding of Yuzhong’s anti-war culture and the culture of the old city.

Guo Moruo’s old residence, Huguang Guild Hall, China-France School... There are many such historical and cultural sites hidden in the streets and lanes of Yuzhong. According to statistics, there are 149 immovable cultural relics in the District, of which 18 are national key cultural relic protection entities, accounting for 33% of the city. “In addition to the conservation and restoration of traditional areas, we are also strengthening the rational exploitation of cultural relics and historical buildings along the streets, so that these valuable traditional cultural resources can really ‘come alive’,” The relevant person in charge of Yuzhong District said.

Happy lives in traditional areas

When it comes to latest “internet-famous” old neighborhood in Yuzhong District, Daijia Lane, located between Kuixinglou and Hongyadong, should be on the list.

According to records, Daijia Lane was built during the period of Ming and Qing dynasties and was once a trading hub in the northern part of the old city of Chongqing, especially along the river, where there were many busy shops.

The reporter was walking through Daijia Lane and was attracted by the painted walls along the way, where several visitors were standing in front of a painted wall of Chongqing hotpot taking photos. Pang Xian, a community worker, said that this is a cultural wall they have created around Yuzhong District, the Mother City, in cooperation with Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. In addition to the famous Chongqing hotpot, it also incorporates Chongqing elements such as stilted buildings and trails along the cliff, which improve the drabness of the outer walls while also achieving the artistic effect of beautifying the courtyards.

So far, nine traditional landscape areas have been established in Yuzhong District, including Shibati, Mountain City Alley, Baixiang Street and the Old City Wall Area. By continuing the historical lineage and restoring historical and cultural resources, the city can retain its memories and let people remember their hometown. (Translated by Wang Huixin, Fathom Language Limited)

Editor:Jiang Yiwei