In Nanxun: Looking for a place in the misty rainy south of the Yangtze River, looking for a joy in the world

Poet Wang Xinjian once wrote: "I have dreamed of the south of the Yangtze River several times, and I have been familiar with the small bridges. The white walls are graceful with bamboos, and the black swallows are whispering. The red sleeves are full of wine, and the blue water is moistening the strings of the piano. Looking for apricot blossoms in the rain alley, Encountering a black-topped boat." Everyone has a dream of an ancient town in their heart. For me, the ancient town has an almost paranoid feeling. Although I grew up in Hunan, the land of plenty, and have never left, the small bridges, flowing water, and green bricks and tiles in Jiangsu and Zhejiang have always been places I yearned for. I also sincerely like the old buildings and solid wood carvings hidden deep inside. I enjoy exploring the beautiful scenery and culture of the ancient town, and wander around endlessly, never wanting to leave. Sometimes you like a place not just because of its beauty, but because it is so quiet that you can connect with your soul and make your state of mind as relaxed and leisurely as running water.

(1) In the misty rain, encountering Taihu Lake

There are many water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, and all of them are ancient towns. My first impression of Jiangnan was either Dai Wangshu's poem "Rain Alley", or the gentle and soft cheongsam, or an ink painting of Jiangnan. About ten years ago, in midsummer, I was on the train from Hangzhou to Wuzhen, and I got to know Nanxun from a local illustrated magazine. The pink walls and black tiles, the small bridges and flowing water, the deep stone alleys, and the tranquility and leisureliness fascinated me. , never forget. This time coincided with the fireworks festival in March, and I came to Jiangnan with my husband to handle business. On the way back, because I had to pass through Nanxun, I finally couldn’t restrain my yearning for it, so I took a quick trip. In March, when grass is growing and warblers are flying, we have already felt the arrival of the rainy season in the south of the Yangtze River. Coupled with the sudden "late spring cold", this kind of weather makes the trip a bit difficult. Although there is not enough equipment to keep out the cold, and no accommodation has been booked. The time schedule was also very tight, and due to the impact of the epidemic, it seemed a bit rushed, but my husband and I decided to use our rare leisure time to go on this trip to Nanxun. On the way to Nanxun, apart from the driver, there were only two people on the bus: my husband and I. I don’t know whether it was because of the cold weather that no one wanted to go out, or because the Nanxun we were going to was so low-key that few people knew about it, and this kind of journey seemed more interesting. Suitable for visiting the ancient town, less noisy and crowded, more comfortable and quiet. The car drove along the shoreline of South Taihu Lake. Through the rain-beaten glass windows, I saw the vast Taihu Lake. The water surface was extremely open and soothing. There were dots of sails in the distance, which were comparable to the vastness of the sea. Occasionally, a few sailboats passed by. The egret, which looks like the sea but not the sea, makes me feel a kind of majestic and boundless. The originally difficult journey seems to have come to life. The scene in front of me makes me forget the coldness of my body for a moment. I long for time to slow down a little, so that I can appreciate Taihu Lake more. scenery. After getting off the bus, we were still a few miles away from Nanxun Ancient Town. We transferred to a taxi. The taxi driver was very enthusiastic and introduced us to the past and present of Nanxun. He said that it was really the right time for us to come to Nanxun at this time. In previous years There are a lot of tourists at this time and it will be relatively crowded; and he told us that Nanxun Ancient Town has long been included in the government's reconstruction plan, and most of the original residents have been relocated, but due to some reasons the reconstruction has not been implemented. Maybe in a few years, It would be a different story. This reminds me of Wuzhen, which I visited ten years ago. On one side is the original, quaint and old East Gate, and on the other side is the West Gate, which has been transformed by the government and is quite prosperous and modern. The gap makes people feel like they are in another world. I feel a little sad when I think that in a few years Nanxun will be as full of commercial atmosphere as Xizha in Wuzhen. I also feel that this trip to Nanxun is really worthwhile. It was almost noon when we arrived at Nanxun Ancient Town. My husband and I couldn't resist the biting cold wind. We planned to go to a coffee shop outside the scenic area and order hot drinks and desserts first to warm up our bodies. We drank hot drinks while checking things out. Fortunately, we quickly found a waterside inn in the scenic area - "Xunju Riverside". After contacting the store and looking at the navigation, we found that the inn is right next to the entrance of the ancient town. From the coffee shop It's less than ten minutes' walk there. After walking out of the coffee shop, the fatigue and coldness in my body eased a lot. I finally came to this place that I had always wanted to come to but had never been before. I couldn’t hold back my joy and excitement, eager to enter the Nanxun dream. ?

(2) A dreamy water town, quiet and beautiful Nanxun

Different from the famous Wuzhen, Xitang and Zhouzhuang, Nanxun Ancient Town is restrained and low-key, as if it is blooming quietly in time. A lotus branch fills the sleeves with a faint fragrance. If it weren't for the words "Nanxun Ancient Town" that appeared on a large stone slab at the entrance of the scenic spot, my husband and I would have arrived at the ancient town before we knew it. Except for the tourists and locals passing by in twos and threes, everything was so quiet and simple. , there is no noise, only the quiet old marks left in time and space. When I really walked here, I discovered that although Nanxun Ancient Town is one of the six ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River and the first ancient town in my country to be included in the World Heritage List, it is so low-key that people forget its existence again and again. Such a low-key, but yet. It made me feel the feelings of preference and the long-lost touch in my heart. The moment you step into Nanxun Ancient Town, walking on the quiet path paved with blue bricks, you feel like you have stepped into the old times. White walls and black tiles, mottled stone bridges, scattered old shabby houses, and images of the old days in the attic are sometimes hidden and reappearing.

While standing there, I seemed to be able to listen to the acapella singing of Wu Nong's soft language in the old days, and the stories that happened during the Republic of China... This is a place where people can forget time. Even though I have been to many ancient towns, I still feel that they are also the same. Ancient towns have unusual charm because of their different heritage. Hidden in the boudoir, no one knows. Compared with other ancient towns, Nanxun is still a pure land. Although the prosperity of the past is all gone, it may not be the most lively and prosperous ancient town, but it is like a "lady" hidden in the center of the Yangtze River Delta, watching the changes of the years, living in a boudoir. , but there is still no shortage of interested people looking for fragrance. Nanxun is not big, but it is as exquisite and attractive as a Jiangnan woman. The combination of Chinese and Western architecture is what distinguishes it from other ancient towns. Although it has weathered many years, it still has a unique flavor today. It can be said that every scenery in the ancient town is worth savoring. Nanxun used to be the richest town in the south of the Yangtze River. It contained the former mansions of Nanxun's richest people, and the past and present lives of Jili Hu silk and Hu brush... Now, the history has been hidden, and it is like a budding flower. The lotus flowers are blown by the wind and soaked in the rain every day, and they live a simple and comfortable life. Just the occasional and inadvertent appearance of the lotus flower is enough to make you fall into its soft water-like waves and poetic painting; even in a On an ordinary day, when it is misty and rainy, I hold an oilcloth umbrella and walk on the ancient bluestone road, and a picture of the Jiangnan water town slowly unfolds.

(3) The prosperity is gone and the world is full of fireworks

The beauty of Nanxun is not in the famous scenic spots or the houses of celebrities, but in the streets and alleys, in the morning, in the Sunset. For hundreds of years, the fireworks here are still there, the simple folk customs are still there, and the old Jiangnan style has never changed. Every plant and tree here shows leisurely contentment, but there is no trace of philistinism or elegance. When it rains in the south of the Yangtze River, it can make people think a lot, not to mention the rain in the ancient town of Nanxun, which is even more confusing and charming. In the afternoon, after putting down our luggage, my husband and I walked out of the inn, facing the rain, and walked on both sides of the Xun River. The Jiangnan complex in our hearts was opened by a spring rain, and slowly fell along the green tiles on the eaves. . The ancient town is very quiet. I don’t know whether it’s because of the rain or because Nanxun is just like that. There are fewer tourists rubbing shoulders. Occasionally I meet residents strolling in the courtyard or old people standing on the bridge talking. For a moment, I forget that I am just a person. Travelers, standing on the stone bridge, are surrounded by ink and wash. Everything here does not look fancy or decorated at all, but it makes people feel simple, profound and beautiful. Nanxun is special. Under its elegant and refined appearance, it also has indescribable warmth and endless local flavor. Its charm is not only the apricot blossoms hidden under the white walls, but also the fireworks of life day after day for thousands of years. The life of Nanxun people is like the river in front of their door, flowing quietly and slowly. There is no bar street here, no noisy hawking, no Yiwu handicrafts that are standard in the ancient town, and no so-called mutton skewers... Double noodles, small dried bamboo shoots, Qianzhang hidden in the alley Vermicelli soup and wontons all seem to smell like childhood; bluestone roads full of traces of time, red lanterns hanging in front of the windows of hundreds of buildings and at the bridgeheads, this is what the ancient town should have looked like, right? . Only by walking in the streets and lanes of Qiaotou can you feel that the real Nanxun is hidden in the fireworks of the world that have not changed for hundreds of years and in the vitality of late spring. It only takes one glance to make you unforgettable for a long time. A water port and half a dike willows, and everything is going well for people on both sides of the strait. In Nanxun, everyone can get what they need. If you just come to relax, you can leisurely appreciate the style of the ancient town and wash away the beauty in the leisurely atmosphere; if you come to explore culture, you can meditate among the historical ruins and read Jiangnan epics in the stone bridge lanes; if you want to enjoy the ancient town in your heart To express feelings, you can lightly hold an oil-paper umbrella, turn down the alley and walk through the alley, and feel a different kind of tenderness in Wu Nong's soft words.

? (4) The land of poems and books, a journey of the heart

The most beautiful thing about Nanxun is the fireworks on earth, but I also want to take you to see the past and present life of those rich people’s deep residences. Before coming to Nanxun, I probably knew a lot of keywords related to it, such as Baijian Building, Xiaolianzhuang, Jiaye Library, Zhang Jingjiang’s former residence, Liu’s Ladder, Zhang Shiming’s former residence, etc. These need to be savored carefully. . However, due to the special period, some scenic spots were not open to the public, so my husband and I could only choose a few of them to visit. Although we had some regrets, we also left some thoughts for ourselves. Baijianlou A trip to Nanxun is in vain if you don’t see Baijianlou. The Baijian Building is built along the river, about 400 meters long. We walked out from the back door of the inn, walked along the river bank, and passed through several bluestone lanes. We didn’t need to search for it, and we came across the Baijian Building by chance. . Today, Baijianlou is still inhabited by local residents of Nanxun. The most beautiful scenery of Baijianlou is the contrast of the residential houses along the bank with the clear river water. Because boats no longer travel in the river, the reflection on the river makes Baijianlou even more beautiful. It seemed extremely silent. This is also the most original one I have seen among the many ancient towns in the south of the Yangtze River that I have visited. Behind the Hundred Buildings, there is a story full of human interest. The Baijian Tower was built by Dong Fen, the Minister of Rites in the Ming Dynasty, for his 100 maids when he retired to Nanxun. However, if it had been built normally, it would have blocked the way of the common people. In order to make it easier for the people to travel, Lao Shangshu used heaven and earth to build buildings above and leave roads below for the people to walk, which reflects a kind of conscious goodwill. No matter how big the battle is or how high the status, there is a ruler in the heart, a sense of awe and warmth towards personnel, which makes us feel the "human touch" behind Baijianlou.

This minister was from Nanxun. What he didn't expect was that today, more than four hundred years later, the Baijian Building would become the tourist card of Nanxun Ancient Town. Xiaolianzhuang? Xiaolianzhuang is the private garden of Liu Yong, the leader of the "Four Elephants" in Nanxun in the late Qing Dynasty. It took forty years to build. We learned from the hostess of the inn that Xiaolianzhuang is also the trump card attraction of Nanxun ancient town. Entering from a seemingly inconspicuous small doorway, I never thought that there is a huge world hidden inside. The ten-acre lotus pond in Xiaolianzhuang, although only broken branches are left, is still charming and has a "withered Zen" meaning. Presumably in midsummer, the beautiful scenery of the pond full of green lotuses reflecting the sky will be even more charming. Walking around the lotus pond, I approached a small garden with the word "winding path" carved on the outside of the round arch. I was thinking that the so-called "secluded place" should be not far away... Walking inside, my husband and I I can't help but be amazed by it. It really is a "unique cave". The pavilions and pavilions in the garden are very exquisitely designed. They make use of the terrain and the layout of the corridor and rockery to achieve different scenery with each step, which is quite ingenious. There is a small pavilion standing on the rockery. It is not difficult to imagine that the owner of the garden will chat with the literati here about the past and the present and have a few drinks. Looking around, I could see the surrounding scenery at a glance. Looking back, I realized that on the back of the arch I just entered, the word "Tongyou" was written on the back. It was really wonderful! The Liu Family Temple, stele gallery, and archway in Xiaolianzhuang all reveal the rich history and make people think deeply. Nowadays, even if the garden is maintained, it looks old and decayed. However, thinking about living in it more than a hundred years ago, it is really better than today's mansion worth more than 100 million yuan. We can still see that it is closely related to the spiritual taste of the literati in the past who pursued leisure and leisure. Jiaye Hall Library Across the river from Xiaolianzhuang is the Jiaye Hall Library, one of the three largest private libraries in China. It was built by Liu Yong's grandson Liu Chengqian, and 600,000 precious books were once hidden there. Entering the Jiaye Hall library and looking at the bookshelves, I remembered that Liu Chengqian loved collecting all kinds of ancient books and listening to the sound of turning books. Years later, he made great contributions to the preservation of human culture. He was born into a wealthy businessman's family, yet he cherished books so much and loved reading. He was indeed a strange person. In the past, Nanxun has nurtured many literati. After years of changes and ups and downs, today's Nanxun still exudes a strong scholarly atmosphere, silently waiting for her rich cultural accumulation and waiting for tourists who truly understand it. Don't be surprised. disturb. Every stone, every bridge, every brick and tile here has become thicker and thicker under the influence of history. The traditional culture and the philosophy of being kind to others contained in it can make people feel a rich sense of belonging in a fast-paced environment. A humane life. ?

? (5) Stay overnight in Nanxun and listen to the sound of rain

If you want to take a good look at this ancient town full of life, the best choice is to stay in Nanxun. Night. As night fell, we walked slowly back on the stone road. The inn we stayed in was located by the river in the ancient town scenic area. It was a two-story small attic built near the water. There were not many rooms. In this off-season, it was only my husband and I. Check in. The hostess of the inn is warm and exquisite, the room is clean and unique, and the originality can be seen in every detail. When I opened the antique wooden lattice windows, I was struck by the Xun River flowing under the windows and the stone bridge not far away. Nanxun at night does not have the "feasting lights" of other ancient towns, and is as quiet as otherworldly fireworks. Just staying here for a few days, drinking tea, listening to the rain, and watching the small bridge and flowing water will be very happy. Even just sitting on the balcony of the attic, blowing in the wind, dazing, chatting with your lover, it is extremely comfortable. When night falls, Nanxun is covered with gauze, and there is a slight chill in the air. In this misty and rainy season, the cool rain and the gentleness of Nanxun complement each other. After it rains, the ancient town is filled with the smell of rain and dew. Standing on the window sill of the attic, through the hazy veil of fog, you can see the red lamps along the river lighting up one by one. The reflection of the red lamps in the water is leisurely, giving off a unique feeling. The gentleness and tranquility; the wind blows the willow branches, and the swaying figure makes the quiet night a little more lively. This scene reminds me of Bian Zhilin's poem "Broken Chapter": "You stand on the bridge and look at the scenery, and the people watching the scenery are looking at you upstairs. The bright moon decorates your windows, and you decorate other people's dreams." . "Life is like a tree with flowers blooming, either quiet or enthusiastic, lonely or brilliant. The days gradually become thicker in the rings of the years, and those innocent, jumping, or contemplative souls are caught up in the bustling and hustle and bustle. Carving deep and shallow marks." Listening to the sound of wind and rain outside the window, Mr. thought for a moment, as if muttering to himself, or telling me, "When we stand in the present and think about the changing history, we will It feels unreal, just like walking in the lane on the bank of the Xun River. Thinking of the person who wrote the poem "Little bridges and flowing water, people's houses, ancient roads with westerly winds and thin horses", you will sigh what kind of situation can make people feel like this. Such expression. However, have you ever thought that in a few decades or even hundreds of years, we will be the ones writing history, and maybe one evening, someone will be standing in the same place, walking under our feet. road, recalling our present." I smiled silently. Nanxun Ancient Town is really a place where people can forget time. What passes by is the years and history is left behind. Who you are or who I am, it doesn’t actually matter, even if we are thousands of years apart. Years, the inner soul can still have a dialogue across time and space. A piece of misty rain, half a curtain of dreams. The time is quiet and good with you, the gentle flow of time is with you, and the prosperity fades with you when you grow old.

If a place can still have purity, still have the moonlight of the past, and can still bring back things in our past memories, I think this place is the ancient town. When I dream back at midnight, the gentle sound of the oar floats past, and the tenderness of time is conveyed in the mist that is within reach. Nanxun may not be suitable for meeting, but more suitable for settling down. It can perfectly satisfy all your expectations and longings for the ancient town.

If you want to feel its beauty, you can only slow down and listen attentively...