Travel Notes ‖ One-day micro-travel in Suzhou (3) - from Tongdeli to Shuyuan Lane

In the warm sunshine of early winter, nature is still dyed with the red, golden and blue colors of late autumn, and seems to be a little brighter. Days like this are still suitable for shopping and eating. Meet up with friends and roam the streets of Suzhou.

Take Subway Line 4 to Leqiao Station, exit from Exit 5, and walk eastward along Ganjiang Road for six or seven minutes to W300 Road.

With W300 Road as the central axis, extending to Jinfan Road to the west, Gongyuan Road to the east, Shizi Street to the south, and Qianjiang Road to the north, it is the W300 Road Historical and Cultural District. This area is rich in historical relics and retains intact buildings with the style of the Republic of China. Especially in Tongdeli and Tongyili, there are 19 two-story Western-style houses from the 1930s in the Republic of China, 30 Shikumen, and 127 households in these two lanes. In 2019, the TV series "Everything Is Fine" hit the airwaves. In the TV series, the old house of the Su family is located in Tongli, which made the place become famous overnight. For a while, there was a huge wave of tourists, almost filling the alleys.

To be honest, if it weren’t for this drama, I probably wouldn’t have known that there were such alleys so close to Leqiao and Ganjiang Road. Even if I had passed by, I would have missed them after just one glance. landscape.

It is said that the history of Tongdeli can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period. It was once the back garden of the Wu Palace. After Zhang Shicheng's defeat in the late Ming Dynasty, it gradually became a fish pond. In the 1920s, the Northern Bureau built Kaiming Garden During the construction of the Grand Theater and other buildings, the high piers were bulldozed and the foundations were excavated, and the soil was piled here, so the fish pond was filled in. Later, Shanghai tycoon Du Yuesheng invested in building a house for rent here, and named it Tongdeli, which means "Tongmu Deze".

The carved gate is arched high at the entrance of the alley, and there are magnificent Ioni columns on both sides of the door opening, revealing the Western architectural style. More than 20 families live in this alley, which is 150 meters deep and two meters wide. They are all Shikumen with carvings above the door. The courtyard doors of each house are ajar or ajar. Inside the doors is a U-shaped two-story brick and wood structure building with wooden lattice doors and windows. The patio is full of things hung to dry from upstairs. Wu Nong’s soft words can be heard in the house, and the sound of cooking is also heard...

Tongdeli, which was once bustling with people two years ago, After being lively for a while, it finally regained its peace and tranquility.

A hundred steps south of Tongdeli is Tongyili. It is 120 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. It was built by Jia Shiyi, deputy minister of finance of the Kuomintang government in the 1930s, and named Tongyili, which means it will benefit all the people. The gate at the entrance of the alley is slightly different from the one in Delhi - there are no carvings on the top. There is a stone pier shaped like a flower bed next to the gate, engraved with patterns, animals and the words "enlightenment" and "*** Mu Deze", which indicates the special historical past of this place.

Not far into the cave, there is a grotto with an open door on the left and a garden full of chrysanthemums in full bloom. Just when we couldn't help but want to step in, a man in his sixties came out of the house. I said: "The chrysanthemums are blooming so beautifully. Can we come in and have a look?"

"Okay, you can come in."

So we went in and took the Taking pictures of chrysanthemums with mobile phone.

When the man saw this, he said, "How can you take good-looking pictures when you take pictures like this? Look at what I took." Then he opened his phone and pulled out the photo of an asshole he took with a SLR.

So, we started chatting. He pointed to this three-bay, two-story wooden structure of the Republic of China and told us: "This house was originally the Suzhou District Administrative Office. After liberation, the government arranged it for my father. In fact, Tongyili and Tongdeli were both Suzhou District cadres at that time. Family Court."

I said: "Then you are a second-generation official."

"A third-generation official!"

While talking, an old man helped me. Walking out of the house wearing a walker. The man said: "This is my mother, she is 100 years old!"

"Ah! A centenarian! So amazing! What a blessing!" I couldn't help but sigh.

The man put his ear to the old man and told her: "They are here to play. They say you are so lucky!" The old man grinned with happiness on his face.

Saying goodbye to the mother and son, we continued walking in. There was also a Shikumen at the end of the alley. The door number was marked "Tongyili 5". The main door opened to the east and was sandwiched between the north and south buildings. Therefore, the door and wall are dark and mottled, full of vicissitudes of time.

Walking into Tongdeli and Tongyili is actually a walk into a different kind of life. If you want to name this kind of life, you can use the three words "most Suzhou".

The trees on the side of W30 Road are sycamores, and in summer this road is bound to be blocked by trees.

Although many people announced on WeChat Moments a few days ago that "Suzhou has officially entered winter today", there are still orange, yellow and green leaves on the trees writing beautiful love poems in the blue sky, making this quiet and quiet road even more romantic.

According to reports, the May 30th Massacre occurred in Shanghai in 1925. All walks of life in Suzhou launched a fundraiser, and later used the 10,000 yuan earned to call the area between the stadium and the Grand Park "Huang Waste Base" and "Pingqiao Lane". The small road was widened and built on the 53rd road to commemorate it. The passion of Suzhou people is evident.

There is a monument erected on W30 Road near the southwest corner of the Grand Park. There are several bouquets of chrysanthemums placed in front of the monument. It seems that this commemoration has long been burned into the hearts of Suzhou people.

The big park is just a small witch compared to some emerging ecological parks, but this 64-acre park has always been a leisurely paradise for Suzhou people, carrying the memories of generations of Suzhou people!

According to the "Suzhou City Chronicle": it was completed in 1920 and was the first modern park in Suzhou. Looking back on history, it was originally the capital city of the Wu Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period. Before Wu Zixu built Dagusu City (now the ancient city), the palace of King Wu was also here. During the Warring States Period, Huang Xie, Lord Chun Shen, was also here. In the late Ming Dynasty, Zhang Shicheng was called the King of Wu here. It's a pity that it eventually disappeared into ashes, leaving only a place name and a history that people can recall to future generations.

Entering from the south gate of the big park, there are green plants everywhere in the park. In the large and small open spaces in the forest, there are aunts playing magnolia fans, and uncles dancing and dancing swords. skills; there is a grandma doing hand swing exercises, an uncle is doing cloud hands; there are a few old people on the bench by the river talking with their backs exposed.

There are no charming natural landscapes in the park, but there are the most vivid cultural landscapes. These dynamic landscapes invite people to slow down and appreciate them with a happy heart.

Walk counterclockwise along the path in the park and come to the monument to American aviator Short in the northwest of the park. On the back of the monument is inscribed "Reconstruction Notes". From it, I learned about the deeds of this anti-Japanese war hero who was only 27 years old when he died. I can't help but sigh: Justice knows no borders!

Wanshou, that is, long live, who can live long? Everyone in China knows that the emperor is here! It is said that there are 22 Longevity Palaces in the country, and Suzhou occupies one of them, located at No. 15 Minzhi Road.

After consulting the information, we found that this was founded by Wu Cunli, governor of Jiangsu, in the fifty-sixth year of Kangxi (1717). Every time the emperor's birthday is known as the Wanshou Festival, officials from all over the city gather here to hold a congratulatory ceremony. If an emperor dies, a spirit will be set up here to offer sacrifices and express mourning. Usually it is used as a place to welcome imperial edicts. Over the past 300 years, it has been destroyed by wars and rebuilt several times. It is now planned as Suzhou University for the Elderly.

What was once a temple has now become a place for the elderly to enjoy themselves, and longevity is shared by all the people! If the governor back then traveled to this world and saw the current scene of Wanshou Palace, he would be so shocked that he would be speechless with his mouth wide open.

We entered through the main entrance with the sign "Suzhou University for the Elderly". There is a Hengtong Building on the west side of the door. Wujiang people are particularly sensitive to the word "Hengtong". Could it be Cui Genliang's Hengtong? Without going into detail, I walked straight in and saw several two-story buildings with blue bricks and wooden windows, which should also be buildings of the Republic of China. Around the time when class was over, old people came out of the building in twos and threes.

Walking around the campus, I only feel that the winding paths of the rock corridors lead to tranquility. Since there are mostly evergreen plants, even though it is winter, it is still full of greenery.

Follow the corridor through two round arches and arrive in front of the Wanshou Hall. The palace is majestic against the blue sky, and the stone terrace in front of the hall is connected to the platform base.

Going out of Yimen to the south, you will see an archway in front of you. There are three characters "Wanshou Palace" on the front facing south and five characters "People's Cultural Palace" on the back. I'm a little confused, what's the difference between the "People's Cultural Palace" and the "Workers' Cultural Palace"? Does “people” have a richer meaning? In fact, this is no longer important. No matter which kind of cultural palace, it seems that it has become a historical product like the Longevity Palace. However, there is an essential difference between the Cultural Palace and the Wanshou Palace. The Wanshou Palace was built for the emperor, while the Cultural Palace was built for the people. After three hundred years of great changes, modern people know that no one in the world can live a long life, but today everyone can wish each other a long life. This is the greatest significance of the great changes!

Go east along Minzhi Road to Fenghuang Street. The ginkgo trees beside the street are still full of golden color. I walked all the way to the north and soon arrived at Dinghui Temple Lane.

The archway with the words "Dinghui Temple Lane" at the entrance of the lane indicates that this lane is extraordinary.

The two ginkgo trees in the temple these days should have golden duck webs rendering them dazzling colors. Unexpectedly, due to sexual intercourse, the temple door was closed tightly.

However, after walking dozens of steps into Su Gong Alley on the east side of the temple, and over the more than ten-foot-high yellow courtyard wall, you can actually see the two 200-year-old ancient ginkgo trees. The crown of trees covered with gold leaves is particularly eye-catching against the blue sky and the black eaves of the temple.

A door next to the lane creaked open, and an uncle came out and said to us, who were holding up their mobile phones and trying to take a photo of the ginkgo blockbuster: "Are these two trees? Come a week earlier, then we will be applauded." Look!" His words were full of pride.

"Okay, come early next year." I said with a smile. (To see the Ginkgo biloba in Dinghui Temple, late November should be the best time)

To the left of Dinghui Temple is the Wu Zuoren Art Museum. I am a layman to art, so I am not very interested. Missed in suspense. Further to the east are the Twin Towers. I went in there with a certain gentleman in mid-autumn last year and didn’t want to repeat them. According to historical records, between Dinghui Temple and the Twin Pagodas, a Gongyuan covering an area of ​​six acres was built during the Qing Dynasty. After the abolition of the imperial examination in the Qing Dynasty, the Gongyuan became a wasteland. Later, residential buildings were built here. It is estimated that this is the Wu Zuoren Art Museum. area.

Walking east out of Dinghui Temple Lane is the Twin Towers Market. This market, built by masters from Dragon TV's "Dream Renovator" program, is an internet celebrity market and is known as a breath of fresh air in the market.

When I entered, I saw that each stall was decorated in an extremely literary and artistic way. Just looking at this sentence on the edge of the shelf - "Let's go to the vegetable market together, from the green years to the gray hair", I felt that shopping in the vegetable market can actually be a good idea. Play with emotions. Fruits, vegetables, meat products, small commodities...every category is neatly sorted and neatly sorted. Moreover, the market has a diverse mix, including fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, flowers, cultural creations and various groceries, as well as snacks from all over the world, and even coffee and bookstores... Romance, fashion and warmth are lingering in the bustling crowd.

Attracted by the aroma of fried food, I came to the "Old Customers". A friend said that there is always a long queue at this stall.

The two of them each ordered a bowl of tofu curd and a pancake. The tofu curd is soft, smooth and tender, while the pancake is fragrant, crispy and crispy. After eating, I only have one thought - I will eat here again next time. Winning repeat customers should be a state of mind for a store owner. If you think about it carefully, the name of the store "Always full of customers" is really a clever move. It is always full of customers, full of regular customers, and regular customers come often, so it is always full of customers... It can be said to be rich in meaning.

I often go to Suzhou, but I often get confused between Shizi Street and Shiquan Street. Today I will continue my wandering to the end and walk around these two streets that I have always been confused about.

Go south along Zujiaqiao Road to Shizi Street.

Not far to the east, you will see St. John's Church, which is the first church founded by the American Board of Supervisors in Suzhou. And due to the epidemic, the church is not open to the public. The two of us could only stand on Shizi Street and admire this Western-style building standing among the white walls and black tiles. The towering spires, pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and long and large windows inlaid with stained glass all show the unique style of Gothic architecture and exude a strong religious atmosphere.

It is said that the church was built in 1881 in Tianci Village (meaning the place given by God) by missionary Pan Shenwen of the American Board of Supervisors. It is called the first church and has 400 seats.

In 1915, the Board of Supervisors demolished the first church and built a new Western-style church with an area of ​​1,855 square meters and 800 seats. It was renamed St. John's Church in memory of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. Its designer is American John M. Muir. There are only three St. John's churches in the world with the same architectural style and the same area. One is in St. Louis, USA, and the other is in Kobe, Japan. Li Zhongqin, the grandfather of Nobel Prize winner Li Zhengdao, was the first Chinese senior pastor of the church.

Not far to the east of St. John's Church is the West Gate of Suzhou University. Due to the special situation, the school gate is also closed. Turn around and go west to the south of Wangxing Bridge, then turn left along Zhongxin Bridge Road and arrive at the south gate of Suzhou University. The gate faces Baibu Street, and at the end of Baibu Street is Shiquan Street, which is parallel to Shizi Street.

On the south side of the street is the gate of a school. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that it is Zhenhua Middle School.

Thinking of Fei Xiaotong. Because he started school early, he was too young when he entered junior high school. In addition, he was physically weak and shy. His parents were worried that he would be bullied if he went to a regular school, so they opened a back door and made him the only boy in Zhenhua Girls' Middle School. Therefore, he met the first girl who made his heart beat in his life - Yang Jiang. When Yang Jiang told Fei Xiaotong, "I have a boyfriend," he even made a date with Qian Zhongshu. In his later years, he still remembered Yang Jiang in his articles, saying that Yang Jiang was his first love.

Someone asked Yang Jiang for confirmation of this sentence, and Yang Jiang said: "Fei's first love is not my first love." After Qian Zhongshu's death, Fei Xiaotong went to visit Yang Jiang, and when sending Fei Xiaotong downstairs, Yang Jiang said: "The stairs are difficult to walk, so you don't have to 'go up despite the difficulties' in the future." In the end, this young and unrequited love will forever become a beautiful legend.

To the west of Zhenhua Middle School is the former residence of the Peng family, known as the head of the four major families in Suzhou. According to historical records, in the nearly three hundred years of scientific examination in the Qing Dynasty, the Peng family produced two Huiyuan and No. 1 scholars, one Tanhua, 14 Jinshi, 31 Juren, 7 deputy candidates, and more than 130 deputy Gongsheng students. I wonder if Zhenhua Girls’ High School was located here because it was a geomantic treasure land for studying and seeking fame.

Shiquan Street was originally called "Shiquan Street" and was named after ten ancient wells. However, Qianlong called himself "Old Man Shiquan" and visited Suzhou in the south. He once stationed in Xiatang Zhizao Mansion near Daicheng Bridge. In order to please Qianlong, local officials changed "Shiquan Street" to "Shiquan Street". Shiquan Street runs from Wuque Bridge to the east and is a high-end residential area in the old city, with row upon row of giant houses and deep courtyards.

Nowadays, most of the two sides of Shiquan Street are jade shops and silk clothing stores. I had no intention of shopping, so I just wandered along. However, the sycamore trees on the road are eye-catching, with their thick and mottled trunks highlighting the history of Shiquan Street. The eight small bridges on the river on the north side of the street, including the Xingzao Bridge, the Daicheng Bridge, the Shiphang Bridge, the Wuque Bridge, the Fumin Bridge, and the Dicilian Bridge, also have their own characteristics, expressing the poetry of Suzhou where people live on small bridges and flowing water. .

After walking this time, I guess I will never be able to distinguish between Shizi Street and Shiquan Street again.

Go west on Shiquan Street, pass the traffic light at Renmin Road, and enter Shuyuan Lane. More than 50 meters ahead is the former site of the Jiangsu Governor's Office, with the vermilion gate tightly closed and floating past.

Go straight to the Laowang Egg Cake Shop at the intersection of Jinshi Riverside. According to my friend Ye Zi, this is "the dream food of students from the health school next door. There are always queues at the stall." Fortunately, arriving early is worse than arriving late, and there were only three or four people in the queue. The aroma of chive egg pancakes wafts out from the window, exciting your appetite. After eating one, I was not satisfied, so I bought two more to take away for dinner. Today we will finish eating the pie.

Next door to the west of Laowang Egg Cake Shop is Mingyue Tower, which Ye Zi once highly recommended. I thought Mingyue Tower should be a building like Deyue Tower, but unexpectedly it was just a small shop. The environment in the shop was also very ordinary, but the business was very good. Ye Zi said that delicious food must be delicious. Although I don’t like cakes, I do, so I must take some back. On the table in the window, there are green dumplings, rice dumplings, red bean cake, pumpkin cake, osmanthus cake, purple potato cake, mint cake, waist support cake, black rice cake, rose sandwich cake, lard red bean cake... it's dazzling. , falling into difficulty in choosing. Finally, I randomly bought rose cake with sand and lard red bean cake.

After that, return to Sanyuanfang, enter the subway station from Exit 4, and take the subway home. Today is a veritable day for shopping and eating.