Text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Qin Xiaohui
Photo, video / Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Wang Junwei
Zhongshan Road, in many cities in the country, but Shilong Zhongshan Road is unique: it was built in the early 20th century, undertaking the heavy responsibility of Shilong's "reform of towns and cities" to revitalize business; later, with the convenience of shipping in the north of the East River, it gathered thousands of industries, gathered the world's wealth, celebrities gathered, and the old brand inherited and grew. In modern times, he has successively walked out of the historical genius Zhang Yinlin, the famous architect Lin Keming, the modern democratic revolutionaries Lin Zhimian and Mo Jipeng, Li Wenfu, one of the seventy-two martyrs of Huanghuagang, and Chen Jingkai, the first athlete in New China to break the world record. By the middle of the 20th century, Zhongshan Road handicraft industry flourished, commerce and trade prospered, consolidating Shilong's status as one of the "four famous towns" in Guangdong as a major commercial and trade town, casting Shilong Town for more than a century of glory.
Gather the long-established brands to create a prosperous business world
On the second floor of Dongguan Shilong Museum, under the soft lighting, the quaint and elegant model of The Qilou Old Street on Zhongshan Road stands quietly, accepting visitors from all over the world to visit and reminisce. Fortunately, visitors can also visit the old street of Zhongshan Road, which has been preserved to this day. Although the old street is no longer bustling, there are still sky-high colored windows, carved flowers and mottled street walls for tourists to see and touch.
"There were originally nine small streets such as Wansheng Street, and the construction of Zhongshan Road is a good connection to these nine small streets, and some new municipal places are built on both sides of Zhongshan Road, which can be regarded as urban renewal in today's terms!" He Huanjian, a researcher of local history at the Shilongzhen Museum, introduced it. According to historical records, another reason for the construction of Zhongshan Road was that in 1929, there was a fire on Wansheng Street, and in order to learn the lesson of narrow streets, it was decided to expand a road with a width of 16 meters.
The road has a total length of 1435 meters, divided into three sections of east, middle and west, imitating the most prosperous Shangxiajiu Road in Guangzhou at that time, and building more than 500 arcades on both sides of the street, which not only has the function of shading and rain, but also shows the characteristics of Lingnan architecture. After the completion of some of the arcades on Zhongshan Road, the Guangzhou Republic of China Daily in 1929 also reported on them, saying that the arcades in 1/3 of the already built parts of Zhongshan Road were uneven and "very magnificent". In 1931, in order to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen's repeated visits to Shilong to engage in revolutionary activities, it was named Zhongshan Road, which has been more than 90 years.
"At that time, Zhongshan Road was full of commercial products, and many commodities were not even available in Guangzhou." Li Jiahao is the owner of Yongli Photo Studio on Taiping Road in Shilong Town, which has been operated for generations. According to his recollection, at that time, with the convenience of shipping on the main stream of the East River and the North River, long-established brands such as Xinchang Drum, Li Quanhe Malt Candy, and Qixiang Chicken on Zhongshan Road were launched; the first bank and telephone bureau in Dongguan were also opened one after another; Maohua Tobacco Shop, Wang Zhenjin Shop, and Guo Zhongcheng Jinpu, a well-known Hong Kong artist' great-grandfather, Guo Zhongcheng Jinpu, and other Western-style buildings rose up one after another, becoming landmark buildings on Zhongshan Road, and modern factories such as Huilai Bookstore, Southern Printing Bureau, Minyi Cloth Factory, and Yurong Rice Machine were created one after another. For a time, famous shops emerged, hundreds of industries flourished, and people from all walks of life in the surrounding cities came to visit, the traffic was busy, very lively, and the prosperity of Shilong commerce and trade was created. At that time, there were poems as evidence: Shilong was driving in the city today, cars and horses poured in, the wine was scattered in the afternoon, and the white clouds were still locked in moss.
The former residence of the genius of historiography has become a private house
Because the old town of Shilong unfolds in the shape of a "fish" east-west direction according to the north main stream of the East River, some people compare Zhongshan Road to the "backbone" of "fish". Recently, the reporter walked into Zhuyuan Street through Zhongshan Road, just like walking into the "meridians" and "blood vessels" of "fish". Through the deep alleys of lanes, looking for inconspicuous old houses one after another, recalling the names and stories of the famous Qingshi, as if touching the pulse of the century-old historical context of Zhongshan Road. Among them are: Zhang Yinlin, a genius in historiography, Li Wenfu, Mo Jipeng, Lin Zhimian, and Huang Xiayi, the "four masters of the Republic of China" of Shi Long, and Chen Jingkai, the first athlete in New China to break the world record, and so on.
Zhang Yinlin's former residence is at 60 Zhuyuan Street, Zhongshan East. From the appearance, the building is divided into two parts, the upper and lower parts, the lower part has been decorated with red and white tiles, no different from modern houses, unremarkable. Zhang Yinlin's family was well-off at an early age, rich in books, and his father supervised very strictly. After the death of his father, the family fell into the middle of the road. In 1922, he was admitted to tsinghua xuetang. When he was studying, he was praised by Liang Qichao for publishing "Doubts about Confucius's Sayings of Confucius More Than a Hundred Years Behind Lao Tzu", and his reputation became famous.
Subsequently, Zhang Yinlin published more than 40 papers and academic essays in journals such as Xueheng and Tsinghua Journal, and was called the "Four Talents of the College of Literature" with Qian Zhongshu, Wu Han and Xia Nai. In 1929, after returning from studying in the United States, he successively taught at Tsinghua University, Southwest United University, and Zhejiang University, and edited the historical masterpiece "Outline of Chinese History". Regrettably, Zhang Yinlin died of illness in Zunyi in 1942 at the age of 37.
Today, Zhang Yinlin's descendants have long moved overseas, and his old mansion has become a private house, but his pioneering historical achievements and rigorous academic spirit and daring to question seem to have been forgotten. In this regard, some people have raised such a question: the same Dongguan celebrity, why can't Zhang Yinlin "tolerate" his hometown like Rong Geng? Some folk scholars believe that this is mainly because there are many lineage celebrities of Rong Geng, including Rong Heling, Deng Rongjing, Deng Erya, etc., and the lineage influence is huge. However, zhang Yinlin, who has been divorced, appears to be alone, coupled with his early death, his influence is thin. According to reports, in recent years, successive Shilong Town Party Committee and Town Government have attached great importance to the protection of the former residences of celebrities in Zhongshan Road Old Street, and successive secretaries of the Shilong Town Party Committee have come to visit and investigate and study ways to further protect them.
The dedication of the heroes to the national salvation movement will be remembered by future generations
Similarly, among the historical celebrities of Shilong, there are also Lin Zhimian, Mo Jipeng and others who came out of the old street of Zhongshan Road, known as the "Four Masters of the Republic of China" of Shilong. Lin Zhimian's ancestral home is located at No. 37, Zhusizhou Lane 1. Currently living is Lin Zhimian's niece and granddaughter Lin Qunying, who is over seventy years old this year. Recently, the reporter knocked on a narrow iron gate and walked a long dark alley to the former residence of the Lin family. At that time, the sunlight shone through the towering courtyard wall and hit the redstone lintel of the ancestral main hall, which was particularly bright.
"He joined the revolution at a young age, was a hero, and his exploits deserve to be remembered forever by our descendants." Lin Qunying said that she was only 2 years old when she met Lin Zhimian and did not have much experience with him. The deeds of Lin Zhimian that I have heard now are also learned from books and newspapers. It is reported that Lin Zhimian's ancestral home was Zengcheng, Guangzhou, and later moved to Shilong, Dongguan, with a solid family. Later joined the League.
In the autumn of 1908, the Southern Branch of the League was established at the Lin family, and Lin Zhimian was responsible for the preparation of affairs. Lin participated in the Guangzhou New Army Uprising, the Huanghuagang Uprising, the Campaign to Protect the Country against Yuan, and the Crusade against Chen Jiongming. In 1921, Sun Yat-sen was elected as the president of the presidency, and Lin served as the secretary of the president and the superintendent of the two radio and television administrations. After the September 18 Incident, Lin actively participated in anti-Japanese and anti-Chiang Kai-shek activities. He died of lung disease in 1934. It is worth mentioning that Lin is also good at calligraphy, and You Jinghanli is one of the outstanding calligraphers in modern China.
At present, the Ancestral Home of the Lin Family is inhabited only by Lin Qunying. Lin Qunying said that she grew up living in the Zhongshan Road area, shopping and buying vegetables with her neighbors every day, which was quite comfortable. The nearby neighbors are also happy to associate with Lin Qunying, and they all know the feats of Lin Qunying's ancestors who can sing and cry.
According to He Huanjian, in shilong's "four masters of the Republic of China," in addition to Lin Zhimian, Mo Jipeng was also a modern Chinese democratic revolutionary who had walked out of Zhongshan Road, and he had participated in the Huanghuagang Uprising. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, he returned to Dongguan, rebuilt the Guangdong Girls' Vocational School in Guangzhou, and founded The Xiawen Middle School. Li Wenfu's father, Li De, opened an oil candle shop in Shilong Xiluyuan (present-day Zhongshan West Road). Li Wenfu, Lin Zhimian and Mo Jipeng formed a friendship with each other, organized the Awakening Heaven Dream Drama Society and the Zhenwu Shrine, publicized the democratic revolution, participated in the Uprising of the New Army in Guangzhou, was wounded in the Huanghuagang Uprising and was captured by the Qing army.
Source | Yangcheng Evening News Yangcheng Pie
Editor-in-charge | He Quansheng