The collective memories of the post-80s generation of "Dragon Dragon and Loyal Dog"

Nero always sat in front of Rubens' painting, which was covered by a white curtain. No matter how Much Patch dragged him along, he wouldn't go. Fortunately, the door of the church was opened. Patch found Nilo, who had fainted in front of Rubens' painting on the altar.

Patch walked over quietly and pressed his nose to the handsome face of the teenager. - "The Dragon and the Loyal Dog"

I believe that every post-80s generation will not forget to watch a Japanese animation film "Righteous Dog Reward", the original of which is a very famous Belgian fairy tale "Dragon Dragon and Loyal Dog". As children, this story used to make us laugh and cry and sigh. The fairy tale is set in antwerpen, the central city of the Flandre region of Belgium. It is also home to peter paul Rubens (1577-1640), a painter whom dragons worshipped.

Belgium was a country co-founded by the Flemish and Wallons. The Flemishes were artistically superior, and the Walloons were world-traveling merchants. Sometimes I think that perhaps it is the contradictions between these two peoples that have driven the development of this country.

When people think of Belgium, they usually think of Brussels first, but Antwerp, near the center of Flanders, is known as the "most beautiful port city in all of Europe". There is no trace of the port here. The Schelde River, which crosses Antwerp, flows to the North Sea, giving the city a romantic twist. The many residences and secluded alleys built during the heyday of prosperity in the fifteenth century make the old town center a must-see attraction.

In 2012, he arrived in Antwerp by train. Voted the first of the "Twelve Most Beautiful Stations in Europe", the station here is not only majestic in appearance, but also richly decorated inside. Steel and glass work perfectly together to create beautiful roofs and windows that create the effect of stained plexiglass, or acrylic. Tourists will be amazed when they see it.

For Chinese, seeing this building, there is another level of bitterness, the late Qing Eight-Power Alliance invaded China, the Qing government signed the "Xinugu Treaty" that humiliated the country, forced to pay 450 million taels, Belgium was also a participating country at that time, although only one soldier was sent, but also received huge compensation. The Antwerp railway station was built by Belgium with this indemnity, witnessing the lament of the history of the late Qing Dynasty.

In the original story, Dragon Dragon and Patch finally leave this world desolately under Rubens' famous painting.

In search of their footsteps, we kept making our way straight to the cathedral, the two-hundred-and-thirty-year-old cathedral of Belgium's most iconic Gothic building, with a 123-meter-high minaret, a dreamy atmosphere of stained plexiglass, and exquisite sculptures. The entire church is decorated with fine paintings. Climbing the rather steep steps, we were greeted by a tall bronze statue of Rubens.

Antwerp Cathedral houses many of Rubens' representative works, including his first altarpiece, The Cross, which he completed after returning from his studies in Italy. In the fairy tale, Dragon Dragon and Patch are hugged tightly to meet death under "The Lower Cross", which is another masterpiece of Rubens. Rubens' paintings are characterized by their majestic strength, vigorous movements, and intense color, which are particularly evident in The Lower Cross. Seeing this painting, we seem to feel Nilo's desire to see it with his own eyes, and he seems to feel The earnest feeling that Patch felt for Nilo.

The road to Dragon and Loyal Dog

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It takes 50 minutes by train from Brussels to Antwerp, 2 hours from Amsterdam in the Netherlands and 1 hour from Rotterdam.