Prose | Zeng Mingwei: Baihe Old Street, can be left with memories

Text/Zeng Mingwei

Baihe Old Field Town, also known as Baihe Temple and White Crane Temple, is one of the five famous ancient towns in the history of Chengdu Dongshan.

The five ancient towns of Longquanyi District, in addition to the well-preserved historical buildings of Luodai Town, followed by Baihe Old Street, especially Mopan Street, both sides of the street preserve the architectural style since the Ming and Qing dynasties, the style is very different, unique, reflecting the "large eaves, small patio, GaoLe foot, cold stall tiles" of the Shudi along the street town town architectural style, with the ancient town charm of Chengdu's traditional houses.

Mopan Street is like a boat-shaped street, enclosed by a narrow end and wide in the middle, like a large boat driving in the vast sea to ride the wind and waves. Like a stone plate mill, people walk on the street and push the stone plate to carry the weight forward. Although Mopan Street is old, it is the spiritual symbol of Baihe Ancient Town.

Foreigners who have just come to Baihe will go to Mopan Street to take a turn, or go to the Mopan Middle Cultural Center Square, touch the yellow ge tree with a history of more than 300 years, and experience the unique Mopan Street and ancient town style in Chengdu. Just like people go to Chengdu to go to Kuanzhai Alley and Jinli, and go to Xi'an to go to Muslim Street, they will always feel less if they don't go.

Although Baihe Old Street is not as famous as Luodai Ancient Town, its place name origin, historical relics, tourism, and delicious food were once very popular.

Baihe has a history of 300 years, named after the ancient temple in the town, Yanshou Temple, which has a cypress tree, and is also the place where the descendants of the Zhongzi period live, and there is often a melody of "high mountain flowing water meets Zhiyin" played here. Baihe has the reputation of "the hometown of straw weaving", Baihe straw weaving is famous in Sichuan, and the 10,000 mu sightseeing orchard and baihe fruit picking festival are baihe's bright business cards. However, with the passage of time and urban changes, these reputations and business cards have gradually faded out of people's sight.

Baihe tofu skin is a must-have in Longquanyi District. In the past, there was a Fan's long-established Baihe Tofu Skin Restaurant that used to open an old house on Mopan Street, and the business was very hot. Diners driving from downtown Chengdu lined up in a long line on Mopan Street, extending from the entrance of the store to the outside of the ancient town, and people came from outside the city in an endless stream. It is said that the last diner to eat the skin of Baihe tofu will be lined up until late at night. If it is sold out, it has to be disappointed, which shows its popularity.

Although Baihe Old Street is only 300 years old, its historical origins can be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties. During the Han Dynasty, there was the White Crane Temple (the predecessor of Baihe Temple) here, and the Changsong Temple was built on the mountain, and the incense of the two temples on the mountain and down the mountain was extremely exuberant. The name of the White Crane Temple, according to historical records, is because there are many egrets inhabiting the woodland around the temple, and there is a White Crane Mountain on the mountain, so it is named. Later, a name from Kashiwahaji Temple is said to have originated from this.

The rise of Baihe Town was gradually evolved into one of the five towns of Dongshan because of the construction of the ancient yidao in Chengdu. In 316 BC, qin destroyed Shu and built a post road between Chengdu and Chongqing to promote the exchange of official information and materials. After the Han Dynasty, the ancient yidao was completed and was originally called Shuba Avenue. The White Crane Temple is a necessary place for Shuba Avenue, and many official messengers and literati inkers came out of Chengdu, passed through the White Crane Temple, Changsong Temple, and then crossed the Longquan Mountain to Chongqing, Wuhan and other middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the incense of the White Crane Temple flourished. After the Tang Dynasty, it developed into the famous "Baihe Wendao".

The late Tang Dynasty poet Zheng Gu once lived here, lived in the White Crane Temple and Changsong Temple for more than 6 years, and wrote a large number of poems. Among them, there is a poem "Gifting The Circle of Fang gong": "Tuberose extends the fire, and the cold chime degree is high." Every time I say Nagamatsu-ji Temple, he years with me period. "It depicts the beauty of Hakutsuru-ji Temple and Nagamatsu-ji Temple. Su Shi, a great scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty, passed by the White Crane Temple and changsong Temple, leaving a poem "Giving Ouyang Shubi to Ping Shan": "In the purple green room, sleeping peacefully is not sleep." In his dream, he transformed into a crane and flew into Nagamatsu-ji Temple. Haruka sent his thoughts about hakutsuru-ji temple and Nagamatsu-ji Temple. It can be seen that they often remember the scenery here.

The White Crane Temple and the Changsong Temple, one located in the dam area and the other on the mountain, together they form the scenery of Baihe Town, which has attracted the literati and inkers of the past generations to indulge in the Baihe landscape and left many famous works.

Today's Baihe Ancient Town, facing the future, returning to authenticity, and protecting the cultural relics and historical memories of Baihe Ancient Street cannot be delayed. The ancients had clouds: "All things are born, and they keep their roots alone." "The ancient street is a carrier of national culture and emotional memory, and the continuation of the roots of culture is the continuation of the charm of the city."

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