The first time I knew the name Qutang was when I was in high school, and I remember that we would often do the mock test paper of Qutang Middle School, so since then, this name has been engraved in my heart.
Speaking of Qutang Town, it is located in the south-central part of Jiangsu Province, which is the origin of the Jianghai civilization, and the Qingdun site in the territory traces the history of the Jianghuai Plain back 6,000 years.
Qutang Ancient Town is also a thousand-year-old historical town, in 195 BC, the Western Han Wu King Liu Li excavated the Shangguanyun Salt River, because it is close to the river and the sea, the ditch is like a net, curved, so it has such a "pictographic" name: Qutang. It is also rumored that because the tide of the river and the sea, the east and west swell, converge and swirl here, Qutang has another beautiful name, called "Qushui".
For a long time, Qutang Town has been located in the core area of Lixia River, its history began in the Tang and Song Dynasties, is the "West Gate of Nantong", known as "Jinjiangyan, Yinqutang" reputation.
It is said that the stone street by the Tongyang River was built during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, when there were many shops on both sides of the street, and there were many shops such as local products from the north and south, tea market buildings, market snacks and so on.
Because there were many north-south laneways in the old days, and most of them were symmetrical, shaped like centipedes, people also called it "Hundred Feet Street". Every New Year's holiday, dragon lanterns, horse lanterns, stilts on the streets... It is very lively and empty. But now, with the demolition and construction of the city, many ancient buildings have been lost in the smoke of history.
Walking into the alleys of Qutang Ancient Town, although you can't see the tall horse head wall like the Hui-style building, but the mossy old houses exude a leisurely ancient charm, this town that has witnessed thousands of years of age, brewing the smoky artistic conception of the water town, but also hiding the nostalgic memories of countless people.
In the Red Star Lane of Green Brick Dewa, we saw Qutang Kindergarten, an old building that no longer retains its original function, but the name brand remains. Continue to walk, the Qutang bathroom in front is still lit, hanging the "open soup" sign, many people in the alley take a bath here, once washed is a lifetime.
Walking out of Hongxing Lane and continuing west, we saw the state-owned Qutang Shopping Mall, although today it is a ruin, but the words "1979" are still eye-catching, you can imagine that this place must have been very lively back then, and many people must have come here to buy things.
Continuing west, you will come to West Street, where there are still many old houses today. I was talking to a grandpa who said that there was nothing to see here now, and many old buildings had been demolished.
We turned back east along the old street again and came to an old alley called Qiwan Lane. As the name suggests, this alley has seven bends. In fact, this small alley is less than one meter wide, and the remnants of east and west are 200 meters long. Both sides of the alley are lined with old houses that have been subjected to many vicissitudes, some well-preserved, some dilapidated, and they paint a beautiful picture under the blend of ancient and modern.
In the millennia, Qutang Town has been crowded, but those old streets and alleys are still rooted here, exuding a strong humanistic atmosphere, telling the historical vicissitudes of Qutang. Having time to drill the alley here is a good experience.