In July 2023, the Municipal Bureau of Planning and Resources organized a professional research team to carry out a survey on the protection of characteristic houses and villages in the city. To this end, the research team carried out a comprehensive survey of the space, settlement texture, architectural characteristics and cultural characteristics of rural villages in Jinshan District.
The origin of the ancient town
Ruanxiang Village, Caojing Town
Ruanxiang Village is located in the north of Caojing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai, adjacent to Reservoir Village in the east, Xinglong Village in Zhelin Town, Fengxian District in the northeast, Longquan Port in the west, facing Jiangzhuang Village, adjacent to Jiuduntang River in the south, adjacent to Hutang Village in the south, and bounded by the Middle Canal in the north, connecting with Jinshan Industrial Zone.
The village covers an area of 5.0 square kilometers and is formed by the merger of the original Ruanxiang Village and Minghua Village, with 21 villager groups and 1 resident group, with a registered population of 2,501 and a permanent population of 2,965.
Nguyen Lane Old Street
Spatial genes
Ruanxiang market town is located at the intersection of Caojing, Zhuhang and Huqiao in Jinshan and Fengxian districts, and is a typical market town settlement system born by water in the history of Jinshan District. According to legend, Ruan, a native of the Wei dynasty of the Three Kingdoms, chose to live here in his later years, hence the name. Ruan Xiang became a town during the Ming Hongwu period, and the city of the Qing Dynasty was quite prosperous. Qianlong's "Fengxian County Chronicles" contains: Ruan Lane "borders with Huayi, the streets are circling, the market is lined up, there are 200 residents, the vertebral cultivators, the derangers Jia, all walks of life, bustling, quite a giant town." There were religious and cultural relics such as Jiulong Nunnery, Jiulong Temple, Xianshui Taoist Temple, and Sanguantang Temple in the market town, which shows the prosperity of the market town in those years.
Location of Nguyen Xiang market town
The spatial gene of the ancient town lies in the settlement system of market towns that were born by water in the history of Jinshan District. Ruanxiang Market Town is located at the intersection of Caojing, Zhuhang and Huqiao in Jinshan and Fengxian districts, and its unique geographical location makes it an important representative of the Shanghai School of Jiangnan.
Village texture
The area where Ruan Xiang Village is located is low-lying and the river network in the village area is dense, all of which belong to the Longquan Port water system. The main east-west rivers include Xianshuitang, Zhangjiatang, Zhongxin River, etc., and the spacing of the main river network is about 500-600 meters. The east and south sides of the village are rich in river and pond water systems, large areas of farmland and harbors are staggered, and natural villages are scattered along the water system.
Texture map of Ruanxiang village
Nguyen Xiang Market Town is located in the north-central part of the village. The Ruan Xiang River flows along the south side of Ruan Xiang Market Town, parallel to the river channel is the east-west central street of Ruan Xiang Market Town, the street is about 200 meters long from east to west, and there are a number of north-south lanes to connect, forming a fishbone-like spatial structure. The street pattern of Ruan Xiang market town is well preserved. There are still teahouses, bookstores, vegetable markets and other facilities on the old street, and the atmosphere of life is strong.
Aerial photograph of Ruanxiang market town (self-taken by the research team)
Market town style
The old streets of Ruan Xiang are narrow and compact, with a width of about three or four meters, and the buildings on both sides are mainly one and two floors. Most of the traditional houses along the street are gray tiles and white walls, and some of them retain traditional practices such as wooden window frames, presenting the main colors of "black, white and wood color". There is a two-storey traditional building on the street that is well preserved, and it was originally an old Tang family's house. It is built near the river, and the outside of the west wall near the river is embedded with a stone of "Taishan Stone Dare to be". After liberation, it was once used as the government of Ruanxiang Township, so it was called "Little Township". There is a suspension bridge on the east side of this building, which is closed day and night, and can pass to Bangnan, and there is a "Tang Family Garden" in Bangnan.
Ruan Xiang Old Street Teahouse (photo by Yang Yang)
"Small Township" near the River (Research Working Group)
Characteristic folklore
Ruan Xiang Old Street Teahouse (photo by Yang Yang)
In the Qing Dynasty, the Jiulong Temple in Ruan Xiang and the Nanzhang Mansion had set up a stage to perform opera. In 1939, Ruan Xiang set up a bookstore in the Yang Genming Teahouse on Chenghuang Street and invited artists to sing and comment. Today's Ruanxiang Bookstore is located on North Street adjacent to the farmers' market, and is the only bookstore in Caojing Town. The storytelling activities of Ruanxiang Bookstore attracted audiences from the High-tech Zone, Tinglin, and even Huqiao and Yexie, and the traditional repertoire, famous artists, and genre singing were well received by the audience.
Ruan Xiangxiang City (photo by Shen Hongyang)
The Chung Yeung Festival Nguyen Xiang Xiang City is also a characteristic traditional festival. The incense market is a small town folk festival integrating culture and commerce, initiated by Tang Zongmin in 1938 and has become a tradition in Ruan Xiang every year during the Chung Yeung Festival. It is recorded that at that time, Ruan Xiang Xiang Market was 3 days and 3 nights, and the department stores on the streets of the town were prosperous, full of people, and there were cultural activities such as storytelling, playing Xianglian, and adjusting dragon lanterns, which were very lively.
Looking forward to the future
Ruan Xiangxiang City (photo by Shen Hongyang)
The history and culture of Nguyen Xiang Village is our precious treasure. It is expected that in the future, Nguyen Xiang Village will be able to develop better while preserving its unique features. Let's look forward to the future of Ruan Xiang Village, every tomorrow will be better.
(Source: Jinshan District Planning and Resources Bureau)