Wander the old arcade street
Yang Mingqiang
As early as the autumn of 1997, I went to Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province, because I was too busy with affairs to check in to the tourist attractions. Before the Spring Festival in 2024, after a lapse of 26 years, I finally happily invited a group of 5 classmates and friends to Hainan Island by car, starting a happy leisure and research trip.
For the first stop of the research trip, we chose Haikou Qilou Old Street.
The old street is located in Zhongshan Street, Longhua District, Haikou City. Entering the street, but seeing the flow of people, the traffic, especially the battery motorcycles are everywhere, and the streets are densely parked with various types of motorcycles. Walking through the crossroads of the old streets, the flow of people shuttling back and forth, and the shouting and shouting, I feel as if I am in the scene of the crowds and commercial explosion on the street of small commodities and clothing on Qingnian Road in Chengdu, the country of abundance in the eighties and nineties of the 20th century.
The old street is full of people and traffic
Originally, Haikou Dragon Riding Old Street, which was awarded the "Chinese Historical and Cultural Street", is the historical and cultural district with the largest and most well-preserved dragon riding architecture in Hainan today, and is rich in Chinese and Western characteristics. The buildings on both sides of the street are arcades with a history of nearly 100 years and full of Nanyang architectural style, stringing together the history of Haikou's urban changes.
It turns out that the origin of dragon riding is closely related to the opening up of Haikou, and also stems from the development of maritime trade and shipping. In 1684, the Kangxi government of the Qing Dynasty announced the abolition of the sea ban and the opening of sea trade; In 1858, the Qing government and the British and French governments signed the Treaty of Tianjin, and Qiongzhou (Haikou) was opened as a treaty port, becoming the window of Hainan Island to the outside world. In 1924, Haikou was established as an independent city, and overseas Chinese returned to their hometowns to invest in and build houses, and a large number of colonnaded arcade buildings with Nanyang style were built. These buildings are not only used for commercial and residential use, but also suitable for Hainan's sunny and windy climate, which is conducive to people's shelter from the sun and rain. The building, with its ground floor setback and public pedestrian space, is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. The lower porch serves as a sidewalk, which provides shade and protection from rain, and is a transitional space between indoor and outdoor. Arcades are widely found in South Asia, Southeast Asian countries, as well as Hainan, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi and other coastal areas of the mainland.
Faintly visible slogans bear witness to the long history
It is called the "arcade" and is mainly related to its unique architectural structure: it has no walls on the ground floor, but uses tall pillars to support the building above, forming a corridor. This structure resembles a horse's leg from a high vantage point, and the corridor resembles a horse's back, hence the name "arcade". This architectural style originated in Nanyang, built by returned overseas Chinese, with a strong Nanyang atmosphere, mostly two or three storey small buildings, and decorated with fine carvings.
The complex was first formed in the twenties and thirties of the 19th century. Among them, the oldest building, the four arches, was built in the Southern Song Dynasty and has a history of more than 600 years. In 1849, the first arcade was built in the fourth archway of Haikou City, which was built by a Qiong merchant who returned from Southeast Asia.
The arcade complex is majestic
It is not only one of the most distinctive streetscapes in Haikou City, but also the product of the combination of Qiongzhou culture and Hainan culture, which records the respect and protection of history.
Walking through the old street, the meeting bookstore, Zhongxi bookstore, Zhengchanghao, Yuchengfeng, Guangyuanxing, Jianwai Hotel (see the world, see all beings), Yongji Anbenji, Wenxiang Pavilion, Baofeng Hall, Tianhou Temple, etc., make people dizzy. In front of the building on an old street, I saw that between the second and third floors, the red slogans of "Long live the Communist Party of China" and "Long live the great unity of the people of the world" were faintly visible, which should be the historical relics and witnesses left during the "Cultural Revolution" in the 60s of the 20th century.
Walking in the old street, the heart is at ease
Located at No. 39 Bo'ai North Road, "Guangdetang" was built in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty and is a famous medical hall, which is very famous in Hainan Island and even famous in Southeast Asia. In 2011, the Haikou Municipal People's Government established it as the first class of historical buildings in Haikou City.
After passing through the Hainan style snack bar - Coconut Language Hall, the couplet in front of the door impacts the vision, and there is a way: Coconut Language Hall tells the story of the old street, and Qingbu Liangdao Hainan style. It can really be said that it is not only stable for the battle, but also highly generalized, which is quite attractive.
The cultural flavor of Qilou Old Street
If you have plenty of time and leisure, "Freedom in Qiongju Courtyard" is waiting for you to seek comfort and share the meaning of freedom.
Isn't it? Each of us, all our lives, is actually seeking ourselves. If the heart changes, it will come as it is. Those who are at ease have three realms: clear mind, not deceived by the heart; The heart is not hindered, not in love; Let the luck follow the fate, not trapped in the vulgar.
Occasionally, or all the time. Do you love, or you don't, but you're here......
The century-old street is still in its glory
Preliminary draft on March 2, 2024
Revised on April 23, 2024
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Please indicate: "Source: Fang Zhi Sichuan"
Source: Sichuan Provincial Office of Local Chronicles
Text/Photo: Yang Mingqiang [pen name Xiaofeng Haoyue, writer, photographer, senior media person, former editor-in-chief of "Admissions Examination News". Member of the Chinese Prose Literature Association, member of the Sichuan Writers Association, vice chairman of the Sichuan Red Star Writers Association (Provincial Writers Association), vice president of the Sichuan Literary and Art Development Promotion Association, vice president of the Sichuan Campus Literature Association]