Chengdu, with the development of history and the changes of the times, added many new streets, but also disappeared some streets, although in the list of streets that have disappeared in the name of the not much, but the history and memory they carry is of great significance to future generations, today they only exist in the memories of the older generation of Chengdu people, it is inevitable to feel regretful.
Walking along Dongcheng Genxia Street, on the opposite side of the current Renhou Street, there was once a short alley less than 100 meters long, originally called Dongyuan Street, and later merged with Ziku Street (Ziku Street is now located in Qingyang District, Chengdu). Although this small street has no name on the current map, the origin of the name of this small street and the story behind it are still worth remembering.
This small street, once a very monumental street, is related to the history of Chengdu. Mancheng is located in the western part of Chengdu's old town, which is the "city within the city" specially built by the Qing Dynasty court for the Eight Banner Soldiers and their families, that is, the predecessor of the wide and narrow alleys. So why was this street named Dongyuan Street at that time? Originally, it was not because it was located in the east of Mancheng, but to commemorate a qing official with a low position, Chen Dongyuan. You know, among the street names in Chengdu, it is the only one named after the modern clean and honest officials.
Chen Dongyuan, a native of Deyang, was a man of the last years of the Qing Dynasty. Influenced by the ideas of the Restoration at that time, he resolutely decided to study in Japan like other young people, studying police administration during his time in Japan, and after returning to China, he became the chief of the Chengdu Xicheng Police Branch. It is said that Chen Dongyuan was more than 40 years old when he came to Japan to study from his hometown in Deyang.
Beginning in 1913, the Sichuan military government, which overthrew the Qing dynasty in Sichuan, decided to demolish Mancheng and successively built a number of streets in the process of demolition, including Dongchenggen Street and many other streets built during that period. In the course of this large-scale demolition and overhaul, many corrupt officials and officials in the military and government circles made a fortune and wantonly occupied all kinds of building materials that were demolished. However, Chen Dongyuan was able to be honest and self-reliant in demolition and construction, not to disturb the people, not to exploit the workers, not to seek private interests, and was deeply loved by the people.
The people spontaneously raised funds to build a monument of merit for him on this newly built small street near Dongchenggen Street (this monument was still in the early days of the founding of New China and was destroyed around 1958), wrote "Xicheng Daqiu" in four big characters, and called this small street Dongyuan Street.
The four characters of "Xicheng Daqiu" contain a historical story: during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Daqiu County made Chen Shi an official clean and honest, "for the official to be quiet, the people to be safe", within the county boundaries "there is no lawsuit" (no one came to file a complaint or fight a lawsuit, the county is harmonious), after his death, more than 30,000 people went to mourn, and there were hundreds of people who wore filial piety for him, and everyone jointly erected a monument for him to show future generations. It can be seen that in the hearts of people at that time, Chen Dongyuan was just like Chen Shi.
Chen Dongyuan was also one of the leaders of the Sichuan Baolu Comrades Association. The second issue of the "Report of the Sichuan Baolu Comrades' Association" that can still be seen now contains "the list of daily speeches decided by the Association to be held in the provincial city in sections", and the person in charge of the Sichuan Baolu Comrades Association who spoke on the second day was Chen Dongyuan.
Report of the Sichuan Baolu Comrades' Association
According to Chen's descendants, Chen Dongyuan lived in Chengdu in his later years. In the street battles of several warlords in Chengdu, these soldiers did not dare to enter Chen Dongyuan's residence, because no matter which faction of the Sichuan army, they were very much in awe of this incorruptible Chen Dongyuan.
The former residences of celebrities and the relics of ancestors carry the spiritual connotation of a city, and these people who have left traces in the history of Chengdu, whether they cherish their homeland or are bent on serving the people, the trajectory of the future is everywhere they go, and they communicate with the direction of going, constituting a unique historical memory of Chengdu and presenting it in the form of place names in front of people's eyes now.
With the change and development of the times, many historical and cultural relics have long been buried in the long river of history. It is said that some descendants of the Chen family expressed their hope that the street name and the Xicheng Daqiu Dezheng Monument could be restored with written instructions so that the historical and cultural features of Chengdu could be preserved. At the same time, it is also good to commemorate this incorruptible man.
Source: Qingyang District Local History Office