Ancient Gusu City, meet Pingjiang Road
Golden autumn October, the season of harvest.
Today the sky is clear, cool and comfortable. I drove to Pingjiang Road in Suzhou, an old and famous historical street.
When I came, I learned that foreign cars are forbidden to pass in this area. Just as I was about to turn to loumen bridge, an old man riding an electric bicycle gestured to me to look at the "no-go sign" when passing by my car, and told me that I could not enter the scenic spot with foreign license plates. The boss is so nice! Suzhou people are so nice!
I had to park in a parking lot under the Loumen Bridge on the outskirts of this demarcated scenic spot and walk into the scenic area.
Hike across the Loumen Bridge, turn left through the East Garden and enter the Pingjiang Historic District. I passed through Daxinqiao Lane, where the main entrance of the coupling garden is located, and walked all the way to Pingjiang Road.
Since it is the first time to come to Pingjiang Road, I don't know if it is the best route to go this way, anyway, I enjoyed the scenery of the East Park along the way, which was also an unexpected surprise.
Pingjiang Road is a stone street road along the river, which is a classic water alley with a long history in Gusu City. As early as the Southern Song Dynasty's Map of Suzhou, Pingjiang Road is clearly recognizable and is the best-preserved ancient neighborhood in Suzhou.
The overall feeling of this old side street to me is quaint and restrained, but it is vaguely revealing a low-key luxury.
The secluded river channels, the white-walled dewa houses, the pavilions with angled cornices, and the small bridges and flowing water are like a long picture of history, which slowly unfolds in front of me.
Unlike many ancient towns and neighborhoods I have been to, it has its own uniqueness. Including its various street shops, their appearance is not ostentatious, but when they walk in, they find that there is no hole in the sky, and the goods sold are also very Suzhou characteristics.
It is very suitable for wearing a well-fitting cheongsam or Hanfu, carrying an oil-paper umbrella, and wandering carelessly on the stone road of each street, which will be a scene of how to travel through history! Because every street here carries the memory of history and has a long historical story.
It is also very suitable for the drizzle of the morning, when there are no tourists to come and walk, experience the flow of the small bridge, experience the life of the city, feel the water vapor splashed by the light rain falling on the bluestone road, and feel the years slowly flowing under the feet.
It's also a great place to walk around at night to see if you can get back your original memories of Gangnam. There is a strong cultural atmosphere here, but it also retains the old appearance of the city and perfectly combines the two into one.
What makes me happiest is sitting on the stone platform along the river listening to the authentic soft Suzhou commentary, only here can I truly experience the charm of the ancient Gusu City. If you like to drink tea, you can also order a pot and listen slowly.
It's a veritable historic district where many celebrities once lived.
In the Hanging Bridge Lane there is Hong Jun's Zhuangyuan Mansion, where Hong Jun and his third aunt, "Qinhuaihe Famous Prostitute" Sai Jinhua, once lived. Take a walk around 27 and 29 Suspension Bridge Lane and feel the path where the elegant Sai Jinhua once walked!
Wei Daoguan No. 3 is the former residence of Pan Shien, a famous minister during the Qianlong period. The people of Suzhou call the Pan family on the rich side "Fupan". With the passage of time, The former residence of Pan Shien is no longer beautiful, but when you come here, you can also feel the power and luxury here three hundred years ago.
In HuXiang Lane, there is the old mansion of the Ma family where the film and drama circles Donner and Lan Ping once lived.
The former residence of historian Gu Jiegang can also be found in the Gu family garden. Perhaps the carved window ledge of the former residence still shows the old style. Cooking smoke and the aroma of books are mixed in the memory, telling the style of the year here.
In Mixed Hall Lane, there is Yang's Hongnong Yizhuang. The house was built by the Yang clan during the Guangxu period and restored by Yang Meng, a descendant of the Yang clan. Yang Meng is known as the famous actor Xia Meng of "Audrey Hepburn of the East".
Pingjiang Road is also a take-off spot for the TV series "All Is Good", and many people who came here when the TV series was broadcast also punched in for it.
In October of 2021, I came here. In the ancient Gusu City, I met the ancient neighborhood of Suzhou with a history of nearly a thousand years--- Pingjiang Road.
(Note: Here foreign cars can not enter, parking fees are 4-6 yuan per hour, I hope that tourists from other places will do a good job in advance.) ）