Shendu, Shexian County, north pillow Longshan, west of the white fog tip, located at the confluence of Changyuan River and Xin'an River, about 25 kilometers away from the ancient city of Huizhou, is an important land and water gateway of ancient Huizhou. Tang Dynasty officials Zhu Fang and Zhang Said had passed by and stayed in Shendu, and from their poems "Su Xin'anJiang Shenduguan Sending The King's Envoy" and "Shendu Yi", they knew that this place was already a market town in the Tang Dynasty or earlier, and there were post shops.
Today, Shendu is an important transit station of Huangshan --- Qiandao Lake on the Anhui-Zhejiang No. 1 Scenic Road Tourism Line, and is also a tourist distribution center of Xin'an Jiangshan Water Gallery, a national AAAA-level scenic spot. Across the river is Fengchi Island, named after the former residence of Mr. Yao Lian, a Fengchi who was asked by Zhu Yuanzhao, the grandfather of the Ming Dynasty. This trip to Shendu is not a boat tour, but a taste.
The famous Shendu Edamame Tofu has a rectangular shape different from the 1×2 in other parts of Huizhou, but a unique 2×2 in a square shape. Edamame tofu is only most delicious when eaten on the traditional pick of Huizhou, and diners sit around the edge of the pot regardless of whether they are expensive or cheap. The owner opens the stove and makes a fire, very sharply slips the rapeseed oil in the pot, the edamame tofu under the pot, the sound of "silk" is endless, the aroma is swirling, the aroma is fragrant. In three or five minutes, the delicious edamame tofu is fried, sprinkled with chives, drizzled with chili paste, and several pairs of chopsticks reach out to the oil pot together, until the taste buds bloom. Seeing an old man holding a cup of wine, drinking and eating, the town cultural station manager Yao station next to him smiled and said: "Drink a cup in the morning, a day is mighty." The simple humanistic picture in front of him reminds people of some forgotten slips in the memory: "Bamboo board sounds, the throat is itchy; eat three pieces, six points of ocean (money); a glass of wine, really comfortable." ”
Shendu baggage dumplings are a manifestation of Shendu's unique dock culture. Snacks wrapped in square leather into the shape of a merchant's burden, the meaning is to prompt departing relatives or merchants traveling from south to north: first, don't forget the baggage and clothes you carry; second, don't forget your ambitions for this trip (the harmonic sound of the baggage); third, don't forget the expectations and waiting of your relatives in your hometown, the so-called "relatives have more parting words, all in the dumplings." Shendu dumplings maintain the original cooking technology of Huizhou, and they are particularly tender and fragrant to eat.
There are also many flavor food stalls on the food street, including stone kway teow, fried fritters, oil lamps... The fire is red, the pot is creaking, the stall owner is sometimes busy with his hands, sometimes shouting to attract guests, such a rich city fireworks, but the world is very gentle, making it very easy to immerse people. It is no wonder that Zhang Ailing and Xiao Hong, who seem to be unstained by dust, often do not hesitate to describe the scene of snacks in the city in their works.
Yao Station Manager timely reminded that Shendu steamed cake is also quite famous and can be visited. Follow Yao Station Manager to the steamed cake shop under the five old camphor trees of Shendu, after passing a section of old street, I realized that this old street should have the appearance of Shendu ancient, and I thought about the end of the search, and I had to return to the old street to explore it well.
A steamed cake bun shop under a thousand-year-old camphor tree, a couple has been operating for decades, because her husband's name is Wang Jiayu, and the locals call his wife "Jiayu Po". The steamed olives and buns of Jiayu Po Shop have always followed the traditional production process of Huizhou, refined with wine fermentation and other raw materials, the color is white as jade, the taste is sweet and soft, and it is loved by the villagers in the four townships and eight miles. Over time, "Jia Yu Po Steamed Cake (Bao) Shop" has become another food brand in Shendu, and even some city people and tourists will come to buy it.
"Go to Shendu to eat fish", this mantra of many diners shows that the quality of Shendu fish is different. Some restaurants in Shendu can eat whole fish feasts, different fish or according to the characteristics of different fish flavors, make corresponding special dishes, each dish cooking method is different. The most famous is that almost every family will make a deep ferry fish head, about three or four pounds of bighead carp head, simply placed in a casserole pot to stew, stewed fish soup into a milky white, there is a thin layer of fish oil on it, eat smooth and delicious, but there is no muddy smell.
At the end of the taste hunt, return to the old street, the old street is full of ancient charm, as if dreaming back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. According to Yao Station Manager, the existing old street accounts for only one-third of the original old street. In the past, the old street was divided into outer street, middle street, horizontal street, and lane street (also known as Lingshang), and there were many shops in the past, with about 180 shops of various types. There were local folk songs: "Outer Street East, West, South and North Trade Lines, Middle Street Flavor Snacks Tempting Intestines, Hengjie Bamboo, Wood, Iron Jingle, Lijie Department Store Jingle, and 'Born, Dasheng' Chinese Medicine Hall, famous in the north of southern Xinjiang and Shanghai and Hangzhou." From the narration of Yao Station Chief and some of the remaining old shop signs along the street, the former style of the ancient town seems to be reproduced in front of the eyes.
When walking the old street, a rich and warm sesame fragrance wafted in, bringing us an unexpected surprise. Follow the incense and enter a family on the street, which turns out to be a top-of-the-market crisp workshop and is frying sesame seeds. "Dingshi Crisp" is a special cake of Huizhou, commonly known as "Hemp Crisp Sugar" and "Red Paper Bag", which is made of shelled and fried white sesame seeds and white sugar, accompanied by a small amount of flour or rice flour, mixed with caramel refined. The finished product is grabbed into pieces, lifted into a belt, and sweet and crispy in the mouth, full of incense. Huizhou New Year's Eve has the custom of sending hemp crisp candy, and the folk proverb says: "The New Year does not bring hemp crisp candy, please do not enter the hall."
There is also an old shaving shop on the street, old-fashioned faders, folding razors, iron barber chairs, large dappled lenses... The owner Fang Avenue has been making a living with a razor for more than 40 years. I have a feeling for the old shaving shop, and have always stubbornly believed that the old-fashioned shaving master is the real craftsman. I miss the enjoyment of trimming in the old shaving shop: lying on the chair, the hot towel covering the mouth and chin, very warm and comfortable, the soft brush spreads soap foam around the mouth, closes the eyes, feels the cold razor gently skimming over the lips, can hear the sound of sharp razors scraping from the beard...
Shendu Old Street is a pleasant and fragrant tea, which must be carefully tasted to know the charm. Walking along the street, stopping and stopping, seeing the old bamboo craftsman, passing by the watch shop, always makes me feel excited. The encounter with Shendu Old Street made me very much agree with a chicken soup saying: the meaning of travel is not the prosperity of the end, what is important is the surprise along the road.
Out of the old street to the new street in the direction of the pier, most of them are more tourist service merchants, and occasionally there are several shops selling fish products and fishing gear. As if to tell us: this ancient and young dock town has always been born by the water and prospered by the river. With the change of the times, it is constantly writing heavy historical pages.
In the history books, the ancient Shendu is the water throat of ancient Huizhou to Zhejiang, and it is the market for anhui and Zhejiang merchants. Today's Shendu is not only a distribution center on the tourism line, but also a place where people dream of being suitable for business and travel. Seeing that a homestay invested by a foreign investor was named "Xia Fansheng", which was quite interesting, I murmured: "Xia Fansheng, the second half of life..."
Tips:
1: Hangrui Expressway / G56 (Huihang Expressway) Shexian Jinshan Exit: 14.9 km to Shendu Town, about 20 minutes by car, via S324, X003 line.
2: Jingtai Expressway / G3 (Hetonghuang Expressway) Huizhou District Exit: 44.7 km to Shendu Town, about 58 minutes by car, via S324, X003 line.
3. Tour guide route: Shendu Town Wharf (parking lot) - Huangshan Avenue Food Street (taste various delicacies such as edamame tofu) - Yao's Ancestral Hall - Old Street - Wushu Ancient Camphor (Jia Yu Po Steamed Cake Shop) - Shendu Bridge - Along the River to Shanshui Gallery Wharf (by boat) - Fengchi Village - Xin'an Jiangshan Water Gallery
(Text: Pan Lisheng Source: Shexian Ancient City)