At noon, at the intersection of Maoming South Road and Nanchang Road, the newly opened street corner garden has a nice name - Reading Garden. The garden in front of the door, the window to see the green, the out to see the garden, very exquisite and special.
Opposite the garden, there is a newly opened coffee shop, sitting in the shop, through the floor-to-ceiling window, you can see a bronze bust of Tagore in the garden. What is the origin of the bronze statue of the poet?
"Mr. Tagore is also an old friend of Nanchang Road!" Zhu Fuhai, 72 years old, the station manager of the Volunteer Station in Maoming Residential Area, a native of Nanchang Road, here are allusions, such as several family treasures.
In that year, the poet Tagore visited Shanghai three times. Xu Zhimo was an accompanying interpreter, and Tagore temporarily lived in Xu Zhimo's home. Where is Xu Zhimo's house? It is at No. 11, Lane 136, Nanchang Road. In 2010, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India, the Indian government presented a bronze statue of Tagore to the Shanghai Municipal Government. Since then, the bronze statue has been located here.
Photo: Reading the bronze statue of Tagore in the garden Photo by Yang Jianzheng
This year, the Nanchang Road neighborhood was renovated, and the Reading Garden came into being. When you see the garden, the first feeling is - kindness. "One change is that after the garden was built, the poets and residents became closer!" Zhu Fuhai said that the statue was originally surrounded by a half-person-high fence, but now, the fence has been demolished, and the entire reading garden is on a level with the sidewalk, and pedestrians come and go, see the poet, stop and take a group photo, just like old friends reunited after a long absence.
The corner of the garden is the "Book Drift Corner". This drifting corner is also very chic. You see, a row of glass landscape walls, embedded in the middle of several book niches, a whole wall, like a large bookshelf, books put into the book niches, neatly arranged. Sticking to the wall, there is a row of stools, take a book at your fingertips, sit down and look, and in the autumn, bask in the sun and read a book, how good.
Who's going to donate books? Residents and pedestrians can "do public welfare"! A neighbor of Zhu Fuhai, 80 years old, from childhood mobility problems, love to read, before he had to ride to the library to help the elderly borrow books, now good, out of the house, is the "book drifting corner."
Pictured: Citizens reading in the reading garden Photo by Yang Jianzheng
Next to the "Book Drift corner", there is a reading booth, the shape is also very chic, curved French wrought iron gallery frame, very wide. Wait until the vines are full, and the people sit under the porch, a green vine shade, cool.
"Soon, we are going to have a small poetry meeting, and the residents who love poetry will come to read the poems." Pang Zhanhong, general secretary of the party branch of Maoming Residential Area in Ruijin Erlu Street, plans to organize a poetry meeting.
Reading Garden, Resident Poetry Club, Interesting – Mr. Tagore, a poetry club awaits you!
Waiting for the poetry meeting, how should the mood of the residents be described? Like Tagore's verse—"You smile slightly, not saying anything to me." And I feel that I have waited a long time for this. ”
Reading Garden: Tagore Corner Park Book Drift corner
Address: Shanghai Huangpu District Maoming South Road, Nanchang Road intersection
Opening hours: All day
Transportation: South Shaanxi Road Station of Metro Line 1
Admission: Free
Yao Liping, chief reporter of Xinmin Evening News