To understand a city, you have to understand the history of a city. If you don't understand, you can't say that you really love it.
Yangxian Ancient City is known as "four streets and eight alleys". The ancient city of Yangxian is actually today's Yicheng street.
"Four Streets" refers to the four main streets in the southeast, southwest, and northwest. Compared to the fourth street, the eighth lane is more interesting.
East Avenue, located in the north of the Long Bridge (Jiaoqiao) and turning east to the East City Gate, was the most prosperous area for commerce at that time, and was later renamed Jiefang East Road.
South Street, from the south of the long bridge to the south gate, more than a hundred years old shop, gentry residences gathered, later renamed Renmin South Road.
West Avenue, from the north of the long bridge to turn into Xiheng Street, turn west through the West City Gate, once more grain store rice line, later renamed Jiefang West Road.
North Avenue, from the Long Bridge north to the North City Gate, the widest street in the city, later renamed Renmin North Road.
The "Eight Great Alleys" are Dongzhu Lane, Xizhu Lane, Dongmiao Lane, Ximiao Lane, Baiguo Lane, Xueqian Lane, Tongzhenguan Lane, and Adult Lane in the guide half of the city.
Eight alleys run through South Avenue and lead to the foot of the city wall, and each alley is precipitated with a vivid story.
1. "Zhuangyuanfang" Dongzhu Lane
Dongzhu Lane and Xizhu Lane are located on the east and west sides of the south wall of the long bridge.
Legend has it that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, The Third Prince of Chongzhen, King Ding, fled to Yixing to join LuMai, who had served as a waiter. Unexpectedly, when he missed the wind and saw that he was about to be arrested, Lu Mai told King Ding to take off his pearl shirt and sprinkle pearls while running, and the Qing soldiers robbed me to seize them, and King Ding was able to escape successfully.
Later generations designated these two alleys as "East Sazhu Lane" and "West Sazhu Lane". Later, the word "sa" was removed, and it became Dongzhu Lane and Xizhu Lane, which have been used to this day.
In Dongzhu Lane, Chen Yutai, the Ming Dynasty champion, was once inhabited, and there was a "ZhuangyuanFang". The Lu Zhongsu Ancestral Hall of the famous anti-Qing general Lu Xiangsheng is here.
Dongzhu Lane, where commerce and trade are developed, once had a century-old shop Hang Lung Sheng South Goods Store, operating north and south goods and self-produced pastries and teas, especially Hang Lung Sheng's mooncakes are thin and high-selling, enjoying a leading position in the same industry all year round, but unfortunately, the shop was destroyed in the war.
"Four Provinces Wenzongfang" Xizhu Lane
2. Xizhu Lane is also known as "Wenzong Street of The Four Provinces".
Because Wu Shi, a native of Yixing and a member of the Sichuan government, successively served as deputy envoys of Shanxi, Fujian, Guangxi, and Henan provinces, in recognition of his achievements, Xiangkou built the archway of "Wenzongfang of The Four Provinces", hence the name.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the former site of the Deyuantang brush shop founded by the boss Liu Tianzhong was located at the mouth of Xizhu Lane, and the shop specialized in making and selling various brushes, which was the most famous and the most widely sold at that time. After liberation, Deyuantang merged with Sanyuantang and changed to "Lianyuan Pen Shop".
Today's Xizhu Lane is located between commercial buildings and residential buildings, with a weaving traffic flow, as part of the Jiaoqiaohe Commercial Pedestrian Street, it is very lively and bustling.
3. East Temple Lane, named after the Zhou Wang Temple
Because the Zhou Xiaohou Temple (Zhou Wang Temple), commonly known as the "East Temple", is at the bottom of this alley, the East Temple Lane got its name.
The Temple of the King of Zhou is in full swing, with a history of 1700 years, and was built to commemorate the Pingxi general Zhou, who is known as the "first figure of Yang Envy".
Nowadays, it is still the Yixing Inscription Museum, with more than 100 ancient monuments, and there is also a ZhouWang Temple Square built outside.
The famous anti-Jin general Yue Fei married Li Wa, a girl from Yixing, who had been stationed in Yixing to protect the people, and the earliest "Yuewu Mu Temple" in the country was in Dongmiao Lane. In the alley, there is also a pavilion shrine dedicated to Jiang Cheng, the Marquis of the Han Dynasty.
Many famous eunuchs are from Dongmiao Lane, and there have been good stories of "three phoenixes flying together" and "five phoenixes rising in the sun" in the history of Yixing.
4. West Temple Lane, named after the Yuanfu Jun Temple
Because the Yuan Fujun Temple (Guoli Temple), commonly known as the "West Temple", is at the bottom of this alley, it is named after the temple.
Legend has it that during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yang Xian had a long drought without rain for a year, when the county ordered Yuan Xuan to personally go to Junshan (now Tongguan Mountain) to ask for rain for the people, because he died of exposure to the sun, which touched the rain in the sky.
In honor of Yuan Xuan's kindness, the Guoli Temple was built as a shrine dedicated to him.
Ximiao Lane has produced many celebrities, wu shi's former residence here, demolished in 1993 to Yibin Park, called Wu Shi Nanmu Hall. Wu Bing, the prime minister of The Cantonese Flower, and his nephew's "Erzhongjie Ancestral Hall" were also built in the alley.
Today's West Temple Lane is located between Yixing Persuasion and New Oriental Department Store.
5. Baiguo Lane, named after the white fruit tree
Baiguo Lane has a total length of more than 200 meters and a long history, and the name of the lane is related to an ancient white fruit tree in the alley.
The white fruit tree is the ginkgo tree, which is known as the Gongsun tree and the auspicious tree in China, and the white fruit tree is planted to pray for the blessing of future generations.
It is said that there was originally a Xu family at the mouth of Baiguo Lane, and there was a large white fruit tree hugged by four people in the courtyard, and this alley was called Baiguo Lane, which has been along to this day.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were many people who served as officials in the imperial court in the alley, such as Wujiayunqilou, Lujia Tianxiang Pavilion, Xujia Daxiangmen and Qingyan Ancestral Hall.
One of The Ten GreatEst Paintings in China, "Fuchun Mountain Residence Map", was once treasured in the WujiayunQi Building.
6. The preschool alley in front of the Xuegong
Xueqian Lane, located in front of the Yicheng Confucian Temple (i.e. Confucius Temple, also known as Xuegong), hence the name.
The Temple of Literature is a place of worship for Confucius and was originally built in the Song Dynasty. There were originally two gates at the east and west ends of Xueqian Alley, and in ancient times, in order to show respect for Confucius, civilian officials came here to get off the car, and military attaches came here to dismount.
The Ming Dynasty Prime Minister Zhou Yanru's "Huiyuan ZhuangyuanFang" (Xiangguo Arch) was also built here, and is now in the Yixing City Museum.
In the early years of the Republic of China, the first higher primary school was established in the Temple of Literature, which was called Seongnam Primary School after liberation, which is now the experimental primary school.
Xueqian Lane was once changed to Jiankang Road because the old stadium was at the bottom of the alley, and now the old place name has been restored.
7. Tongzhenguan Lane, named after the Taoist Temple
Tongzhenguan Lane, also known as Tongzhenguan Lane, is now called Tongzhenguan Road.
Tongzhenguan is the base of Taoism, built in the Southern Dynasty (570), the old site is in the present-day Cultural Square, and the alley is named after a Taoist named Tongzhen in the temple.
Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Palace, Wenchang Pavilion (later moved to Yibin Park), the original site of Yixing No. 1 Middle School in Jiangsu Province (now the Municipal People's Hospital) in this alley.
Su Dongpo's "Chu Song Ti" was composed by Guo Tiju's family in the alley.
8, more "adult" home adult alley
Adult Lane, located in the south of Xueqian Lane, Renmin South Road.
Historically, it was called "Jiang Shangshu Lane", and the alley was inhabited by the four noble families of Zhou, Jiang, Pan and Ren.
It is said that in the Ming Dynasty, the "adults" living in this alley were all "adults" in the imperial court, and almost every house was a large wall door, and there was a stone pier and frieze with a flag in front of the door. Such as the Ming Dynasty's first assistant Zhou Yanru, Libu Shangshu Jiang Shouyue and so on.
During the Republic of China period, the home of Professor Jiang Meisheng of Fudan University was in this alley.
The leisurely residence of the high-ranking officials, the elegant residence of the literati, and the happy residence of the people.
The streets and alleys are the epitome of the history of Yixing civilization, with a thick historical accumulation and strong humanistic feelings. How many Yixing people spend the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter here, quietly walking through the leisurely years.
No matter how it develops, this old street, which is easy to be ignored by people, will always cherish the memories of Yixing people's growth.
References: "Yangxian Ancient City Range Rover", "Yixing Old Street", etc