Where Street in Suli always exudes a fireworks atmosphere that blends Jiangnan culture with street life, revealing the unique historical background and folk customs of Hangzhou School. Walking on the streets paved with bluestone slabs, merchants gather, with teahouses, restaurants, shops and exhibition halls on both sides. The house belongs to the architectural style of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, with white walls and blue tiles and gray brick-wood structure, and the shadow of the years flows. There are those who sell jade antiques of Ming and Qing dynasties, those who specialize in Longquan official kiln, those who manage the best silk cheongsam and Tang brocade, those who make wuyue batik fabrics by hand, those who listen to a few words of "watching movies" that children like, those who look at portraits in the middle of the road, those who sell ginger candy with hammers, and some old artists who burn clay figurines on gourds.
There are many old brands on both sides of the street. There are old shops such as Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors, Pan Yongtai, Wanlong Ham Village and Xidebao Silk Village, as well as old pharmacies such as Hu Qingyutang, Fang Huichun Hall and Ye Zhongdetang, which are familiar to Hangzhou people. Among these old pharmacies, Hu Qingyutang has a towering shadow wall and a grand scale, which has the deepest influence in the world. "Qingyutang" is a traditional Chinese medicine name operated by Hu Xueyan, a red-crowned businessman in the late Qing Dynasty. In those days, Hu Xueyan selected famous prescriptions handed down from generation to generation, collected Chinese herbal medicines from all over the country, and made pills, ointments, medicated diets, pills, medicinal gels, potions, medicinal oils and medicinal liquor by hand, which carried forward the tradition of ancient Chinese medicine codes and was as famous as "Tongrentang" in Beijing. The former residence where Hu Xueyan once lived is a model of the combination of Chinese and western architecture. From the beauty of luxury at that time to its later decline, romance shows that Hu Xueyan started as a teenager, making friends with Chinese and foreign dignitaries, opening money houses, pawn shops, pharmacies and silk stacks, gathering sand into towers, helping the poor and helping the poor, and gradually moved towards a glorious road of officials and businessmen, and then gradually reached a legendary life of poverty, which made people feel the impermanence of life. However, his life was full of twists and turns, and only the "Jade Hall" left behind was enough to last forever. Another time-honored Chinese medicine shop "Baohetang" with a history of more than 1000 years has a couplet hanging at the door: "I only hope that everyone in the world will be free from disease, why bother to put the medicine on the shelf?" Baohetang has a tradition of giving free medical treatment to nearby people. It is said that it is also the place where Xu Xian, the husband of White Snake, was apprenticed. There are also a variety of snacks and restaurants in the street, such as Ding Sheng cake, bamboo rice, taro crisp, pumpkin pie and asparagus candy, which just solves the fatigue of returning from visiting the West Lake. "Ding Sheng Cake" is fragrant and soft, sweet and waxy, just like Hangzhou people's introverted and fragrant personality. The making method of this kind of cake is to prepare rice flour in advance, mix the juice of red, yellow, green and other flowers and vegetables in the water mixed with rice flour, and then put it in a special printing plate. The printing plate is carved with pears into flowers and leaves with various patterns such as peaches, cows, plums, ribs, etc., and then the red bean paste is placed in the middle, steamed in a steamer, and covered with red seal by fire, which is the first-class taste. However, anecdotal legend has it that it was specially made by ordinary people in the Southern Song Dynasty for Han Shizhong's army Han Jiajun to go out to inspire soldiers. The word "victory" was on the cake, which was later called "victory cake". Those who like pasta can go to "Zhuangyuan Building" to listen to their reputation. Actually, it's an old noodle restaurant. Wang Shangrong, a native of Ningbo, opened Ningshi noodle restaurant during Tongzhi period of Qing Dynasty. Because he once sponsored a poor scholar, the scholar won the Jinshi in Wang Zhanggui's long-cherished wish, and later he personally thanked the "Zhuangyuan Building" as a signboard, which has been preserved. On the first floor, there is a square red paint table which is common in Jiangnan Zhang. People who are full have to order a bowl of "double-sided" while their hands are tight, and then wait slowly. If you are cooking, you can go to the second floor and order some special dishes, such as West Lake vinegar fish, Dongpo pork, dry fried ling, and a bottle of old flower carving. Drinking for half a day is also leisurely.
If you like elegance and quiet, you can go to Rong Baozhai. The "Rong Baozhai" plaque was inscribed by Guo Moruo. When it entered the store, it was as quiet and comfortable as the noise in the street. You can carefully appreciate the poems and paintings of some famous artists, such as Luo Hengguang, ink and wash, Zen, etc., either flowing like water or simple and heavy as the sky, each with its own charm and far-reaching interest. Isn't Xu Wei's "800 miles of lakes and mountains know what year it is, and 100 thousand fireworks are here" a historical portrayal of Hangzhou? There are many books on the shelf. If you look for them slowly, you will always find them. Those who are good at epigraphy can be included in the Xiling Printing Society Branch of Dongtaiping Lane. On the first floor, there is "Yi Shi Garden", which contains many precious seals and printed materials. Most of the seal cutting works are famous artists of Xiling Printing Society, and there are exhibitions of paintings and calligraphy works of some members and other artists upstairs. "Jiangnan Jiazhu Copper Building" is also worth staying for half a day. Zhu Bingren, a master of arts and crafts, and his disciples condensed the achievements of China in architecture, sculpture, calligraphy and painting with copper as the carrier, which can be called peerless folk art.
There is also a place called "Dongbao Dizhuang" in Heye Street. The storefront is not big, but it is antique. Specializing in selling bamboo flute, cave flute, cucurbit silk, Bawu and other national musical instruments. The owner's name is Chen Dongbao, and there are quite a few stories in the flute world. He used to be a businessman, because he made a living by playing the flute after losing money, and he really recorded various scenes of wandering life, which caused a sensation in the flute world. He has tasted all the sufferings of the world, but he has also been helped by many kind people. Among them, Mr. Ying Zhangming, a disciple of the late "Wang Di in the south of the Yangtze River" Zhao Songting (also a master of flute making), heard that he was playing the flute by the West Lake and specially gave him two flutes made by himself. Later, Zhao Songting also encouraged to write an inscription for his record "Dongbao Sheng Di", and Lu Chunling, the flute master, was moved by his persistent struggle experience and especially praised him. Listening to him play the flute in his flute studio and feeling his understanding of life and life with bamboo flute is absolutely shocking. Friends who are interested in Tao Di pass by Mr. Chen Dongbao's manor, and there is a Tao Di seller with two famous products, Ya and Long Yun. The elegant Tao Di with three tubes and twelve holes has reached the top level made in Tao Di in the world, so the price is slightly more expensive. Tao Di, founded by Mr. Gu Longxing, has excellent intonation and timbre, and its cost performance is most valued by Tao Di fans. In the shop, he also wrote it in cooperation with another teacher. Walking in the street, the melodious flute is probably played by a middle-aged man who sells erhu and bamboo flute in a humble shop. He doesn't shout, and he doesn't care if you buy his flute. He just plays solo songs with a strong style of Jiangnan silk and bamboo, such as Gusu Star, Watertown Boat Song and West Lake Xiao Chun, and enjoys it.
This is Where Street, which originated at the foot of Huanggen City with a long history, but is closely surrounded by the daily life of daily necessities. Here, tradition and modernity blend, elegance and vulgarity coexist. If you come here, you are likely to be disappointed. You must watch the clouds for a long time, walk slowly, savor them carefully and wash them leisurely, so as to truly appreciate her fresh face exposed from the dust of history and realize the true meaning of the plain and secular life in the old Hangzhou city.