Ruian is a county-level city in Wenzhou. It is said that a long time ago, there were white crows perching here. People thought this was a good sign, so they changed the name of the county to Ruian, which means "auspiciousness and peace".
Although it is not as famous as Wencheng, such as the Red Maple Ancient Road and Baizhang Waterfall, it is also a small town with beautiful mountains and clear waters and a gathering of people. It has national 4A-level scenic spots such as Zhailiao Creek and other scenic spots.
Nowadays, it has many more cultural relics and historic sites. A new ancient street has been designated as the "Internet celebrity check-in place". On this street, which is only 450 meters long, there are many buildings from the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. By the end of November, the ginkgo trees on the street have also turned yellow, which is very beautiful in the sunshine. I wonder if you have heard of this ancient street?
The name of this ancient street is Zhongyi Street. It has three entrances in the east, west and north. They are on Hongqiao North Road, Posts and Telecommunications North Road and Wansong West Road respectively. There are Yuhai Tower and Liji Medical Hall. , Lanxin Bookstore and other historical buildings, as well as countless residential alleys, showing the style of the late Qing and Ming Dynasties, and are Ruian's historical and cultural traditional landscape.
Entering from the east entrance, the first late Qing building on the left is the Yuhai Tower. It is one of the four major libraries in the south of the Yangtze River. It is also the former residence of Sun Yirang and Sun Yiyan, the father and son of famous late Qing officials. The house has black tiles White walls, pavilions, small bridges and flowing water all show the characteristics of Jiangnan official residences.
It is reported that there were once a collection of 80,000 or 90,000 books here, and now most of them have been collected by Hangzhou University. Now tourists go there and see more of Sun Yirang’s former residence. The famous Yuhai Tower is temporarily closed to the public. It is open, but you can still feel the charm of ancient buildings here.
Opposite the Yuhai Building is the Liji Medical School, which was founded in 1885. It is the earliest new traditional Chinese medicine school in my country. During the 18 years from its opening in 1885 to its closure in 1902, it has made great achievements. There were more than 300 outstanding Chinese medicine practitioners, and the later Wenzhou Yongjia Traditional Chinese Medicine Society, Traditional Chinese Medicine Society, etc. all originated from this.
The building has a simple gray brick wall. The door house has a door platform. There is a decorative Ruyi head on the bluestone door frame. The bluestone plaque is engraved with the four words "Liji Hospital". After approaching the front hall, , blue and white porcelain jars and green plants are visited in the courtyard. The east and west wings are brick and wood structures, with clinics and pharmacies marked on them. Behind the main building are classrooms and herbal gardens. The whole building is in the form of a courtyard.
Continuing to walk forward, there are some elegant small shops, such as cafes, clothing stores, gourmet shops, etc. It was interesting to browse carefully, until an art museum caught my attention. , the third floor of the art museum. The lower two floors are exhibiting some calligraphy works of Wenzhou calligraphers, which also attracts many people to come and appreciate them. Although there are no exhibits on the upper floor, there is a rooftop that can be viewed from top to bottom. , a glimpse of the entire Zhongyi Street.
After leaving the art museum, we took a few steps forward and arrived at the visitor center. In front of the visitor center, there was an old man selling candy and gadgets. As the old man’s hands danced, a lifelike figure appeared in just a moment. The children who come and go always have one in their hands, with a satisfied smile on their face.
This is also a T-junction. On the other side of the road is the north entrance to the neighborhood, which is an ivory-white stone archway with Zhanque Gate written on it. It is three rooms wide and has a gate in the middle. There are small doors on the left and right sides, which are only one-third the size of the middle door. There are fine lotus blooming patterns on the archway.
Next to the archway is the ginkgo tree that has turned autumn, adding vitality to the quaint street. In fact, there are not only ginkgo trees here, but many ginkgo trees have been planted on Zhongyi Street. Some of the leaves have turned yellow, and some are still in the stage of yellow and green, which makes people feel the autumn of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.
In addition, there are several bronze sculptures on the street. There are literati playing chess and piano, children yawning next to them, there are people pulling carts to show historical features, and there are also elders educating the younger ones. Every scene of reading is so lifelike that it makes people look back frequently.
The red lanterns on the street are also a symbol. There are many Chinese characters of blessing in different sizes and fonts on the lanterns. They are not only found on Zhongyi Street, but also in some residential alleys that have not yet been fully developed. Strings of these lanterns were also hung, becoming a bright color among the black tiles and gray walls, and a beautiful wish.
After continuing along Zhongyi Street, we arrived at Dashadi, which is an alley with some residential houses. There are people selling vegetables, Ruian specialties, and fruit shops on the roadside. , breakfast shop, clothing store, etc., full of fireworks and undecorated. Walking along this alley, you will also find many other small alleys. You can turn east and west at will and carefully experience the life of local residents of Ruian.
Continue back to the Dashadi, and you will continue to see the Hanfu Museum, Ruian Drum Opera and other folk museums. At the end, you will reach the west entrance. There are several huge stone tablets at the entrance, which read Zhongyi Street in large characters. .
Many tourists come here with their children to experience the history and culture and teach them what loyalty is. There are also students who meet up with a few friends and wear Hanfu to walk on the street and take pictures. There are also people who hold sketchbooks and draw pictures. Under the charm of ancient buildings, no matter who comes here, they can always gain unique fun.
Have you ever been to this ancient street in Ruian? What do you think of the small city of Ruian? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area below and share your journey story~ Follow A Yuan to show you the world, let’s see the world together!