There are only two purposes to come to Luoyang this time: one is delicious food, and the other is my alma mater, which has been achieved so far. Because I have too many plans for the rest of the time, I decided to visit the ancient city of Luoyang for half a day.
Ancient city, ancient city, ancient city gate, ancient city wall ... under the background of modern tourism, it can be said that it is the standard of tourism resources of a historical city. Xi 'an Ancient City Wall, Nanjing Ming City Wall, Dali Ancient City and Pingyao Ancient City are all outstanding among them, and they have thus become golden signboards for their respective cities to attract tourists.
The old city of Luoyang is different. It went to the other extreme. Without well-known publicity, tourists ignore it in the choice of destination, and it is like a forgotten existence.
I'm sorry, but it's not all bad. Just like I used to, I don't need to buy a ticket, and I don't need to be crowded in the crowd. More importantly, the old city still retains its original ecological and grounded style, but it has become neither fish nor fowl in order to cater to tourists.
Entering from Lijingmen is the old city of Luoyang.
Lijingmen is an important part of Luoyang historical building, which retains the pattern and shape of ancient city gates. Outside the door is a moat. Passing through the first gate is a semi-circular space. Together with the second gate and the four walls, it constitutes an important defense system in ancient times-Wengcheng.
Standing in it, looking around, the oppressive feeling of towering from head to toe really gives people the illusion that "Mount Tai collapsed in front", which makes people panic and eager to escape. "Catch turtles in a jar", its design not only contains tactical wisdom, but also can give the enemy a psychological blow and let the defenders win chips.
From the architectural style, Lijingmen is almost the only historical monument in the whole old city.
Nowadays, the semi-circle moon city in the middle has been occupied by restaurants, wedding dresses and other businesses, and only the top-floor building has something to do with history and culture-the display of the origin and evolution of China's surname, regardless of the surname, can also give birth to a sense of pride.
When you enter the second door, you will see a panoramic view of the old city.
It's neither gorgeous nor imposing.
They are all low-rise houses. Strangely, this house is not the old wooden building we saw before, but made of blue-gray bricks, which has the style of industrial buildings in the sixties and seventies. If you think about it carefully, although it is incompatible with the exquisite and quaint imprint of the ancient city, it is in the same strain as the glorious history of Luoyang industrial machinery, with a cold atmosphere and no formality.
The main roads in the old city are not wide and paved with long slabs, and some places are rugged. On both sides are all kinds of shops, most of which are small shops selling snacks, some in twos and threes, some bustling and endless. You can see fireworks, and walking in is street life.
Two rows of red shop flags, large and small, are scattered on the left and right sides of the street, which read "Luoyang water mat", "Luoyang non-boiling soup", "Luoyang native products" and "peony crisp" ... strewn at random, extending from the lintel of the shop, almost extending to the middle of the road, within reach of tourists.
This rough, slightly old and grounded picture is really not comparable to Qianmen Street in Beijing, East, West, South and North Streets in Xi 'an, or even East, West and North Streets in Pingyao. At that time, Luoyang, the capital of the East, was bustling and lively, and the ancient capital of the 13th Dynasty was unstoppable. After hundreds of years of diaspora, change, rheology and extinction, up to now, apart from the name "Luoyang", there are almost no descendants left.
Don't! One more thing. That's a cultural heritage.
Although the appearance has been down and out, the heart still holds the confidence of an eternal imperial city.
Shuttling through the streets of the ancient city, you can inadvertently see people and culture's connection with history. Four Treasures of the Study, Qin Qi calligraphy and painting, antique Wan Wen, a painter who buys paintings for a living, a craftsman who loves persistence, a calligrapher who splashes ink, and a sculptor who strives for perfection ... It's like a cultural castle, where elites gather and books and ink gather together.
Different from other places, people here seem to be more silent, some hide in humble houses, and some even hide in dark underground cities. Without careful carving and gorgeous appearance gain, the title of the ancient capital of the Millennium has not brought them some literary fame. What you see is closer to the essence of culture and history. They seem to be born from the blood of the mother and fetus, and then constitute the spiritual temperament of a thousand-year-old city.
When I walked into the old street, something happened that made me very excited-I met an old man who blew sugar.
The old man set up a stall at the root of the city wall. His booth is very simple, with only a bicycle and a box of syrup. Pigs, rats, dragons, sheep, snakes and other colorful sugar animals are inserted on bicycles to attract tourists.
When I saw him, he was blowing syrup to a rabbit in MengMeng and was being watched by a group of curious tourists. He fished out a piece of hot syrup, then quickly rubbed it back and forth with his left hand and right hand to dissipate heat, then pulled out the gradually hardened candy and began to blow, while doing modeling. When the rabbit's belly bulged, he immediately pinched out its limbs and head with his fingers, and finally inserted bamboo sticks neatly into his belly, thus forming a lifelike rabbit.
Familiar movements, precise strength, and just the right time, everyone marveled at his craftsmanship and this rare traditional skill, and gave heartfelt admiration.
What excites me is not only the old man's superb skills, but more importantly, I met him in the same position four years ago and forged a friendship.
The old man said, "I only come out to play this game because I like it and don't make money."
Me: "How many years have you been doing it?"
Old man: "I 15 years old went to school for decades."
Me: "Do you have an apprentice? Is this skill hereditary? "
Old man: "Someone used to study with them, but now all my disciples have gone abroad."
Me: "Can you teach me?"
The old man readily agreed.
I've tried, but I'm all thumbs, and I haven't been able to take shape many times. It's not easy to know. In the old city, there are still many craftsmen like the old man. One person can walk the world with one skill. Personal opportunities are also opportunities of the times.
Not many people can appreciate this traditional skill now, and some are just curious at the moment. When the old man plugged the rabbit into the monitor, everyone quickly dispersed in a burst of exclamation, leaving only one person.
The Story of Luoyang City | The Old Man Blowing Sugar
Just like traditional skills, not many people appreciate the original appearance of Luoyang Old Town. The newly-built scenic spots and paradise in Luoyang attracted many people, especially after the Runnan. Before I went to the old city, I was envious, but I don't know why, but I didn't go in at last. I just watched it outside. Maybe I think its high fees and cultural values are different. Apart from the cultural and historical values that were forcibly brought in, this is just a cold building.
Compared with that antique building, I prefer the avenue outside it-Wangcheng Avenue, which is shaded by trees. It is tall, lush, wide and clean, and it can be seen at a glance that it has been a few years and cannot be copied.
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