A small town in the south of the Yangtze River with a history of two thousand years, in the embrace of green mountains and green waters, is like an antique with a rich cultural atmosphere and a long history, which makes people relaxed and imaginative. Xitang, known as "Wu Gen Guo Jiao" during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, is a battleground for military strategists in wuyue and China. Nowadays, with the changes of the times, the local propaganda uses a fashionable and resounding term-"ambiguity with Xitang".
I seem to be familiar with this "living ancient town", because to some extent, it is the same as the ancient town of Qian Shan under Wuyi Mountain in Jiangxi. Streets and alleys are stone roads paved with bluestones, deep and narrow alleys, ancient buildings with cornices and arches, and various small shops with distinctive personalities. However, different historical and cultural landscapes and customs have different intuitive feelings.
Stepping on the old street with bluestone slabs and passing through the quiet alley, a rainbow-like stone bridge appeared in front of you. The clear water under the bridge flows away with the little-known story of the ancient town. The sunset cast the last ray of light on this ancient town. In the distance, there are vertical and horizontal rivers and slow-moving Wu Peng boats. The picturesque water town slows you down.
Exquisitely decorated red lanterns hang along the way, creating a unique flavor for the atmosphere of the ancient street. As night falls, antique houses are shrouded in darkness, and red lanterns are lit on both sides of the river and other promenades. From a distance, it seems like a red dragon winding along the misty rain corridor. The reflection in the water is driven by the wind, and the swaying lights, changing colors and the charm of the ancient town are coming.
"Songzi Phoenix" is a double-row stone covered bridge built in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Under the bridge, there is a cruise pier where tourists are waiting for a night tour. The middle flower wall is separated from the pavilion, and the left step is on the right slope, which is also the characteristic of Xitang. It is said that the newlyweds can get what they want when they walk on the bridge for the first time, with children on the left and children on the right. In response to this legend, some tourists also walked on the bridge laughing and laughing. It is said that in ancient times, a family in Xitang gave birth to a son, and there happened to be a phoenix living at the bridge, hence the name.
At the food stalls on the shore, the guests were drinking local yellow rice wine, eating peanuts and peeling lobsters, while listening to the tunes of Jiangnan water town, which was full of charm. The boat drifted on the Xutang River, and Wu Peng, who was traveling at night, slowly passed by, and the sound of "eyah" rowed on the water for a long time. The noisy street reminds me of Qinhuai River in Nanjing Confucius Temple, but Xitang is less charming and more graceful. Many origami wishing boats carry the prayers of many tourists, and the flames sway in the wind on the water like a dream. They are connected in a string and colorful, adding a beautiful scenery to the night in the ancient town.
After visiting the famous Qiantang family and Xutang River, it's already half past nine. At this time, "Dong Tang Street" has started nightlife. People come and go along the way, bustling, melodious music in the evening breeze, rows of red lanterns hanging high, chic Jiang Nanyi music bars, shocking music, many young people in the karaoke bars are having parties, and female singers in the music world are swinging their bodies and singing with high voices.
Going forward, in the narrow block, bars such as gravity, music tide, wood color and party space are constantly appearing in the shops on both sides. These bars are brightly lit and smoky, young men and women are singing and dancing wildly, with a strong sense of rhythm and deafening rock music. The waiter stood at the door with a faint smile on his face, greeting guests and friends from all over the world. No matter whether you can get in or not, you didn't say too much on purpose. But young tourists can't resist the temptation to continue to participate. This is the most unique scenery of Xitang night scene, with a total length of about one kilometer.
At the end of the street, there is a "small town story" pub, which is very quiet. Some middle-aged and elderly tourists order a few dishes, drink a glass of old wine and slowly taste local specialty snacks. Ancient houses, arch bridges, flowing water and arched maple trees outline a harmonious natural landscape; Being in an ancient town, we appreciate the perfect harmony between man and nature and cultivate ourselves in the profound national cultural heritage.
Standing on the rainbow stone bridge, you can look up at the bright moon and stars, or you can bow your head and listen to the running water telling the story of the ancient town. It suddenly occurred to me that the famous Feng Jicai once said, "A big country can't make money by ruining its culture! Culture is the spirit and soul of a nation. Without culture, people have no spiritual pursuit and are empty. Culture determines the quality of the whole people. If culture is turned into money, it is equivalent to sacrificing the high quality of the whole people in exchange for high GDP. The end result is to let people with low quality squander GDP. This is a vicious circle. " I don't know why I thought of this passage, or it was just a visual impact, and suddenly I became worried about the country and the people.
Known as the "first lane in the south of the Yangtze River", the Shipilong is shrouded in the night, attracting you to explore its secrets. It is the narrowest of dozens of alleys in Xitang. The alley is deep and narrow, less than half a meter wide. Look up at the sky. If two people meet unexpectedly, they can only pass sideways, and the whole driveway is surrounded by horse-headed walls with a height of more than 10 on both sides. Don't underestimate its survival in the cracks, it is the focus of many tourists.
The ancient town, which used to be full of elites who advocated reading and learning, lost its scholarly temperament and increased the spirituality of businessmen. People carefully design their own businesses, attracting tourists from all directions. The night tour in Xitang is very short, only 10 hour, but I was deeply impressed by the night tour in Xitang. There are weeping willows and rippling boats here.