The history of Ronghua Building

In the 25th year of the Republic of China (1936), the building in front of Ronghua Teahouse was rebuilt into a two-story reinforced concrete structure, and it happened to be the 60th anniversary of its opening when it resumed business. There was a new couplet in front of the shop at that time. This couplet was written by Wu Daoyong, a calligrapher in Qing Dynasty, for the opening of Ronghua New Building. The couplet reads:

Rong rebuilt the old site 60 years ago, and the non-resplendent hall provided private seats;

The flower house is towering into the sky, and 3 thousand guests are like clouds. I want to stay here for recreation ...

The couplets no longer exist. The above are the memories of retired workers in the original teahouse. Due to the time, the words after couplets can't be fully recalled. )

When Ronghua Teahouse was rebuilt into a reinforced concrete building, the manager was Chen, the sole proprietor. As this shop has a long history, it is impossible to know who this entrepreneur is. After the renovation, Ronghua Teahouse is decorated with an antique facade and a cake cabinet. While operating the cake bait and cakes produced by our store, we also sell cookies that praise the company. The hall is elegant, with high floors, plenty of light, fresh air and comfortable tea fragrance, which makes people feel very comfortable, so it attracts many scholars and businessmen, such as doctors, yarn weavers and real estate agents.

The vestibule arcade on the second floor faces the road, and all the windows are installed in Manzhouli. There is a small arcade (small terrace) in front of the window, and all kinds of potted flowers are planted on the fence. On both sides of the lobby and the lobby of the back building, there are all card slots, and the square table with marble countertops in the middle is more elegant than the popular glass countertops. Famous people's calligraphy and painting are hung on the wall for tea drinkers to enjoy antique calligraphy and painting while having a heart-to-heart talk.

There is a well in the back seat downstairs, with good air circulation and prosperous business. At that time, Ronghua Teahouse only had a morning tea market, and only opened a night tea market after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. In addition to the supply of traditional cakes, there are cakes and bait such as Zhoumeidian and Mid-Autumn Moon Cake. The food was fresh and of high quality, and the customers responded well at that time.

1February, 956, the public-private partnership changed greatly. During the period of 1960 ~ 1968, the second floor will be closed. As the office of the Catering Service Management Office of the Western Commercial Bureau, it only operates the MC Davi market downstairs. During the "Cultural Revolution", the store was renovated and rebuilt many times, so that the original antique style disappeared and it was changed into a decoration that kept pace with the times. At that time, the walls of Ronghua Teahouse were white, and the lobbies on the first and second floors were decorated with large round tables, which were scattered without slots, making the halls more spacious, bright and ventilated. 1978 resumed the traditional moon cake making and innovatively launched the "splendid moon", which was well received by the masses.

1983 Adjust the layout of the hall again to restore the evening tea. Business hours are from 9 pm to 12 pm. Diversified management, cheap and affordable, there are all kinds of Shao Shao and clay pot rice series, raw porridge, all kinds of cooking and so on. , and resumed the "tea", business is booming.

1985 expanded the horizontal hall on the second floor, converted the original empty wooden building full of sundries into a hall (now peony hall), and added a cake house.

1993, Ronghua Teahouse was renovated again, and expanded from the original two floors to four floors, with more than a dozen halls and air-conditioned karaoke. 1994 65438+1On October 23rd, Ronghua Tea House reopened and changed its name to Ronghua Restaurant.

In the early 1980s, Fang Xuan, a pastry chef in Ronghua Restaurant, carefully developed Ronghua Crisp. Ronghua Sesame Crisp is a coarse refined variety with the characteristics of sweetness and crispness, and has won many awards at Guangzhou Food Festival since 1983. At that time, the word "Ronghua" was publicly advertised as "Ronghua Masuxiang" by propaganda to expand publicity. Anyone who was chosen as the first place was rewarded with a table 12 for use in our restaurant, which aroused the interest of many literati and spread like wildfire. As a result, He won the prize. His couplet reads: "Zun, Lu Yu, the treasure of Hua Yan is drunk". This couplet was inscribed by the late modern calligrapher Mai and hung on both sides of the arch near the entrance of the hall on the second floor for tea drinkers to enjoy. Unfortunately, due to the adjustment of the layout of the interior decoration, the couplets were destroyed. 199765438+In February, at the first national recognition conference of famous Chinese snacks held in Hangzhou, "Ronghua Masuxiang" was recognized as "famous Chinese snacks" and was also designated as a reception food by the conference. Ronghua Restaurant has a variety of snacks and dishes that have won awards in previous Guangzhou food festivals, such as "Good Sister Fish Head Pot", "Ronghua Golden Barbecued Crisp" and "Ronghua Rich Chicken".

Renamed as "Xiangyang Teahouse".

Most of Ronghua Building are frequented by nearby neighborhoods. For example, D's parents-in-law go there to have afternoon tea and listen to Cantonese opera, where they may be able to retrieve their lost memories. For our younger generation, we don't know and understand the history of Ronghua Building, perhaps because it is not as advanced as a grand hotel, and it does witness the historical changes of the Western District, accompanied by memories of several generations.