Prose is adjacent to a city in the west, its name is Taizhou

This article was published in Taizhou Evening News

In early autumn, there is finally a little coolness in the morning and evening. Relatives came from Taizhou in the north of the Yangtze River, bringing with them the fresh dew and the unique moist atmosphere of the Jianghuai plain. The familiar local accent whispered: "This is the Huangqiao sesame cake and Jingjiang preserved meat you have loved to eat since childhood. Go to the old street early in the morning I bought some here, you can try it!" The moment you walk in, the faint aroma of crispy wheat and fresh and sweet meat spreads!

Taizhou and my hometown Nantong are adjacent to the north bank of the Yangtze River. The dense river network and the climate with distinct seasons make the vast land in central Jiangsu rich in products. The people who live near the water are also smart and clever. The inheritance and development of Yang cuisine has the most basic support. Even the street snacks are deeply comforting! My first introduction to Taizhou started with its delicious food!

When I was young, my uncle often went to Taizhou to visit relatives. When he came home, he would always bring a few boxes of Taizhou’s famous Huangqiao Shaobing and Jingjiang Preserved Pork. In the rural areas of the 1980s, these crispy and stuffed sesame cakes and meaty jerky with a rich and sweet flavor were truly the most delicious food in the world in the eyes of children!

Later when I went to school, one of my dormitory friends was from Jiangyan, one from Jingjiang, and one from Xinghua. Every weekend or holiday, when I came back, there would always be delicious hometown dishes brought back to school to share with everyone! I have eaten all the Braised Pork with Taro Seeds from Xinghua, Dried Pork and Crab Roe Buns from Jingjiang, Huangqiao Shaobing from Taixing, Cold Steamed Pork with Crab Roe, Shrimp Roe and Fish Dried from Jiangyan. I just wish I could join my classmates during the winter and summer vacations. Go back and eat the fish noodle soup that is said to be so delicious that it is only available in dine-in restaurants! So when I was young, Taizhou has always been a "fragrant" city in my heart!

I remember that when I was a child, I was inspired to read poetry. What I first learned was neither "Ode to the Goose", nor "Thoughts on a Quiet Night", nor "Spring Dawn", but a couplet by Mr. Zheng Banqiao, "A Courtyard of Spring Rain". Ladles of vegetables, shelves full of lentil flowers in the autumn breeze!” Who is Mr. Zheng Banqiao from Xinghua, Taizhou? I don’t think I need to go into details! Even though I was young at the time, when I recited such a beautiful sentence, I felt it was very pleasant and pleasant to listen to!

My uncle always likes to sing the arias from Mr. Mei Lanfang's "The Drunken Concubine". The voice and the demeanor are just like a costume! When my great-uncle was mesmerized in singing, he would also pause, sigh, and say, Mr. Mei’s ancestral home is Taizhou. We just thought, what a magical place Taizhou would be to have Mr. Mei who can sing so beautifully!

Sometimes when my uncle is happy, he will tell us a story from "Water Margin" while drinking some wine. Mr. Shi Naian, who was born in Xinghua, Taizhou, wrote "Water Margin" so deeply. The human heart is truly a matter of soil and water. My uncle, a teacher, could tell many famous stories about Taizhou, so when I was young, Taizhou has always been an elegant and poetic place in my heart!

Later, when I was employed, I went to Taizhou for the first time because of an interview opportunity! After graduating from the pharmacy major, I went to Yangzijiang Pharmaceutical Group, one of the top 100 pharmaceutical companies in the country, for an interview. Although I was ultimately unable to find a job in Taizhou, I really felt and understood Taizhou, a city with a long history and culture and many economies. A city with strong and rapidly developing famous enterprises! Hehe, the first Chunlan brand air conditioner in my home was a product of Taizhou Chunlan Group!

"Taizhou was called Haiyang in the Qin Dynasty and Hailing in the Han Dynasty. The state was established in the Southern Tang Dynasty and Wenchang in the Northern Song Dynasty. It was a prefecture in the Southern Tang Dynasty. It took the meaning of national peace and prosperity and was named Taizhou!" Baidu Encyclopedia introduces Taizhou like this! I was walking in the bustling streets of Taizhou, and I remembered the ink mark left by Marco Polo when he visited Taizhou: "This city is not very big, but there is a lot of happiness in this world!" It is indeed true!

Thinking about it now, it must be that in ancient times Taizhou was "an important port of water and land, and its throat was a county." Now its special geographical location as the gateway to central Jiangsu has created its unique cultural and custom characteristics. Although the people of Taizhou are elegant, they are not as gentle as the people of Suzhou and Hangzhou. They lack the ultimate pursuit of spring and snow, but they have a pioneering and innovative spirit. Regardless of the pioneering sectarian theories of some great masters in ancient times, or as an important city in the economic integration of the Yangtze River Delta today, Taizhou is the leader! On the bank of the Yangtze River, Taizhou is a shining pearl!