Chengdu Memory丨Meeting Jinli in the Flower City of Jinguancheng

On July 20 of that year (2014), after visiting Kuanzhai Alley in Chengdu, I took the sightseeing bus in the scenic spot directly to Jinli at noon.

Although more than four years have passed, I still clearly remember that it was a nice sunny day and then it started to rain suddenly. I was already feeling a little bored and tired, but this seemed to make me feel even more depressed.

When the slender jade statue stood in front of everyone at the ancient main entrance of Jinli, it instantly aroused a good mood. The friends didn't care about the drizzle. They jumped for joy, abandoned me and ran away first.

The inscription on the main entrance of Jinli reads: Couplet: History marks the Three Kingdoms, the Qin and Han dynasties, and guests gathered in five continents to enjoy the past and present.

According to the "Huayang Guozhi·Shu Zhi" written by Changchu of the Jin Dynasty: "The state seizes the county literature as the state school, and the county starts literature on the east side of the road on the south bank of Yili Bridge. There is a female wall, which leads to the west city, so Jin Palace. The brocade craftsmanship is bright in the Zhuo River, so it is called Jinli."

In ancient times, Jinli was the name of Chengdu, and Jinli Ancient Street is now known. Relying on Wuhou Temple in Chengdu, adjacent to Jinjiang River in the north and Rainbow Bridge in the east, the elegance and prosperity are as famous as Beijing Wangfujing and other old streets, and it is known as the "Chengdu version of the Qingming River Scene".

Entering the gate of Jinli, you will see ancient pavilions crowded with people and lively. Looking up and looking into the gatehouse, you can see the horse head wall, cornices, pink walls and black tiles, which are both hidden and exposed.

What comes into view are the antique blue bricks and white walls, red lanterns, wooden doors, carved windows, small blue tiles...

Walking on the stone street, looking at the rows of red lanterns hanging on the eaves, and the mottled light and shadow on the blue brick and white walls, it felt like wandering in the long river of Three Kingdoms history.

At that moment, I felt its prosperity, exquisiteness and charm, as well as its heaviness and vicissitudes.

Turn right after entering the gate and take a leisurely stroll in the Jinli Book Garden. Tsing Yi Beauty Black Tea House and Waiter's tea and snack shop are all waiting for passers-by and travelers in a hurry.

In the depths of Jinli, the friends were scattered and disappeared in the crowd. They must have lost their souls and lost their traces due to the Three Kingdoms style and the charming classical beauties here.

I simply stopped chasing and followed my own pace and preferences, looking here and there. Linger in folk artist workshops, indulge in wine shops, tea shops, Sichuan snacks...

With the swaying signboards and high-hanging lanterns, it feels like a trance from another world, a sense of curiosity and romance that has traveled through history.

Gujinli was once one of the oldest commercial streets in Bashu. It was also the most prosperous in China. It was even famous throughout the country during the Qin, Han and Three Kingdoms periods.

The current Jinli Street is 550 meters long but less than 4 meters wide. It is based on the folk houses of western Sichuan in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and the culture of the Three Kingdoms and Chengdu folk customs as the connotation.

Jinli’s pavilions, restaurants, tea shops, archways and bridges are all endowed with a strong Bashu style.

Jinli carries a strong culture of the Three Kingdoms. Whether it is shops, restaurants or tourist attractions, whether directly or indirectly, they all complement the Jingguan City of the Three Kingdoms.

The further in, the more twists and turns the Jinli Alley becomes. The flowing water, small bridges, green tree houses, culture and history are perfectly integrated.

In that silk quilt workshop, in front of the loom under the wooden window, the beautiful weaver girl was tying the loom, speechless.

In a folk painting shop not far away, a pretty girl in yellow brocade clothes was sitting in the shop, painting. The hustle and bustle of people around me seems to be like a stone wall, but it has no impact at all.

The paintings in the store are either cartoons, ink or fine brushwork, and the animals and landscapes are all innocent and cute, elegant and exquisite.

Old customs, snacks, nursery rhymes, animals, etc. are all displayed on that small piece of rice paper.

The red paper-cut shop in front quickly attracted my attention again. Exquisite window grilles, paper flowers, and cut-flowers were all hung up in the shop, full of joy.

Next to the Qiyi Calligraphy shop, there is a handicraft shop selling colorful hangings. The young lady in Hanfu lowered her head and sat on the edge. It was a beautiful scenery from a distance.

Jinli handicrafts and local specialties have the unique charm of the Three Kingdoms culture and Sichuan folk customs. You can find historical stories from those scenery, and you can also experience the past from these hidden stories. bustling.

The handsome flag of Zhang Fei Beef Restaurant hangs very flamboyantly in the middle of the street. At first glance, the waiter yelling hard in front of the door looks a bit like Zhang Fei with a black face.

Could it be that the five tiger generals of the Shu Kingdom in the past were reduced to a handyman in order to make a living?

If Zhang Yide, who can sleep with his eyes open, knows something underground, he must learn from the depths of history Holding a spear that was eight feet long, he jumped onto the three-meter-high gray wall of the restaurant and roared as he did in Changbanpo: "Don't be so arrogant, just take one of my spears!"

Meng Zhang Fei sells beef now, which is consistent with his status as a wine seller and butchered pig before he developed. I wonder if brother Liu Bei still sells straw sandals, and does brother Guan Yu still sell dates from a cart?

Along the way in Jinli, I encountered restaurants and restaurants named Jieyi Tower, Tongque Terrace, and Heroes of the Three Kingdoms from time to time. I thought I had traveled back a thousand years and dreamed back to the Three Kingdoms.

Going further inside is the Liu Guan Zhang stage. Tea, chairs, and the Eight Immortals table have been prepared. They are just waiting for the gongs to start singing and Xiao Qiao to get married.

In the middle of the ancient street, an ancient ginkgo tree stands beside Benqiao Bridge. This tree is said to be more than 1,700 years old, and it is covered with many red packets for making wishes. Locals say that every time the wind blows the bag on the tree, it means praying for the person who made the wish.

Near the ancient ginkgo, there are green trees, gurgling water, and a stone bridge crossing the stream. This is a rare and quiet place in Jinli.

There is an ancient well next to it, named "Adou Well". Under the stone arch bridge is a trickling stream. Listening to the sound of the rustling water on the Jingli Bridge is really a beautiful feeling.

In the green tile corridor in the middle section of Yanxi Avenue in Jinli, there are more than a hundred stone carvings from the Song Dynasty on display, and the historical legacy still exists.

But we have no intention of watching, just looking at the flowers. Now that I think about it, I feel very regretful. In fact, I missed the most worthwhile place to visit.

We also followed the crowd and ran to Fushou Lane, which was hung with red lanterns. We stroked the thick stone wall, looked at the water drops hanging under the eaves, and made many wishes.

Strings of red lights and drops of water moisten the mood and soak in history. As the saying goes: Look at the red and wet places at dawn, and the flowers will bloom in the official city. In the smoke and dust, there are eighty-nine families in Jiangcun.

In the night, the charming proprietress stopped us as we were passing by in a hurry: Boss, please have a meal before leaving. Do you know who founded Mapo Tofu in Sichuan? She is the old proprietress of our shop, so my family The Mapo Tofu is the most authentic in the country.

The proprietress laughed as she spoke, her smile was alluring and her bumps were shaken off.

We don’t care whether the Mapo Tofu is authentic or not. We happen to be hungry, as long as we have food and food.

Follow the proprietress upstairs, choose a seat by the window and sit down, sipping tea, silently looking at the bustling tourists downstairs, listening intently to the shouts mixed with the sounds of children playing, and found this place. It is also a kind of intoxication.

Who are you and me inside and outside the Jinli Opera? The passing years are mottled and the long bluestone street is green with moss. Watching the hustle and bustle of the world and seeing the prosperity of the world, it is like reliving the splendor of the prosperous times thousands of years ago.

Chengdu has the richest snack culture. Jinli, like Kuanzhai Alley, has a snack street. Snacks can dazzle you and satisfy your appetite.

After we were full, we walked from one end of Jinli to the other. Centennial wooden doors and thousand-year-old stone roads tell us stories everywhere.

The lantern swayed with the breeze, the light was blurred, and an inexplicable sadness came to my heart. Maybe life is about gathering and separation, so there is no need to be entangled and sad about it.

Looking at the long alley, if there are few people on a rainy night, wouldn’t this be Dai Wangshu’s “Rain Alley”: