A probe into the revolutionary history of Jiefang Road in Guangzhou

Jiefang Road, Arcade and Four Pailou in the Past

Jiefang Road has been the north-south main road of Guangzhou City in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the southern section is called Xiaoshi Street. The middle section is called Sipailou; There are also many academies in the inner street of Sipailou (due to the proximity to Gong Xue in Nanhai County). The south of Panfu Road in the northern section is called Dabeizhi Street, and the north of Panfu Road is the outer lane. 1930 is expanded into roads, which are called Zhongnan Road, Zhongbei Road and Beilu Road respectively, and the road width is16m. 1954 was renamed Jiefang South, Middle and North Road to commemorate the liberation of Guangzhou.

The weather in southern Guangdong is hot, and people in Guangzhou have the habit of drinking herbal tea. After liberation, there was a herbal tea shop at the corner with Huifudong, named "Sanhutang", with Sanhu as its trademark. At the corner of the road opposite the herbal tea shop is the "first floor" teahouse, with two dragon pillars standing at the main entrance. The pavements on both sides are opposite, forming a "dragon-tiger rivalry" in geomantic omen, and then the teahouse collapsed (that is, closed down). It is rumored that the three tigers defeated Ssangyong. Since then, the "Three Tiger Hall" has also gained great fame.

Guangzhou, a famous historical city, has a unique Lingnan culture. Speaking of Lingnan architecture, I have to mention the arcade-style old house that is still common now, which is a major feature of Yangcheng and a wonderful flower of Lingnan architecture.

The arcade with a history of more than 100 years spread from Nanyang to Lingnan. It is a kind of household built on both sides of the road. There are bunks and sidewalks on the first floor, and the space above the second floor is used to cross the building. It's rainy in the south and sunny in summer. This kind of arcade can shelter from the wind and rain, and it can avoid the sun in sunny days, which is convenient for pedestrians and businesses. It's killing two birds with one stone. Arcade is still visible in the main commercial streets of the old city of Guangzhou, such as Shangxiajiu Road, Beijing Road and Renmin Road.

In the past, there were mostly two or three-story old arcades on both sides of Jiefang Road. The author once lived in this area. This is a reinforced concrete house with three floors in the front building. There are many exquisite carved decorative patterns on the front wall of the house, which combine Chinese and western styles. The gable of the roof garden is inlaid with a round geomantic mirror with a diameter of more than 30 cm, facing Gong Xue Street (Gong Xue Street is west of Jiefang Middle Road and west of Mishi Road, hence the name. ) It is said that it can ward off evil spirits. The second half of the house is a three-story building with brick and wood structure, which is an old house with a narrow face and a deep entrance. The pavement is "Guangchang Sauce Garden", and the old four-arched building that no longer exists stands next to the house.

Jinshi archway was originally built in Jiefang Middle Road, commonly known as "Four Archways". One of the "Yi Chou Jinshi" archway was built in the eighth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1635) to commend seven Guangdong Jinshi, including Li Sijue, Luo, Wu, Cenzhibao and Gao Kui. In the 1940s, the Guangzhou Municipal Government wanted to widen the road and move the archway on the road to the scenic spot. Lingnan University moved the "Ugly Scholar" archway. On the west side of Ugelan Hall (now called "Big Bell Tower"), the archway was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, and the Houlingnan University Alumni Association donated more than 700,000 yuan for reconstruction. The restored archway is10.37m high. 9 meters wide, basically restored the original appearance of three rooms, four columns and five floors.

Nowadays, this ancient, modern and beautiful flower city is becoming more and more beautiful, with high-rise buildings everywhere and wider roads, but there are more and more cars and people. Jiefang Road has expanded the road, and the arcade-style house no longer exists. A Xi Zhong Building was also built in the original residence. 1995 Jiefang Road was widened by 40 meters to become a busy main road of Guangzhou's north-south transportation hub. It is also a commercial street of second-hand electrical appliances, flowers and shoes. The old streets and shops in the city will disappear quietly. I can't help but think of a lyric in Julie's The Same Moonlight: When frogs croak, cicadas become memories, and when my hometown becomes so crowded. There are many tall buildings, and colorful neon lights dye the night sky so tacky. Who can tell me, who can tell me, whether we changed the world or the world changed me and you? ...

Here, I can't help but think of the midsummer night of my childhood, the street under the soft street lights, the crisp sound of clogs banging on the flagstones from time to time, mixed with melodious Cantonese music and Cantonese music from the electron tube radio, which makes it full of the unique street customs and cultural atmosphere of the old Lingnan city.