A while ago, I heard that Hengmian Ancient Town, which was included in the planning scope of the western area of Shanghai International Tourism Resort (Ecological Conservation Tourism Area), has started protective development. I wanted to take another look at Hengmian Ancient Town before the town was demolished and renovated, which, despite being dilapidated and depressed, still retains the simplicity and primitive scenery of the disappearing Jiangnan water town. On the afternoon of December 23, 2019, passing through Hengmian, I specifically got off the car and walked into Hengmian Old Street to take a look.

Hengmian is named after the Hengmian Port, with a terrain like a plate. It was originally the location of Xiaowuzao, which was used to fry salt by the sea in ancient times. Therefore, it was once named Xiaowuzao and Jishi Pan. The salt ship port that runs through Hengmian from east to west is obviously named after the salt transportation channel. During the Yuan Dynasty, due to this, the land was abundant in water, with natural rivers and harbors intertwined, and the streams were often full, also known as the "Mian River". Legend has it that Hengmian Port, which runs north-south, resembles a flagpole. Its southern end, Yaosha Port, runs northwest and intersects with the east-west Salt Ship Port at Xiaogao Peak, forming a triangular flag shape. Xiaogao Peak is a piece of floating land, resembling a flag pearl. There is a saying in the Chinese proverb "Flag Pole Falls - Hengmian (Sleeping)", from which the name Hengmian comes. Due to the production of salt, frequent transportation and trade, the population gradually gathered at the intersection of Hengmian Port and Yanchuan Port, and towns emerged. In the late Qing Dynasty, they flourished. Like Xinchang, Hengmian initially became a market town due to salt, but later on, the commercial industry was far more than just salt, and it was an important hub for commodity water transportation. From a geographical perspective, in the era dominated by water transportation, Hengmian was an important commodity distribution center for Chuansha and Nanhui in Pudong, and was listed as one of the 18 towns in Pudong.

Time has changed, and as transportation entered the era dominated by land, Hengmian, which was established as a township in the second year of the Qing Dynasty's Xuantong reign (1910), became increasingly scarce. A few years ago, I specifically visited Hengmian. The remaining architectural contours of the ancient town and the fragmented scenery of the water town market preserved a bit of the simplicity and primitiveness that gradually disappeared in the Jiangnan water town, exuding a peaceful and peaceful rural atmosphere in the twilight. In 2013, Mianqing Village, where Hengmianji Town is located, was selected as one of the first "Chinese Traditional Villages".

Entering Hengmian, I suddenly felt a bit late.

Walking down the Hengmian Port Bridge and arriving at Hexi Street, I found that the demolition and renovation of Hengmian Ancient Town had been fully carried out, and most of the old houses on Hexi Street had been demolished. The two distinctive and representative wooden buildings in front of me still vaguely have slogans from the Cultural Revolution period, which are the only few remaining old houses on Hexi Street.

Walking onto the first bridge of Mianxi, the shorelines of Ming, Qing, and Republican era buildings on both sides of Miangang at both ends of the bridge appeared somewhat fragmented due to the demolition of some old houses.

Crossing the bridge and entering Zhongda Street, Ningyuan Bridge, and Huayuan Street, one can walk along the way. However, one can see that most of the old buildings from the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods along the street have been demolished into rubble, leaving only a few relatively representative and intact old buildings and scenes of the street.

Of course, it can be seen that the main people still have a bit of vision, and confirm that these street scenes and old buildings are the essence of Hengmian Ancient Town.

It is said that in the protective development of Hengmian Ancient Town, efforts will be made to preserve and restore the traditional Hengmian style protection area's ancient town layout, while maintaining the authenticity of historical buildings as much as possible. However, functional implantation should be carried out in local areas according to functional needs, interweaving handicraft workshops with commerce, catering, entertainment, hotels, homestays, etc., to build a composite ancient town community. It is not difficult to imagine that in the future, next to these surviving old buildings, there will be antique style new buildings and streets and alleys. Demolishing real antiques and replacing them with fake ones, such foolish things have happened repeatedly in the imperial hall, and now they will appear again on the ruins of Hengmian Ancient Town. The charm of the ancient town of Hengmian, which has lasted for hundreds of years, will be interrupted and annihilated under the guise of so-called protective development with the large-scale demolition and renovation of the ancient town. This is an unlucky crossing of the ancient town of Hengmian, and it cannot be said that it is a catastrophe and tragedy in the historical and cultural history of the water town of Pudong.

Taking a closer look at the final authentic street scenery of Hengmian Ancient Town, the future Hengmian Ancient Town will only be a replica tourism and leisure district that is supported by Shanghai Disneyland, with the name of a water town and a "traditional Chinese village".