1、 Preface

I have previously written about famous attractions in Yangzhou, such as Geyuan, Heyuan, Shouxihu, Lu's Salt Merchant Residence, and Zhu Ziqing's Former Residence.

This time we focus on mazes hidden deep in ancient alleys, such as Xiaopangu. If you don't search carefully, it's easy to miss them.

2、 Recommended route

This route is like a maze, bringing surprises at the end of each alley. It doesn't cost much, but the scenery is infinitely beautiful.

Exclusive walking route:

【 Dingjiawan 】 - 【 Nanhexia 】 - 【 Dawucheng Lane 】 - 【 Xiaowucheng Lane 】 - Historical Architecture of Suchang Street 【 Four Banks Office 】 - 【 Rolling Dragon Well 】 - Famous Private Garden in Yangzhou 【 Xiaopangu 】 - 【 Jia's Salt Merchant Residence 】—— 【 Xincang Lane 】 【 Jushi Lane 】 【 Suchang Street 】—— [Xingshan Temple] - [Wei Yuan's Former Residence] - [Lingnan Association Hall] - [Liu Zhuang] - [San Zhu Lane] - [Han Lu] - [Hua Ju Lane] - [Desheng Bridge] - [Fuchun Tea Society] - [Park Bridge] - [XiaoQinhuai River] - [Caiyi Lane] - [Renfengli] - [Wuning Temple Palace] - [Zheng Banqiao Memorial Hall] - [Yu Matou] - [Ye Chun]

3、 Specific introduction

1. Dingjiawan - the most primitive and authentic alley in Yangzhou

In the Qing Dynasty, Dingjiawan was an important settlement for salt merchants.

Nowadays, this street called Dingjiawan is accessible from both sides of the high walled courtyards. It is the most distinctive old street in the ancient city of Yangzhou. This street forms a huge "T-shaped" shape.

The blue bricks and black tiles exude the most common taste of Yangzhou.

Dingjiawan Inn

2. Under the South River
There are numerous ancient wells, old houses, and ancient trees in the Nanhexia Historical District, and the street and alley structures are basically preserved in the original state of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The overall style is extremely well preserved, which is extremely rare among the existing ancient cities in China.

In addition to the famous garden He Yuan in the late Qing Dynasty, there are also many well preserved salt merchant residences, halls, and private gardens scattered around, such as Hunan Guild Hall, Xiaopangu, Jia's Garden, Erfen Mingyue Tower, Lingnan Guild Hall, etc.

3. Dawucheng Lane and Xiaowucheng Lane - the most classic alleys in Yangzhou

The origin of the lane name: formerly known as Wucheng Lane, with homophones for "wu" and "wu", and smaller than the main lane, hence the current name. The entire main roadway runs from south to north and was originally a passage in front of Jia's salt merchant residence.

4 Su Chang Street Historical Building [Four Banks Office]
According to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty government, salt from Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Anhui provinces had to be transported out of the two Huai salt areas, so salt merchants from the four provinces gathered in Yangzhou in large numbers. The so-called "Four Banks Office" refers to the place where salt merchants from the four provinces hold meetings.

The original "Four Banks Office" covers an area of over 4700 square meters, adjacent to No. 116 Dingjiawan in the east, Dingjiawan Street in the south, Lizhentang Lane (now renamed Lizhi Lane) in the west, and Zuowei Street (now renamed Guangling Road) in the north. There were originally over 90 houses of various sizes, combined by three vertical axes: east, middle, and west.

The gate tower is very majestic and spectacular, second only to the eight character archway style gate towers of Hunan Guild Hall and Lingnan Guild Hall. It is the "third oldest" among the existing archway style gate towers in Yangzhou.

In addition, the construction and decoration also have their unique personality and style. From the perspective of the roof ridge, it is rare to install a hollow cross shaped crabapple brocade ridge, which is rare in the existing archway style gatehouse form in Yangzhou. The eaves flying bricks are arranged in a small square mouth shape in the middle of the line feet, which is three-dimensional and has both convex and concave shapes. This practice is not found in the flying bricks of other gate towers in Yangcheng.

5. Rolling Dragon Well

The most famous ancient well in this area is named after the rolling wheels on the well that resemble a rolling dragon when taking water.
It is said that the "Rolling Dragon Well" used to be an official well, but it was later auctioned off by the nearby Gao family. Today, the descendants of the Gao family still retain the Rolling Dragon Well stele engraved with the words "Convenient Official Well" and the contract to purchase the ancient well.

6. Xiaopan Valley—— Famous private gardens in Yangzhou

Xiaopangu is a classical garden building that was first built in the Qing Dynasty. In the Dashu Lane of Dingjiawan, in the 30th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1904), Zhou Fu, the Governor General of Liangjiang, purchased and rebuilt the Xu family's old garden. The fake mountain peaks in the park are dangerous and the roads are treacherous. The rocks explore the water, the valleys are deep, and the stone paths spiral, hence the name "Xiaopan Valley".

Xiaopangu has its own unique features in Yangzhou gardens. Compared with individual gardens and He gardens, Xiaopangu occupies a small area and has few buildings and rocks. However, the beauty lies in its concentration and compactness, where less wins over more, that is, seeing the bigger picture through the smaller.

Xiaopangu is generally divided into three parts, with a large hall in the middle, Huoxiang on the left and right sides of the hall, and a garden to the east of the alley. There are beautiful rocks in the park called "Nine Lion Map Mountain", which is the treasure of the town of Xiaopangu. It is named after the shape of its rocks, which resemble a group of lions exploring fish.

In the eyes of the older generation of garden experts and masters, the value of this garden can be compared to that of a garden or a garden.

She is a masterpiece of Yangzhou gardens, a treasure of Chinese gardens, and holds a pivotal position in Yangzhou gardens.

7. Jia's Salt Merchant Residence

Jia's Salt Merchant Residence, a national key cultural relic protection unit. Located at 1-5 Dawucheng Lane and 263 Guangling Road, it includes two parts: the garden and the Erfen Mingyue Tower garden, covering an area of 3200 square meters.

Among them, the garden was built by salt merchant Jia Songping during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty; And the garden of the Half Moon Tower, which is older in age, was built by the Yuan family during the Daoguang period and purchased by the Jia family during the Guangxu period. It is understood that during the heyday of the Jia family, the areas around Dawucheng Lane and Xiaowu Lane, as well as the Erfen Mingyue Tower Garden, were all their residences and gardens.

Last time I went there, it happened to be for renovation. After the epidemic, I have to go to Yangzhou again in March.

8. 【 Xincang Lane 】 【 Jushi Lane 】 【 Suchang Street 】

Xincang Lane: Named after the salt storage facility in the past. The Lingnan Guild Hall in the eastern section of the alley was built by salt merchants in the Qing Dynasty at a cost of over 9000 taels of silver. The "Xuyuan" at No. 37 of this alley is the former residence of Wei Yuan, the first person to "open his eyes and see the world" in the late Qing Dynasty. Lin Zexu, Gong Zizhen, and others once lived and chatted in the catnip garden, becoming friends with Wei Yuan.

Su Chang Street: The origin is familiar to the elderly. In the past, the only deity worshipped in the opera industry was the Old Lang God, and the temple dedicated to the Old Lang God in Yangzhou is located on Su Chang Street. In addition to offering sacrifices, this place also serves as a place for business discussions. Many artists who sang Su Kun once lived on this street

Entering the long night of history, during the Republican era, the main institution of the opera industry, the Pear Garden General Administration, was located on Su Chang Street.

9. Xingshan Temple

Yangzhou Xingshan Temple is located at No. 11 Jushi Lane, Guangling District, Yangzhou City. It has a high status in the Buddhist community in China and is a national protected unit. The temple's architecture has a unique style. The axis of Xingshan Temple in Yangzhou is basically symmetrical. As a local temple, it has been a rare historical building for several years and holds an important position in the history of Buddhist dissemination.

10. Former Residence of Wei Yuan

The "Xuyuan" at No. 37 of this alley is the former residence of Wei Yuan, the first person to "open his eyes and see the world" in the late Qing Dynasty. The famous work 'Open Your Eyes to See the World', 'Sea Country Atlas', was drafted here. Lin Zexu, Gong Zizhen, and others once lived and chatted in the catnip garden, becoming friends with Wei Yuan.

11. Lingnan Guild Hall

The Lingnan Guild Hall was first built in the eighth year of the Qing Dynasty's Tongzhi reign (1869) and underwent major renovations and additions in the ninth year of the Guangxu reign (1883). Located between No. 4 and No. 16 Xincang Lane in Yangzhou, Lingnan Guild Hall was a gathering place for Guangdong merchants in Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty to discuss and establish connections with their hometown. It also served as a trading, intelligence, accommodation, and entertainment venue. Lingnan Guild Hall is the most complete surviving guild hall in Yangzhou today, with its old houses and inscriptions having certain historical and artistic value.

It has now been converted into a hotel, and non residents are not allowed to enter. They can only enjoy the charm of the past at the entrance.

12. Liu Zhuang

The city level cultural relic protection unit is located at 272 Guangling Road. Originally named 'Longxi Houpu', it was built during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. In 1922, it was transferred to the salt merchant Liu's family and covers an area of 6160 square meters. The gate faces south, and the garden is located north of the residence, separated by a courtyard. There is a Moon Cave Gate at the entrance of the garden, with a "half acre garden" on the top. There are three south facing halls and houses, a courtyard behind the hall, a corridor leading to the west half pavilion of the courtyard, and a lake stone flower bed under the southwest wall, planted with white pine and other flowers and trees. In the east courtyard, there are pavilions facing the void in the north, with walls and mountains stacked, and a pool of water in the south, with a group of lake rocks and rockeries stacked on top. The backyard is desolate, and there are still several stone carvings of the "Pumo Zhai Fa Tie" carved by Ming Wang Bingchi on the courtyard walls. The residential area in the southern part of the park has three east-west axes, with four entrances in the front and back, and a preserved Nanmu Hall.

13. San Zhu Lane

The "Three Wishes" are blessings, birthday wishes, and blessings. Guangling Road was called "Zuowei Street" during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Twenty or thirty years ago, it could be considered the center of the city center. On the west side of the southern alley entrance was the commercial giant of that time - Yangzhou First Department Store (Zhongbai Yidian).

14. Hanlu

Located at No. 7 Shipailou, it was originally the residence of Xu Gongshu, a salt merchant in the Qing Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty, the calligrapher and painter Wu Xizai and the ivory carver Huang Hanhou lived here successively. Not only did Mr. Huang Hanhou live inside, but also Mr. Chen Hanguang, a prominent figure in the "Ye Chun Hou Society" and a famous calligraphy and painting master in Yangzhou.

15. Huaju Lane

The origin of the name of the alley: In the old days, there were famous flower gardens in the deep courtyards of the alley, and the alley was named after them.

The alleyway is quaint and quiet, with deep courtyards scattered on both sides. There is a brick walled gate at the entrance of the northern alley, with the name "Huaju Lane" carved on the stone at the front of the gate. This may have been common in the past, but it is extremely rare in ancient cities today.

16. Victory Bridge - an old alley lined with knife and scissors shops

According to legend, in the Ming Dynasty, there was an unnamed small stone dry bridge on the eastern section of the street. General Chang Yuchun triumphantly passed through this bridge from Huaidong and named it the "Victory Bridge" to celebrate his military achievements.

The whole street is selling knives and scissors made from Yangzhou's three knives - kitchen knives, shaving knives, and pedicures. These "three knives" are synonymous with famous Yangzhou chefs, hairdressers, and pedicurists across the country.

17. Fuchun Tea House - the most authentic "skin water" in old Yangzhou
It's best for Yangzhou people to have morning tea. The place with the best water bag is undoubtedly the Fuchun Tea House in Deshengqiao. According to the older generation, Chen Aiting, the founder of Fuchun, was originally just a small vendor selling flower baskets in the alleys of Yangzhou. In the eleventh year of the Guangxu reign, Chen Aiting rented more than 10 houses in the Yangzhou Chuandian Lane of Desheng Bridge and established the Fuchun Flower Bureau.

Founded in 1885. Through the unremitting efforts and management of several generations, Fuchun Tea House has gradually formed the characteristics of combining flowers, tea, dishes and dishes, with good color, fragrance, taste and shape, leisure, quiet, elegant and suitable to win, and is recognized as the authentic representative of Huaiyang Cuisine dishes.
Ba Jin, Zhu Ziqing, Bing Xin, Lin Sanzhi, Wu Zuoren, Mei Lanfang, Zhao Dan, and other literary giants have left behind calligraphy treasures and praises.

18. Park Bridge - The Republic of China Bridge over the XiaoQinhuai River

Construction began in the third year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1911 AD), and in the seventh year of the Republic of China (1918 AD), the Park Bridge was rebuilt from a wooden bridge to a brick arch bridge. The bridge is 7.8 meters long and 4.1 meters wide, with a vehicle load capacity of 6 tons. In 1947, during the 36th year of the Republic of China, the railings of the Park Bridge were repaired. In 1964, the Park Bridge was rebuilt, and in 2001, it was renovated and reinforced, with a new bridge deck and blue brick railings.

19. Little Qinhuai River

The Xiaoqinhuai River is the only remaining inner city river in the ancient city of Yangzhou, formerly known as the Xincheng River. It is connected to the Beicheng River to the north and flows into the ancient canal through Longtouguan to the south, with a total length of about 2 kilometers. It is a witness to the rise and fall of ancient cities during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Xiaoqinhuai River and its surrounding neighborhoods were once the busiest areas during the Qing Dynasty. The name Xiaoqinhuai originated during the Kangxi period.

20. Caiyi Lane - a transportation hub and cultural street in the old city

The name Caiyi Street comes from the colorful clothing shops that used to stand on the street. The "Yangzhou Painting Boat Record" once recorded Caiyi Street, calling it "the first floor behind Yunsi, where there used to be a clothing bureau, and later embroidered goods, theatrical costumes, estimated clothes, and other shops were gathered in the street
Nowadays, there are various types of snack stalls lining both sides of the street.

21. Renfengli - the most iconic cultural symbol of Yangzhou

I only hear about Dongguan Street, but I don't know Renfengli. If Dongguan Street represents the prosperity of the old city, then Renfengli is a symbol of the old city culture.

Renfengli gathers over a dozen cultural and museum sites from the Sui, Tang, Ming, and Qing dynasties. There is Jingzhong Temple renamed in memory of Yue Fei from the Song Dynasty; There is the residence and ancestral temple of Ruan Yuan, a renowned scholar of the Qianjia Classics; There is a famous saying in the imperial examination system that goes, 'One scholar passed the imperial examination three times, and the father and son passed on the imperial examination two times.'; There are literary selection buildings and Cao Li Lane related to the compilation of literary selections; The location of the Ming Dynasty Military and Horse Bureau's yamen office; There is a century old famous bathhouse called "Shuanggui Spring"... It turns out that Renfengli is also a place of hidden dangers.

Yangzhou bathroom "night water foreskin"

22. [Tianning Temple Palace] - The First of the Eight Great Ming Temples in Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty

Yangzhou Tianning Temple is one of the eight famous temples in Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty. But there are different opinions on when its history began. One version is said to be the Xie An Villa of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

In the 18th year of the Qianlong reign, 1753 AD, salt merchants in Yangzhou built a palace in the west garden of Tianning Temple, which was completed three years later.

The Tianning Temple, a heritage site of the Grand Canal in China, can serve as the starting point for ancient alley tours. According to legend, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, this was a very lively street. After leaving Tianning Temple, Qianlong and his delegation entered Tianning Gate and followed Tianning Gate Street, Beiliu Lane, Nanliu Lane, and Gengzi Street to reach Caiguan Wharf. Therefore, the Imperial Guards also passed through here, and Tianning Gate Street became the "Imperial Road".

Zheng Banqiao Memorial Hall in the temple

23. [Royal Horse Head]

The Imperial Wharf is built with bluestone and has withstood over two hundred years of wind and rain, remaining intact and sturdy as ever. Legend has it that because there cannot be any obstacles under the emperor's feet, the "code" on the imperial dock has been removed from the stone side. It is now the starting point of the famous "Qianlong Water Tour Line".

24. [Yechun] - A Century Old Tea Shop in Poetry and Painting
Yechun Garden, the first scenic spot of the "Qianlong Water Tour Line", is one of the eight famous gardens in Yangzhou during the Qing Dynasty. It was originally located on the banks of the Grand Hongqiao Bridge in Yangzhou and was the site of a poetry society founded by the famous poet Wang Shizhen. Later, the old garden was abandoned and relocated to its current location in the late Qing Dynasty.

Yechun Garden cleverly integrates trees, water, bridges, and pavilions together. As soon as you enter the gate of the garden, there are several thatched cottages, half of which are erected on the shore and the other half extend into the water. The thatched cottage is topped with golden straw, lined with wooden boards, and adorned with carved windows.

There are three characters on the forehead of Caolu Gate, "Shui Hua Ge", which is named after the "Shui Hua Yuan" in the home of Mao Bijiang, a minister in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The thatched cottage has upturned eaves and corners, complementing the river water with a rustic flavor.

To the west of the Water Painting Pavilion, there is a curved railing connecting to a water pavilion, which is called the "Fragrant Shadow Corridor". Its name comes from Wang Shizhen's poem "Fragrant Clothes and Shadow Too Hurry". There are several corridors, with a red railing facing the water. Leaning against the window and leaning against the railing, the flowing water under the bridge, and the flowers and trees on the opposite bank are all within sight.

4、 Conclusion

There are many official routes in Yangzhou, including ancient alley style tours, salt merchant cultural tours, cultural and museum experience tours....

If you also enjoy quiet and casual niche tourism, and are willing to experience the urban feeling of Yangzhou, why not follow my exclusive route for a walk.