Walk with me in the streets of Taigu.

Taigu, located in the middle of Shanxi Province, was founded in the Western Han Dynasty with a long history and developed culture and commerce. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China, Taigu became the financial and commercial center in northern China, with the reputation of "dry dock", "Little Beijing" and "Wall Street in China". Together with Qixian and Pingyao, it has become a famous hometown of Shanxi merchants. There are many ruins of Shanxi merchants' courtyards in the territory, represented by Cao's courtyards and houses.

In early August, Miss Zhang and I took the train back to Taigu.

The sleeper on the train, the air conditioner is cold, the quilt is thick, covered with heat, not covered with cold, and I struggled with the quilt all night!

I like to take the train at night. In the dark night, the rumble of the train makes people feel puzzled and happy.

It's dawn, it's time to stop, and a new day has begun. I can do whatever I want, unlike the daytime train that says I can't sleep well, and I have nothing to do without sleep. When I arrived at my destination, it was either evening or evening, and I felt a little too late to do anything. Do you sleep? I don't feel sleepy, I'm in a dilemma.

One.

I need a minor operation when I come back this time. It's past nine o'clock to get up in the morning and take a taxi to the Chinese medicine hospital. I asked the doctor to prescribe B-ultrasound. The female doctor said that you should hold your urine first.

I was stunned, and then I didn't pay the fee. Let's talk after we hold our urine. Go out with Miss Zhang, turn right and go to East Street first.

There are four streets and eight wells in the old town of Taigu County. In the early years of the Republic of China, there were two villages with five directions and four dimensions. The Drum Tower is built in the city center, radiating east, south and west streets, and the Chinese medicine hospital is located at the east entrance of East Street.

I drink while walking. First I drank a bottle of water in my bag, then I drank Zhang's bottle, and then I drank wonton from the seventh hospital, but I still didn't feel anything.

It seems that when I came back, I ate a cabbage in this No.7 courtyard, which is a home-cooked series. At that time, No.7 Hospital had just opened and was very popular. Now that I have sold breakfast, I wonder if I will sell anything else.

At ten o'clock, Guoer WeChat asked me: Have you finished the B-ultrasound?

Me: Ouch! I'm crazy. After so many years of physical examination, I forgot to urinate, and now I urinate in Dongjie!

Guo Er: Ha ha ha!

Me: I'm sweating while drinking water in this weather, and I don't know when I can hold my urine.

From the alley of East Street, we can see all kinds of old houses-houses featuring quadrangles and old pavements along the street, which still retain the style of the ancient city.

"Come, Zhang Xiaoniu, take a picture at the door. This is a tour!"

Many doors are closed, some people are still alive, and some have been abandoned. Then Zhang calf stood on tiptoe and looked out of the door.

"Don't look! Be careful to cross! "

This used to be a door! Look at those complicated petals and leaves on the top of the wall. Are they lotus and peony? Vivid on the high wall.

(I can't seem to finish writing here. I don't know how to say the terms of patterns on old walls, old roofs and old gates. I can't find this professional book for the time being. Well, I'll make do with it! )

Above the cornice is a row of square Chinese characters for longevity. There are no patterns on both sides of the characters, but the lines are smooth and vivid, which makes people daydream.

Below is the cornice, the cat's head dripping, and some have disappeared in the wind and rain, leaving lonely tiles. In the gap in the corner, birds like cranes spread their wings among the clouds.

From a distance, it's just a broken door, not even a door, but the details are still so beautiful.

Turn around and there is an orchid Zhai watch shop. The food on the windowsill is tender and juicy, like life.

The door was open, so I put my head in, decorated it in an antique way, and then an aunt came out of the back room. I said that one of my primary school classmates is repairing clocks in this street. Her surname is Ji. Aunt said yes, yes, it was my house and invited us in. In fact, the house has been renovated, only the storefront facing the street has not changed, and the inside is not what it used to be.

Jinxi pharmacy, the general framework is still there, but no one lives there, and traces of the past are still there. It is very desolate and cold here, which makes people feel sad.

Zhao Jiaxiang.

? ? After seven to eight turns, we have arrived at South Street, and the Drum Tower in the downtown area is being repaired. North of the building is not North Street, but the old county government. North Street intersects with the middle section of West Street. It is said that there are exquisite things, and you can't face South Street directly.

The scarred Drum Tower is still the landmark of Taigu. I feel very lucky to have sex with Zhang calf once a few years ago. It seems to be five yuan per person. Zhang calf was still young at that time. I said that such a small child still charges? Then he gave the old man who was looking at the building five yuan. They went upstairs smoothly, stood upstairs, looked in all directions, and had a panoramic view of the ancient city.

Looking at this situation now, it is impossible for people to go up casually after the repair.

During that time, Wang will visit Taigu, and it is said that he will also visit the ancient city. County leaders want to promote Gu Lou to show their attention. Gu Lou is 400 years old, and there must be some ailments. After they put up the maintenance shelf, I don't know what organ was touched, and the east wall of Gu Lou collapsed overnight!

Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital is located in Dongjiekou Scenic Resort Scenic Area, so we bypassed Gu Lou and stood on East Street again. From the west entrance of East Street, we can see red arches and golden elephants. Is anyone getting married?

Take a closer look, it is really a happy event! The bride got off the bus and sprinkled a handful of steel jumpers and candy bars, and then was carried into the yard by the groom.

Zhang calf was embarrassed to pick up the steel and jump all over the floor. Maybe I didn't dare when I was young, but now, what are you afraid of This is your money! I took a handful, then added a dollar and bought an ice cream for Miss Zhang.

A middle-aged man poked around in front of a house with an iron fence. He asked, saying that he was in his fifties, and his son left him here for fear that he would run out and lose it.

Maybe he's a little insane. He speaks very well. I am a curious person. I look at the house from the top. It's also a shop, like selling computer accessories and so on. Everything is clean, not like being abused. I'm really just afraid that he will get lost.

Then I stopped drinking water and was satisfied with the scenery, so I went to have a B-ultrasound.

Two.

Seen from the 0/6th floor of my home/KLOC-,all the other mountains look short in the sky. There is traffic everywhere, but it's noisy! In the publicity broadcast of the furniture store, various horns sounded and a female voice shouted: cut your hair, cut your hair, cut your hair long. ...

Standing at the window and looking down, another traffic accident happened. As in the morning, the car hit the cyclist, which should not be too bad. How fast can the center of a small county be?

In the morning, Taigu City is magnificent and beautiful with a vast sea of clouds.

Taigu in the evening.

Taigu at night. From the sixteenth floor of my house, Xidao Street has the most feeling, dim lights, quiet and long alleys, and so did the old days.

Street lamps light up like beautiful Bai Lianhua, but some are not. That bright light, one by one, has spread to a distant place, where is the distance? ...

Three.

Go north along the fourth floor street until you come to Taishi Affiliated Primary School, where Zhang Xiaoniu once attended primary school for three years. She must come and see. The alley where the Taishi Affiliated Primary School is located is called Anchan Temple Lane, which occupies the former site of Anchan Temple. The two ancient buildings in the photo are the main halls of Ancan Temple, where I had a class when I was a child.

From Anchan Temple Lane, we came to Kong Xiangxi's former residence in Sweet Water Lane along Xidao Street. Sweet water lane, like Ancan Temple Lane, is east-west, but sweet water lane is on the east side of Xidao Street and Ancan Temple Lane is on the west side.

Originally, Sweet Water Lane was basically an old lane without discordant buildings, but many years ago, Taigu Normal University expanded and demolished the old house on the south side of the road. I remember those old houses where I lived in high school are still there. There is a grocery store that can enter the normal school through its back door. How can I put it? In fact, when Taigu Normal School was founded, it occupied the south of Sweet Water Lane and the north of Nansi Street, but it did not destroy the buildings facing the street.

In fact, this phenomenon is similar, such as East Street, West Street and South Street. Although there are many antiques in the Preface, in fact, if you go inside, it is basically dilapidated and uninhabited, or renovated and built modern houses.

Go along the west entrance of Sweet Water Lane 100 meters, and you will be Kong Xiangxi's hometown. I have been here many times. My first visit seems to be 1994 or 1995. At that time, it was not officially opened to the outside world, and someone climbed the beam to repaint the woodcarving pattern. This time, I mainly wanted to show it to Miss Zhang. I thought the tickets were only twenty or thirty, but I didn't expect 60 yuan!

A few days ago, the state just removed the sign of the five-star scenic spot of Qiao Family Courtyard in Qixian County. Tickets for the Forbidden City are only in 60 yuan, Qiao Family Courtyard 138! More than twice as big as the Forbidden City! This old house in Kong Xiangxi is only one-sixth of the yard of the Qiao family, and it is all old houses and yards. It is well preserved and maintained, even costing 60 yuan! I won't encourage this bad style. Let Miss Zhang take a photo at the gate of Kong Xiangxi. Leave!

Opposite the old house in Kong Xiangxi is a relatively well-preserved courtyard with two entrances and exits. He once filmed the TV series "Nine Chickens in the Family" and "Beautiful Things", and now he is called the Shanxi Merchants Museum in Taigu County.

I used to lock the door many times when I passed by, and occasionally the owner wouldn't let me in. Yesterday or the day before yesterday, Miss Zhang and I passed by, and saw that the sign said charging 10 yuan, and it was actually open for free today!

As soon as they entered the screen, the two generals didn't look like the original works, and the lines were not as delicate as carved. Besides, I've seen them under the door before. Without this, I can see the inner courtyard at a glance.

After entering the door, there is a picture on the left west wall: beaming! Pine cranes prolong life, as well as deer and bamboo, all of which are beautiful meanings of longevity.

Turning the screen, there is a porch leading to the inner courtyard, which is really beautiful, with bright eyes and white teeth, up and down, all exquisite. Although it is a little old, many places reveal the original colors of masonry or wood, which has a feeling of being moist as jade, faded plaques and white lanterns, much like the tenderness touched by time.

?

There are some flags, escort carts and stone locks between the screen wall and the entrance. Once upon a time, Taigu merchants helped thousands of merchants, escorted thousands of darts and guarded their homes with many bodyguards. It's not surprising to have these things. The museum is to collect some valuable historical objects from the past!

This is the wheel of the past! At that time, there were no rubber tires, so it must be very bumpy to ride in such a car.

There are several rooms in the inner and outer courtyards, and each room has a display theme, such as old photos and household utensils.

What I like best is the brick carvings of Jin school, which are lifelike one by one. Long brick carvings usually appear on the roof.

The most brick carvings here are horseheads.

The horse head here is certainly not the horse head of the horse head wall. After searching online for a long time, I couldn't find the definition of horse's head. But I know where it appears in the old house. I went to find the photos I took earlier. Horses usually appear where the eaves touch the wall for decoration, usually in pairs.

Of all the horseheads, I like this Wu Caishen horsehead best.

Look at his cute little face. It's beautiful. Love it!

It's a pity that this exhibition room is too simple. This is just a temporary shed. Sunlight shines on these brick carvings through the shed cloth, which has a bleak beauty. I feel it can't stay, but it's still beautiful.

The horizontal and vertical patterns on the main door are all wishful patterns, the color has faded and the excitement is still there. ?

Before I left, I found a photo of Kong Xiangxi Fuqian Old Street during the Republic of China in the old photo gallery. Then I went out, stood in Sweet Water Lane, looked at the pavilion in Kong Xiangxi Garden, walked out step by step, and finally stood in a similar position. History is always strikingly similar, and it is also strikingly difficult to reproduce.

Four.

The ancient city at night presents another kind of beauty, mysterious, dreamy and quiet ... In this atmosphere, I always wonder: How did the ancients live? Such a dark night is always somewhat similar to the past!

Ancient street

Shops on ancient streets

? Deep alley

? People in ancient streets

All kinds of old-fashioned doors

Ancient city moonlight

Nanmenpo will be rebuilt soon!

Fengyi and Taizhou, two once prosperous small buildings, lost their former glory in the night.

Five.

No matter day or night, every time I walk on the streets of the ancient city, I can always see a lot of buildings that spoil the scenery, standing there suddenly, and so are Fengyi and Taizhou. Maybe they are too shabby to be repaired or not worth repairing, so they are demolished and rebuilt, just like the old houses around them. All the buildings built in recent years are antiques! And those remaining old houses are also torn apart and devastated.

After staying in the old city for a long time, I can almost see at a glance which buildings are imitated, back-covered and renovated, and which buildings are real old houses, because the old ones can't be installed, and there is a mellow aesthetic feeling that has grown old after a little wind and rain.

But why? Why do we always have to wait until everything is too late to imitate before thinking of retaining? I am reminded of Zhou Li's words in The China Woman in Manhattan: We always give up history easily as soon as we raise our hands, and we always remember to cherish everything that we have been bored with, including our hometown and our own past, after we lose it forever. The ship of time carried us forward, but unconsciously returned to the original point. ?

More than ten years ago, the first edition of Taigu Daily wrote about how to restore the old appearance of the ancient city. Almost in the same year, the old house in Taichung was demolished and the Sunshine Community was built. I don't know if the Taizhong area is also in Taigu Old Town. What is the name of the temple in the alley? I used to walk around that old house. Many houses were beautifully preserved, but unfortunately none of them were left or photographed.

People who have seen it say that Taigu City is much more beautiful than Pingyao City, but Pingyao City is still so beautiful, but Taigu City will be demolished! Once I went to see a Chinese doctor and sat in the yard of an old Chinese doctor for a whole afternoon, listening to his story about Taigu City: there are many rich people in Taigu City, one temple in five steps, one temple in ten steps, and sometimes there are two or three temples in a long lane; The north street and south street of Taikoo Shing are not opposite; Taigu County, north of Gu Lou, was later bombed; The temples on Taigu wall are exquisite; People come and go on Taigu Street, shoulder to shoulder, banks and shops are bustling and noisy, and luxury houses and courtyards are row upon row ... It turns out that people can really miss people who have never worn masks, and I miss people of that era!

I said: walk with me in the street of Taigu until all the lights are out, and don't stop. ...

Friend's message: I don't know who your past life was. I desperately want to pull you to the deepest memory of the old world ... If I were you, I'd rather move on. The world is once. Maybe everyone has different ideas.

I don't want to refute it. In fact, I will feel homesick not only in Taigu, but also in all other ancient and beautiful places. I like the beauty of nature, especially the beauty of architecture and humanity, because everyone is involved! Many things, many feelings, are doomed, there is no way.

However, standing on the streets of Taigu, you can also move forward!