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Down memory lane with unruly kid and a poet
By Wu Huixin |
June 17, 2013, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
HANGZHOU has numerous lanes, most of which are low-profile thoroughfares dominated by residential buildings. But Hai'er Lane is an exception.
Hai'er - which literally means "children" - got its name, according to one story, because in ancient times it was home to numerous shops selling clay figurines of children.
But there's another version of the origins of the name.
Once upon a time, as all good stories go, a widow and her son lived here. The boy, encouraged by his mother, stole from neighbors and grew up to become a thief before his crimes caught up with him and he was jailed.
Afterwards, locals called the lane "害儿巷" which means "harm the son," in view of the mother's encouragement of her son's wayward ways.
But this name was pronounced similar to "孩儿巷" and over time switched to this.
As well as interesting tales about the origins of its name, Hai'er Lane also has associations with poetic beauty, thanks to Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) poet Lu You.
Lu lived at a time when China was divided - the once-glorious Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) was conquered by the Jurchen people, and the imperial family and court officials fled to Hangzhou, where they continued to hold out as the Southern Song Dynasty.
Lu and his family also fled to the south, where he received a good education. Brought up to be patriotic, he hoped to bring divided China back together, and this was reflected in his poetry and prose.
Lu's most famous poem is "To My Son," which he wrote just before he died. "When the day of the emperor's troops sweeping the North comes, you must not forget to tell me at my tombstone," the poem instructs, still sounding moving 1,000 years later.
In order to fulfill his aspirations for the reunification of China, Lu started out as an official in Hangzhou, living in Hai'er Lane.
Thereafter, Hai'er Lane was closely associated with Lu, witnessing the patriot's sincere love for his turbulent country.
Shanghai Daily followed in Lu's footsteps, strolling along the historic lane on a sunny afternoon, exploring the patriot poet's memorial hall, and checking out a restaurant and a breakfast store.
Lu You Memorial Hall
This traditional Chinese building is famed across Hangzhou, and led to an outcry when there were plans to demolish it.
In 1998, the hall was due to be razed as part of a city building program. But locals complained to local government.
The dispute caught the attention of historians and architects. After meticulous investigation, they concluded that it was a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) building based on the Song Dynasty (960-1279) foundations, combined with Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) architectural elements.
Seeing the huge value of the building, then Hangzhou Party Secretary Wang Guoping ordered that it should not be demolished and a restoration plan was launched.
The windows of the building were made of clamshells, which could only be seen in wealthy families' houses in ancient times. These were polished to be very thin, through which sunshine could penetrate, though not transparent.
In order to restore the original appearance of the building, a total of 680 clamshells were used, which took workers five months to complete.
Though Lu's former residence had been lost through time, academics thought that his footprint should be retained in Hangzhou, so this building became Lu You Memorial Hall.
The memorial hall displays Lu's statue, calligraphic works and collections of his writings.
Address: 98 Hai'er Lane
Tel: (0571) 8791-2981
Laojia Potsticker
Every morning, this store is full of hungry folks downing a quick snack or buying some takeaway on the way to work.
Some are drawn by the clean surroundings with its plain, simple decor.
The potsticker - also called pan fried dumpling - is the signature snack here. Fillings include pork, vegetable, seafood, beef and bamboo shoot.
Other traditional breakfast dim sum including wonton, fried turnip omelets, Chinese pumpkin pie, steamed sponge cake and Chinese vermicelli are also served.
Address: 159 Hai'er Lane
Tel: (0571) 8755-6017
Zhou's Restaurant
This eatery is located near the intersection of Hai'er Lane and Yan'an Road, a bustling commercial road. It's a rendezvous place for residents and a spot popular with visitors.
This is a branch of Drum Tower Zhou's Restaurant, which is located in Southern Song Royal Street and attracts a continual stream of customers.
Though this restaurant is tucked away among residential communities, advance booking is recommended.
It serves local Hangzhou dishes and creates new favorites by combining elements of other dishes.
The chef's picks include stir-fried shrimp, broccoli fried with XO sauce, crab casserole, spiced duck and thick fish head soup.
Pork chops fried with corn is a tasty new dish. The corn is pounded and fried, tasting like chips, while the chops are tender, not overdone.
Address: 141 Hai'er Lane
Tel: (0571) 8702-9198
Hai'er - which literally means "children" - got its name, according to one story, because in ancient times it was home to numerous shops selling clay figurines of children.
But there's another version of the origins of the name.
Once upon a time, as all good stories go, a widow and her son lived here. The boy, encouraged by his mother, stole from neighbors and grew up to become a thief before his crimes caught up with him and he was jailed.
Afterwards, locals called the lane "害儿巷" which means "harm the son," in view of the mother's encouragement of her son's wayward ways.
But this name was pronounced similar to "孩儿巷" and over time switched to this.
As well as interesting tales about the origins of its name, Hai'er Lane also has associations with poetic beauty, thanks to Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) poet Lu You.
Lu lived at a time when China was divided - the once-glorious Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) was conquered by the Jurchen people, and the imperial family and court officials fled to Hangzhou, where they continued to hold out as the Southern Song Dynasty.
Lu and his family also fled to the south, where he received a good education. Brought up to be patriotic, he hoped to bring divided China back together, and this was reflected in his poetry and prose.
Lu's most famous poem is "To My Son," which he wrote just before he died. "When the day of the emperor's troops sweeping the North comes, you must not forget to tell me at my tombstone," the poem instructs, still sounding moving 1,000 years later.
In order to fulfill his aspirations for the reunification of China, Lu started out as an official in Hangzhou, living in Hai'er Lane.
Thereafter, Hai'er Lane was closely associated with Lu, witnessing the patriot's sincere love for his turbulent country.
Shanghai Daily followed in Lu's footsteps, strolling along the historic lane on a sunny afternoon, exploring the patriot poet's memorial hall, and checking out a restaurant and a breakfast store.
Lu You Memorial Hall
This traditional Chinese building is famed across Hangzhou, and led to an outcry when there were plans to demolish it.
In 1998, the hall was due to be razed as part of a city building program. But locals complained to local government.
The dispute caught the attention of historians and architects. After meticulous investigation, they concluded that it was a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) building based on the Song Dynasty (960-1279) foundations, combined with Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) architectural elements.
Seeing the huge value of the building, then Hangzhou Party Secretary Wang Guoping ordered that it should not be demolished and a restoration plan was launched.
The windows of the building were made of clamshells, which could only be seen in wealthy families' houses in ancient times. These were polished to be very thin, through which sunshine could penetrate, though not transparent.
In order to restore the original appearance of the building, a total of 680 clamshells were used, which took workers five months to complete.
Though Lu's former residence had been lost through time, academics thought that his footprint should be retained in Hangzhou, so this building became Lu You Memorial Hall.
The memorial hall displays Lu's statue, calligraphic works and collections of his writings.
Address: 98 Hai'er Lane
Tel: (0571) 8791-2981
Laojia Potsticker
Every morning, this store is full of hungry folks downing a quick snack or buying some takeaway on the way to work.
Some are drawn by the clean surroundings with its plain, simple decor.
The potsticker - also called pan fried dumpling - is the signature snack here. Fillings include pork, vegetable, seafood, beef and bamboo shoot.
Other traditional breakfast dim sum including wonton, fried turnip omelets, Chinese pumpkin pie, steamed sponge cake and Chinese vermicelli are also served.
Address: 159 Hai'er Lane
Tel: (0571) 8755-6017
Zhou's Restaurant
This eatery is located near the intersection of Hai'er Lane and Yan'an Road, a bustling commercial road. It's a rendezvous place for residents and a spot popular with visitors.
This is a branch of Drum Tower Zhou's Restaurant, which is located in Southern Song Royal Street and attracts a continual stream of customers.
Though this restaurant is tucked away among residential communities, advance booking is recommended.
It serves local Hangzhou dishes and creates new favorites by combining elements of other dishes.
The chef's picks include stir-fried shrimp, broccoli fried with XO sauce, crab casserole, spiced duck and thick fish head soup.
Pork chops fried with corn is a tasty new dish. The corn is pounded and fried, tasting like chips, while the chops are tender, not overdone.
Address: 141 Hai'er Lane
Tel: (0571) 8702-9198
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