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Let's hit the Royal Street
September 29, 2009, Tuesday
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DO as imperial courtiers did: savor life along what is now Zhongshan Road. The renovated area is the city's newest tourism highlight, the best of old and new. Tan Weiyun takes a stroll. Zhongshan Road - the 900-year-old royal street - reopens tomorrow, showcasing Hangzhou's newest tourist attraction with parades, folk art, opera, martial arts, tea culture, historic sites, wining and dining.
Renovation of the major north-south road and nearby area highlights its history as "Royal Street of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)" when the widest street was used to provide convenient transport of the emperor and the royal family.
The road retains many old buildings, stores, factories, residences and small lanes featuring the architecture of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and Western neoclassical tastes.
Visitors can see time-honored shops, the Industrial Bank from the Republic of China (1911-1949), a Catholic church and religious shrines. It features what is said to be the first well dug in Zhejiang Province in what was the Wuyue Kingdom (AD 907-978) by the premier and a monk named De Shao.
Renowned old stores include Zhang Tongtai Pharmacyfrom the Qing Dynasty, and Fanghuichun Hall, a hospital of traditional Chinese medicine.
The renovation project spans 4.3 kilometers, covers 87 hectares and contains 13 historical and cultural relics. Work began early last year.
It is the largest urban planning in the city's center. Since the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (AD 907-979), the 4,185-meter Zhongshan Road has always been Hangzhou's financial, political and cultural hub.
It was the principal axis of Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty and a retreat for royalty. During that time, Hangzhou became a gravitational center of Chinese civilization.
The project divides the street into four sections, providing different styles, where tourists can stay in a village inn, eat authentic Hangzhou snacks, drink Longjing tea in a century-old restaurant and purchase traditional goods or crafts in many shops.
The first section, Zhongshan Road S., from the intersection of Wansongling Road to the Drum Tower, will display the folk culture of ancient Hangzhou with shops, teahouses and restaurants.
A culture pavilion with a traditional stage will offer regular performances of Yueju Opera, Hangju Opera and Muju Opera.
The second section, the south part of Zhongshan Road M. from the Drum Tower to Xihu Avenue, is a pedestrian way flanked by souvenir stores, inns and bistros with a traditional flavor. Small lanes in this section abound in intriguing culture with international features and leisure elements, such as boutiques set up by foreigners, an English cafe, a Thai metalcrafts, a Cuban cigar shop, a Nepalese artwork store and a Japanese sashimi restaurant.
The third section, the middle part of Zhongshan Road from Xihu Venue to Jiefang Road, displays the high quality of life in Hangzhou. It features the Southern Song Court Hotel, SPA Commercial Hotel and stores selling wine, cosmetics and jewelry.
The fourth section, the north part of the royal street from Jiefang Road to Qingchun Road, offers electronic toys, outdoor products, comics and animation as well as maternity and baby products, to attract fashionable young people.
Along the street running north to south are 13 ponds, linked by underground streams. They are decorated with small pavilions, artistic rockeries, mini potted green landscapes and tiny waterfalls. More than 14,000 pots of aquatic plants, totaling 18 species such as lotus, are placed in the ponds.
(To be continued tomorrow) Festivities during the National Day holiday
Opening ceremony of the "Royal Street of the Southern Song Dynasty"
Date: Tomorrow, 10:18am-noon
Venue: Drum Tower section
Two hours of parades and displays of folk culture and arts, such as making dough figurines and walking on stilts. The displays are typical of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Some activities
Date: Tomorrow, 7pm-9pm
Venue: Drum Tower Square
Song and dance gala and qipao fashion show to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Date: September 30-October 2, 6:30pm-8pm
Venue: Drum Tower Square
Lantern riddle games, revealing many interesting stories of the Song Dynasty. After 9pm it's time to party until the wee small hours.
Date: October 2, 9am-11am
Venue: Taimiao Square
Tai chi and sword play by more than 200 participants.
Date: October 1-7, 3pm-4pm
Venue: Drum Tower Square to Xihu Avenue
Wrestling and acrobatics shows.
Date: October 1-7, 7:15pm?8:45pm
Venue: Drum Tower Square
Performances of Song Dynasty dancing, folk operas, acrobatics and chorus that everybody is welcome to join.
Renovation of the major north-south road and nearby area highlights its history as "Royal Street of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)" when the widest street was used to provide convenient transport of the emperor and the royal family.
The road retains many old buildings, stores, factories, residences and small lanes featuring the architecture of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and Western neoclassical tastes.
Visitors can see time-honored shops, the Industrial Bank from the Republic of China (1911-1949), a Catholic church and religious shrines. It features what is said to be the first well dug in Zhejiang Province in what was the Wuyue Kingdom (AD 907-978) by the premier and a monk named De Shao.
Renowned old stores include Zhang Tongtai Pharmacyfrom the Qing Dynasty, and Fanghuichun Hall, a hospital of traditional Chinese medicine.
The renovation project spans 4.3 kilometers, covers 87 hectares and contains 13 historical and cultural relics. Work began early last year.
It is the largest urban planning in the city's center. Since the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (AD 907-979), the 4,185-meter Zhongshan Road has always been Hangzhou's financial, political and cultural hub.
It was the principal axis of Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty and a retreat for royalty. During that time, Hangzhou became a gravitational center of Chinese civilization.
The project divides the street into four sections, providing different styles, where tourists can stay in a village inn, eat authentic Hangzhou snacks, drink Longjing tea in a century-old restaurant and purchase traditional goods or crafts in many shops.
The first section, Zhongshan Road S., from the intersection of Wansongling Road to the Drum Tower, will display the folk culture of ancient Hangzhou with shops, teahouses and restaurants.
A culture pavilion with a traditional stage will offer regular performances of Yueju Opera, Hangju Opera and Muju Opera.
The second section, the south part of Zhongshan Road M. from the Drum Tower to Xihu Avenue, is a pedestrian way flanked by souvenir stores, inns and bistros with a traditional flavor. Small lanes in this section abound in intriguing culture with international features and leisure elements, such as boutiques set up by foreigners, an English cafe, a Thai metalcrafts, a Cuban cigar shop, a Nepalese artwork store and a Japanese sashimi restaurant.
The third section, the middle part of Zhongshan Road from Xihu Venue to Jiefang Road, displays the high quality of life in Hangzhou. It features the Southern Song Court Hotel, SPA Commercial Hotel and stores selling wine, cosmetics and jewelry.
The fourth section, the north part of the royal street from Jiefang Road to Qingchun Road, offers electronic toys, outdoor products, comics and animation as well as maternity and baby products, to attract fashionable young people.
Along the street running north to south are 13 ponds, linked by underground streams. They are decorated with small pavilions, artistic rockeries, mini potted green landscapes and tiny waterfalls. More than 14,000 pots of aquatic plants, totaling 18 species such as lotus, are placed in the ponds.
(To be continued tomorrow) Festivities during the National Day holiday
Opening ceremony of the "Royal Street of the Southern Song Dynasty"
Date: Tomorrow, 10:18am-noon
Venue: Drum Tower section
Two hours of parades and displays of folk culture and arts, such as making dough figurines and walking on stilts. The displays are typical of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Some activities
Date: Tomorrow, 7pm-9pm
Venue: Drum Tower Square
Song and dance gala and qipao fashion show to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Date: September 30-October 2, 6:30pm-8pm
Venue: Drum Tower Square
Lantern riddle games, revealing many interesting stories of the Song Dynasty. After 9pm it's time to party until the wee small hours.
Date: October 2, 9am-11am
Venue: Taimiao Square
Tai chi and sword play by more than 200 participants.
Date: October 1-7, 3pm-4pm
Venue: Drum Tower Square to Xihu Avenue
Wrestling and acrobatics shows.
Date: October 1-7, 7:15pm?8:45pm
Venue: Drum Tower Square
Performances of Song Dynasty dancing, folk operas, acrobatics and chorus that everybody is welcome to join.
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