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Hangzhou's rich culture heritage on display in 'royal street' area
October 16, 2009, Friday
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THE debut success of Zhongshan Road, the 900-year-old royal street, can be measured by the fact that every restaurant has a queue around lunch time, and dozens of stores on the street put up posters to recruit more employees.
The major north-south road is also called the "Royal Street of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)," as it was used to provide convenient transport for the emperor and the royal family.
Zhongshan Road pedestrian section, the first part of the Southern Song Dynasty International Tourism Integration opening to the public on September 30 as Hangzhou's newest tourist attraction, goes from Drum Tower to the intersection of Xihu Avenue.
In 2005, archaeological experts found in a house on 112 Zhongshan Road M. various ancient stone pavings which used to be roads in the Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911) and the Republic of China period (1911-1949).
Since then the future of Zhongshan Road M. as a "Royal Street" was set. To reproduce the history, a Royal Street Exhibition Hall was established exactly at the place where the stones were found and centuries-old stones were placed in a huge outdoor glass cabinet.
Exhibitions on the street will last to October 26, including displays of calligraphy and painting in the Southern Song Dynasty Exhibition, Ge Yao (one of the most famous kilns of the Song Dynasty 960-1279) chinaware exhibition, Southern Song Dynasty coin exhibition, stone sculpture and wood carving exhibitions.
The area is designed to attract tourists and high-end consumer groups with its rich international features, historic atmosphere and leisure aspects.
Zhong De Tang was Hangzhou's biggest traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy and now sits at the start of Royal Street as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic of Hu Qing Yu Tang, reflecting the famous ancient medicine shop founded by merchant official Hu Xueyuan in 1878.
Since the holiday began, not only local people come to visit doctors but tourists are fond of wandering into the clinic, asking questions or buying herbs.
At the start of the street, and in the Dajing Lane across the pedestrian section, traditional crafts shops are also a feature. Products are not limited to silk, tea or wax printing cloth, but also delicate goods from Africa and Southeast Asia, such as Malaysian tinware, Nepalese artwork and Korean dolls.
Another 17 lanes beside the pedestrian area have been renovated, retaining Southern Song Dynasty features. Tea houses and restaurants as well as other old stores are still there but have a neater look. As a part of the South Song Dynasty International Tourism Integration, they also deserve a visit.
Besides renovating old, historic buildings and stores, new landscapes have been incorporated into the cultural atmosphere.
Water is a main element of the newly paved road with a brook representing a "water dragon" which means royalty and honor. The dragon's eye, the source of the water, is a pool of about 200 square meters at the foot of Drum Tower where carp, believed to bring luck and happiness in China, are swimming. In the little creek, 15,000 aquatic plants of 24 varieties have been planted. White water lily, purple lythrum and yellow water poppy have added a unique feeling to the street.
Along the creek, a small and shallow pond has become a photographer's dream - a stone sculpture "screen" reproduces performances from the Beijing Olympic's opening ceremony and famous Chinese texts.
Traditional Hangzhou food such as crisp cake and shallot stuffed pancake are sold in snack areas in the middle of Hefang Street, Gaoying snack lane and the newly built Guangfu snack street.
Vehicles are not allowed in the pedestrian area except old-style small battery buses. The bus drives at 5 kilometers per hour and the fare is 5 yuan (73 US cents) per person. The route starts from Wushan Square, passes Hefang Street and Dajing Lane, and then goes to the pedestrian area, to the end of Phoenix Mosque (the third biggest mosque in the country), and turns back on Zhongshan Road M. to Wushan Square.
Don't miss a figure sculpture with 32 people and a dog at the north corner of Xihu Avenue and Zhongshan Road M. The prototype of the sculpture is a photo from a typical Hangzhou family, the Wangs. The people in the photo represent four generations, the oldest person in the family and the photo is 86-year old grandma Wu Ruzhen, and most of the members are still living on Zhongshan Road.
The major north-south road is also called the "Royal Street of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)," as it was used to provide convenient transport for the emperor and the royal family.
Zhongshan Road pedestrian section, the first part of the Southern Song Dynasty International Tourism Integration opening to the public on September 30 as Hangzhou's newest tourist attraction, goes from Drum Tower to the intersection of Xihu Avenue.
In 2005, archaeological experts found in a house on 112 Zhongshan Road M. various ancient stone pavings which used to be roads in the Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911) and the Republic of China period (1911-1949).
Since then the future of Zhongshan Road M. as a "Royal Street" was set. To reproduce the history, a Royal Street Exhibition Hall was established exactly at the place where the stones were found and centuries-old stones were placed in a huge outdoor glass cabinet.
Exhibitions on the street will last to October 26, including displays of calligraphy and painting in the Southern Song Dynasty Exhibition, Ge Yao (one of the most famous kilns of the Song Dynasty 960-1279) chinaware exhibition, Southern Song Dynasty coin exhibition, stone sculpture and wood carving exhibitions.
The area is designed to attract tourists and high-end consumer groups with its rich international features, historic atmosphere and leisure aspects.
Zhong De Tang was Hangzhou's biggest traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy and now sits at the start of Royal Street as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic of Hu Qing Yu Tang, reflecting the famous ancient medicine shop founded by merchant official Hu Xueyuan in 1878.
Since the holiday began, not only local people come to visit doctors but tourists are fond of wandering into the clinic, asking questions or buying herbs.
At the start of the street, and in the Dajing Lane across the pedestrian section, traditional crafts shops are also a feature. Products are not limited to silk, tea or wax printing cloth, but also delicate goods from Africa and Southeast Asia, such as Malaysian tinware, Nepalese artwork and Korean dolls.
Another 17 lanes beside the pedestrian area have been renovated, retaining Southern Song Dynasty features. Tea houses and restaurants as well as other old stores are still there but have a neater look. As a part of the South Song Dynasty International Tourism Integration, they also deserve a visit.
Besides renovating old, historic buildings and stores, new landscapes have been incorporated into the cultural atmosphere.
Water is a main element of the newly paved road with a brook representing a "water dragon" which means royalty and honor. The dragon's eye, the source of the water, is a pool of about 200 square meters at the foot of Drum Tower where carp, believed to bring luck and happiness in China, are swimming. In the little creek, 15,000 aquatic plants of 24 varieties have been planted. White water lily, purple lythrum and yellow water poppy have added a unique feeling to the street.
Along the creek, a small and shallow pond has become a photographer's dream - a stone sculpture "screen" reproduces performances from the Beijing Olympic's opening ceremony and famous Chinese texts.
Traditional Hangzhou food such as crisp cake and shallot stuffed pancake are sold in snack areas in the middle of Hefang Street, Gaoying snack lane and the newly built Guangfu snack street.
Vehicles are not allowed in the pedestrian area except old-style small battery buses. The bus drives at 5 kilometers per hour and the fare is 5 yuan (73 US cents) per person. The route starts from Wushan Square, passes Hefang Street and Dajing Lane, and then goes to the pedestrian area, to the end of Phoenix Mosque (the third biggest mosque in the country), and turns back on Zhongshan Road M. to Wushan Square.
Don't miss a figure sculpture with 32 people and a dog at the north corner of Xihu Avenue and Zhongshan Road M. The prototype of the sculpture is a photo from a typical Hangzhou family, the Wangs. The people in the photo represent four generations, the oldest person in the family and the photo is 86-year old grandma Wu Ruzhen, and most of the members are still living on Zhongshan Road.
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