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Post:YutakaImage:Ms. Giang
In early spring, we took a long train, going north, to China while the snow was still cold, to the ancient town of Phoenix. When the car rolled into the ancient town, it was late at night. The air was damp and cold. Rows of quiet houses lay silently, reflecting on the rushing river. The place we stayed was on this side of the ancient town, the more modern side with more tall buildings. From the window of the room, we could see the whole view of the ancient town on the other side of the river.
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The ancient town wakes up very early. At 6am, when the sun is still sleeping, there is the sound of washing clothes from the other side of the river. The Tho Gia women of this land still maintain the habit of washing clothes on the Da Giang River every morning, regardless of the weather and winter or summer, spring or autumn. The sound of washing clothes every morning is like the sound of a rooster crowing to call the sun every morning, waking up the entire ancient town to welcome a new day. And not long after that, there are the footsteps of early morning vendors, the sound of opening doors, the sound of sweeping the yard, the sound of children calling each other to go to school, the soft singing of a broken speaker behind a half-open window.
In the ancient streets winding along the river, everything happens in an orderly and unwritten order, and every day is the same. Standing in the middle of those ancient streets, I feel like I am back in the ancient town of several hundred years ago, simple, quiet and unhurried.
Phoenix Ancient Town is located in the west of Hunan Province, China. In the past, this place was just a small, pretty town located on one side of the Da River. Over time, local people gradually moved to live on both sides of the river. The bridges built connecting the two banks of the river are a special feature of this town. There are up to a dozen bridges spanning the small river with all kinds of materials in a length of less than a kilometer. The most prominent are the stone bridges that are as old as the ancient citadel, the zigzag wooden bridge for pedestrians. The iron bridge and the large concrete bridge for motor vehicles to pass through. The two banks of the river are two different images of the town. On this side of the river is the ancient town with a nearly 1,300-year-old age, while on the other side is the new town with newly built high-rise buildings and rows of restaurants along the riverbank. If you want to wake up in the morning in the atmosphere of the old town, do not hesitate to choose a guesthouse in the zigzag streets, and if you want to see the Da Giang River and the whole town, choose a room on the other side of the river.
Although it is a famous tourist city in China, it seems that all the impacts of outside life do not affect the ancient town. Wandering around the ancient town all day, I did not meet any foreign guests, except us. Unlike the ancient town of Lijiang, which is bustling and noisy all day and night, the ancient town of Phoenix has a quiet and thoughtful appearance, like the appearance of a young girl sitting and looking at her reflection in the Da River.
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Every activity in the ancient town is just as peaceful. There is no noise, no quarrel. The impact of tourism business does not affect the daily life of the people living in the ancient town. They still sell traditional goods, daily necessities, morning noodle shops, bicycles carrying dumplings and tofu pudding. Occasionally at the end of the intersection, a few Tujia women, with colorful flower wreaths on their heads, happily offer simple flower wreaths.
Following the giggles, I lost myself deep in the old town. The houses with tiled courtyards had also darkened with time. Walking through the alleys, I went deeper into the old town. The yin-yang tiled roofs were covered with wild grass. Children walked hand in hand and played, their cheeks red and chapped from the cold. Many people are afraid to travel on rainy days, but on these rainy spring days, I saw the beauty of the old town reveal its full "beauty". The moss-covered walls and flowers soaked in the light rain. The curved tiled roofs, the dark brick walls. A starling chirped under the eaves. Jingle... clangle... a bicycle coming from behind with its bell ringing was enough to break the quiet atmosphere of the street. The landlady in her slippers ran to open the door, receiving a handwritten letter from the old postman. In this era of rapid change of the Internet and media, handwritten letters still arrive daily to every house in the ancient town, despite the explosion of information. In this entire ancient town, you can hardly find a computer electronics store without going to the other side of the bridge, to the new neighborhood.
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From the city wall, you can see the whole ancient town. The road runs along the city wall and the winding river outside. This street is also the main road of the ancient town of Phoenix. On the street, all kinds of goods are sold for residents and tourists. The street is only for cyclists and pedestrians, not noisy, not haggling to attract customers. You can stop by any store. Taste delicious traditional dishes or buy fun souvenirs for yourself, some leather shops, beef jerky shops or tool shops are visited by many people.
The most interesting thing is the steps on the stone bridge across the river. Every day, many tourists and locals pass by this bridge. This is also an ideal photo spot when you want to show off the image of the ancient town of Phoenix. Many tourists also choose to take a boat on the river, to be able to see the whole shimmering ancient town reflected in the river and weave through the bridges across the poetic river.
When the night falls, the whole town is shimmering in the colorful lights of lanterns. The shops are closed. The river connecting the old town reflects the lanterns and the whole river is brilliant in the lights. Hongqiao, the most beautiful old bridge in the old town, is splendidly decorated. Candles are sold around the river. Magical candle flowers float on the water. I sit in a tea shop, enjoy a pot of hot fragrant tea, and watch the people passing by gradually thin out.
At 11pm, the lights of the houses on both sides of the river had gradually turned off. I wandered across the small bridge spanning the river, hurriedly pulling my hood up to warm my ears and wrapping another round of my scarf, my hands also thrust deeper into my pockets. It was drizzling. The night was thick with the sound of flowing water. A few customers walked in the opposite direction, giving way to pedestrians on this side to pass first. The streets were dimly lit. The road was wet, the houses were wet, the lanterns outside the windows were also wet. Only a few houses still had lights on. A late-night noodle shop was still open, inviting my hungry stomach to growl. I stopped by a small, simply decorated shop and slurped a bowl of hot, steaming noodles. The spicy soy sauce and the hot taste of the broth made my whole body warm. The seller was chatting softly with a late-night customer, occasionally seeing my eyes, he smiled at me. My hands still deftly roll the noodles, pull, pull, and pull. Each bowl of noodles is made with the same care, from the noodles to the slices of char siu in the clear broth.
I walked out of the shop just as the owner was packing up, closing the shop, and taking a break. The street was quiet, with only a few people passing by. Under the bridge, a candlelight flickered, an old street musician was playing the last unfinished notes. There were still a few people standing there enjoying the music like me, not in a hurry to leave. It was too late. All the lights were off. Quiet, deep and peaceful.
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