Xinhua News Agency, Chongqing, October 3rd. Title: Chongqing: Renovating historical streets and alleys awakens the city’s memory.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Xing
During this National Day holiday, a number of restored and protected historical and cultural blocks and cultural relics buildings in Chongqing are experiencing peak passenger flow. Touch the texture of ancient buildings in the historical and cultural district, feel the Confucian cultural heritage in the Dacheng Hall of the Confucian Temple, have a cup of coffee at the former site of a foreign trade company, listen to a Sichuan opera on the Ming and Qing Dynasty stage... Vacationing in old buildings is becoming a new way for more and more tourists to understand the cultural heritage of Chongqing.
Chongqing has multiple heritages including Anti-Japanese War culture, immigrant culture, Bayu culture, Three Gorges culture, and red culture. It has rich historical relics and a large number of old buildings. In recent years, Chongqing has continued to promote the revitalization and utilization of cultural relics resources and historical buildings. On the premise of protection and restoration, it has introduced multiple business formats such as museums, bookstores, cafes, themed exhibitions, study experiences, etc., to promote the transformation of old buildings from static "protection" to active "use".
A number of historical spaces that have been dormant for a long time are newly unveiled on National Day. On the first day of the National Day holiday, Sandaoguai Historical and Cultural Street in Changshou District was officially opened. The bluestone road welcomed tourists again and the ancient streets and alleys reappeared with fireworks.
This zigzag-shaped ancient street located on the north bank of the Yangtze River has a history of more than 600 years. It is named after three sharp bends. It has witnessed commercial exchanges by water and land, and was responsible for the transportation of important materials during the Anti-Japanese War. Zhao Rongfei, chairman of the Changshou Culture and Tourism Group, said that this renovation and renovation adheres to the "repair as before" approach, retaining more than 60 traditional mountain buildings and fully retaining historical imprints.
At the opening of the street, many local residents returned to the old street to rediscover their childhood memories, while foreign tourists stopped to check in in front of the restored ancient buildings in Bayu and experience the unique style of the "Cliff Sky Street". Zhao Rongfei said that the Sandaoguai Historical and Cultural District carries the memory of the old city and the nostalgia of the people. The next step will be to dig deeper into folk culture, enrich business scenarios, and coordinate cultural relics protection, commercial operations, and people's livelihood services.
On the eve of National Day, the Bishan Confucian Temple, which had been restored for several years, was officially opened to the public and became a new place for citizens and tourists to appreciate traditional culture. Since 2020, local renovation projects have been launched to restore the Panchi and the extended axis, and traditional architectural features such as Italian-style brackets have been reproduced one by one.
Stepping into the Confucian Temple, the gray sculptures and carvings inside the temple are complex and exquisite, with high artistic value. "When you walk here, you can not only appreciate the beauty of the traditional architectural details of Bayu up close, but also feel the inheritance of Confucian culture in the local area." said Mr. Song, a tourist. According to the person in charge of the Bishan Confucian Temple, the Confucian Temple will regularly carry out activities such as Chinese studies, intangible cultural heritage studies, and themed exhibitions, making this ancient building an important carrier for inheriting excellent traditional culture and displaying local historical heritage.
In addition to the newly opened cultural museums and neighborhood projects, the existing cultural and tourism neighborhoods are also gaining popularity. In Shancheng Alley, located in Yuzhong District, during the National Day, tourists listen to intangible cultural heritage chants, visit the fireworks old street, and enjoy market performances... You can feel the strong cultural atmosphere everywhere in the old alley.
Within one kilometer of this century-old alley, there are a variety of historical buildings such as Ming and Qing Dynasty residences, stilted buildings, Shikumen, and air-raid shelters. Since the renovation was launched in 2016, the local area has been meticulously renovated with "embroidery" skills and modern business formats have been implanted while retaining the original style. Now it has become a popular destination to experience nostalgia and read the city's history.
Each case of activation is a vivid practice of Chongqing’s reform in promoting the activation and utilization of cultural relics resources. As more historical buildings have been restored, opened to the outside world, and revitalized, Chongqing’s old streets, old docks, old factories, and old courtyards are gradually transforming into urban cultural spaces that can be read, experienced, and consumed. While retaining the memory of the city, they continue to cultivate new growth points for cultural tourism consumption.
