Free Thousand-Year Ancient Town in Zhejiang Province, Scenery Rivals West Town and Wuzhen, Filmed Here in the 1950s
In the Jiangnan region, there are waterways everywhere, and the ancient towns and villages are typical representative buildings of the Jiangzhe region. West Town and Wuzhen are well-known, although they are picturesque and have high ticket prices. In fact, when traveling and strolling through the Jiangnan region, you will still find many less famous but uniquely charming water towns. Xinchang Town in Deyang County is a forgotten thousand-year-old town. Fifty years ago, a film based on Mr. Mou’s work was shot in Xinchang Town, titled ‘Lin’s Shop’. The film tells the story of small merchants in the Huojiang Lake region being oppressed by dark forces and eventually closing down.
It is a witness to an era, and the Jiangnan water town scenery in the film has deeply rooted the town’s ancient charm. With the passage of time, Xinchang Town has gradually faded from people’s sight. It doesn’t have the fame of West Town or Wuzhen, but it does have an unchanged ancient atmosphere, with characteristic stone bridges connecting residential buildings, and buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties still leaning against the riverbanks.
Xinchang Town has some commercialization, which is similar to that of West Town and Wuzhen. Along the wooden corridor, there are square tables arranged, covered with printed floral cloth, with teapots and tables, and sitting by the river. This familiar scene often makes people wonder, is it West Town or Wuzhen, or Xinchang Town? This riverside setting is very similar to that of West Town and Wuzhen. However, many local people still like to come here, pour a cup of tea, accompany it with pastries, chat and play cards. Such a slow-paced life is rarely seen in West Town and Wuzhen. Because of the habit of drinking tea, Xinchang pastries have also become a distinctive snack in this place. The pastries are made of glutinous rice, with a square and regular appearance, with a meat filling inside, steamed in a steaming cage, and then gently bitten, with meat juice mixed with meat filling and soft rice cake, fragrant and delicious, accompanied by a cup of tea, and enjoyed slowly.
Perhaps the slow pace of life in Xinchang Town makes the commercialization feel a little out of place. The town can be freely entered, and there are still people living in the town. On the stone steps on the riverbank, someone is panning for gold, and children are playing happily. When Yang Wanli, a poet, stayed in Xinchang Town, he couldn’t help but leave a poem for it: ‘The screens are sparse and deep, the flowers fall on the trees without shade. Children rush to chase butterflies, flying into flowers without finding them.’ The ancient poems learned in childhood surge in the mind. The Xinchang Town on a spring day is just like in the poem, with tender willow shoots and blossoming flowers, and flowering willow petals falling into the undulating Qing stone road, and flowing into the river. In the thousand-year-old town, you can witness the (bo bo sheng ji) of spring’s vitality.
Starting from Qingxianqiao (Qingxianqiao), you will encounter the Guitian Bridge, which is paved with blue bricks. On the left is the main commercial street of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Shun Lian Hui Street. During special periods, many shops were not open for business, so it was somewhat deserted. Fortunately, the town’s ancient charm hasn’t been diminished.
Walking along Shun Hui Street in a clockwise direction, you will pass several ancient stone bridges. Walking up the ancient stone bridges, you can overlook the ancient residences on both sides of the river, face to face. ‘People live on both banks of the river, and come out to sail boats.’ The scene of people going out to travel by boat seems to be right in front of you. Sometimes, there is a towering ancient tree, sheltering the stone road. Along the winding corridor, there are extensions.
There are several celebrity residences in the town, including the studio of Qing Dynasty Court Painter Shen Chun, the sugar refinery owner Zhong Zhao Lin, and the famous scholar Zhao Zixin. Some literati and scholars have a special fondness for the secluded Xinchang Town.
When visiting Xinchang, sit down and take a rest by the river, drink a cup of tea, enjoy a pastry, or try the famous Xinchang lamb. Enjoy the unique relaxation of the Jiangnan ancient town. When looking back at the scenes in the film ‘Lin’s Shop’, they are almost identical to the Xinchang Town of today. Perhaps after thousands of years, the town’s charm has never changed.
