By Xinyi Li, EDITOR
Chongqing is an old city with more than 3,000 years’ history. City walls, alleys as well as gates reflect the long history of Chongqing. With the development of Chongqing, many alleys and gates disappear in real form, but they are memories belong to the old generation. However, those left ones are easy to bring modern people into the sense of resonance. To explore Chongqing in memory becomes one hobby of modern life.
Old Images on Walls Melt Chongqing into Memory
In Yuzhong District, there is an old alley with a footpath, named Shancheng Xiang (an alley on the mountain, 山城巷). Recently, there is an exhibition about 2018 Chongqing (International) Image Culture Festival, which is a photographic event about exploring the old city by images. Many images about life in the past appear on walls these days. As one of the activities of the event, the exhibition brings visitors into the unique memory about the old time.
The image about three people on a motorbike
When walking pass by image-walls at Shancheng Xiang, visitors can find people on a motorbike, a butcher selling meat, or a senior looking at the street. These images are processed as the old-look texture, integrating into the environment. The producing team sprayed the pigment with high-precision on waterproof photographic paper.
The image of a senior looking outside, compared with a girl dressing up in modern style
Images present the scenes about real life in old time to visitors. Nonetheless, they are in stark contrast with visitors who are in modern dress. It is the comparison of the old and the young, indicating the development of the city.
Gates Carve Culture of Chongqing
Except for the photographic exhibition, visiting city walls and gates become another method to explore old Chongqing. In Chongqing, there are 17 Men (gates, 门), which are widespread in both virtual and real. These gates contain regions about politics, economy, or nature. The city wall of Chongqing looks like an isosceles triangle with both sides are along with two rivers.
The overview of the city wall and 17 gates in Chongqing
For instance, Qiansi Men (千厮门) was a center for good collection and distribution, refer to "Lesser Court Hymns", Classic of Poetry (《诗经·小雅·甫田》). Nanji MeN (南纪门) is the intersection of rivers, refer to "Lesser Court Hymns", Classic of Poetry (《诗经·小雅·四月》). Jinzi Men (金紫门) is the place nearby the Yamen (the government office in old time), pronounced similar to gold in Chinese (Jinzi, 金子).
One city gate in old time
Nearby the Shancheng Xiang, there is a city gate called Tongyuan Men (通远门). It is the only one gate built on the land (other gates are connected with harbors or wharves) in Chongqing. The gate was established at the end of Southern Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279).
Tomb figures at a corner of Tongyuan Men (通远门)
Chongqing is a city on the mountain, so the local usually quarried to establish the city wall or gates. Gates in Chongqing were built by stones with 100cm in length and 22 – 23cm in both width and height. It was hard to destroy by cannon in old time.
Source: CQCB, Chongqing Daily