Thousands of years have made the old street as quiet as water. As long as people remember, the old road will never fade away.

The north wind rolls up the fallen leaves and blows the Huangjueya Old Street at the hillside of the Nanshan Mountain, creating a sense of autumn.

As one of the most famous ancient roads in Chongqing, Huangge Ancient Road was once the only way which must be passed for merchants between Chongqing and Guizhou and between Chongqing and Yunnan. It was named “the first ancient road in Chongqing” because of the planting of white figs along the road. The merchants to the south left the ferry from Haitangxi Wharf and went up the mountain via Huangge Ancient Road. The mountain road was rugged and steep, and when people and horses were exhausted, they would stop at the Huangjueya Mountain Pass to have a rest. This is where Huangjueya Old Street originates.

As Chongqing’s southward thoroughfare, Huangge Ancient Road had many missions: goods exchange, military fortress, and more. The bluestone board of the ancient road is engraved with the years it has passed. The ancient road is not as busy as it used to be, but it is still an extraordinary place to enter the Chongqing route, and the frequent flights over the old street are the best explanation.

No matter how the age changes, a cup of tea and gossip are often the best interpretation of the word “cozy” in Chongqing people’s eyes. The renovated old street maybe just a novelty for tourists, but it is a change of home for residents. Accompanied by dim lights and bleary eyes, small household affairs are talked continuously and pleasantly.

Huangjueya Old Street has witnessed a lot of history of Chongqing, where Daxia Courier Station and Tianshunxiang Chamber of Commerce were established. With the opening of Chongqing port, Chambers of Commerce of Guizhou and Yunnan have been successively opened in Huangjueya Old Street.

Deep in the Old Street, Sanmao lived there. Perhaps it was the unique ancient road and the stream of pedestrians that planted the roots of wandering for this talented and extraordinary woman. I do not know whether Sanmao has become a tree as she would like, standing on the Huangge Ancient Road with a high posture to protect the passers-by from wind and rain.

A thousand years ago, the clip-clops of horses sounded on the flagstone road, carrying goods back and forth; a thousand years later, the footsteps echo again on the bluestone path. In the tide of history, maybe we are all like the man who shoulders the basket, not returning, just passing by.

The ancient road has lasted for thousands of years, and the mission of undertaking Chongqing’s southward passage has already ended. History is always creating and changing, the past years are worth remembering, and the future journey is worth looking forward to!