“Jiangnan is wonderful, and the scenery is familiar to me. When the sun rises, the flowers on the river are as red as fire, and when spring comes, the river is as green as blue. How can we not remember Jiangnan?” In the evening when the spring breeze is intoxicating, I can’t help but recall that trip to Jiangnan. The picturesque scenery of Mudu Ancient Town slowly flashed before our eyes again.
As the saying goes, there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. When you arrive in Suzhou, you will find beautiful scenery everywhere. As far as you can see, it looks like a landscape painting from the Song Dynasty. If you blend in naturally, your itinerary will not be messy. For Mudu, we are new friends who came unexpectedly. For us, Mudu is an old friend whom we have long wanted to meet.
Those who have never been to Mudu may not know much about the geographical location and importance of Mudu. Mudu is an ancient water town of the same age as Suzhou City, with a history of more than 2,500 years. There is a beautiful legend about it. It is said that in the late Spring and Autumn Period, King Wu Fu Chai built the Guanwa Palace on the top of Lingyan Mountain in order to please the beautiful lady Xi Shi, and also built the Gusu Terrace. The construction timber came in a steady stream, and actually blocked the river port at the foot of the mountain. This is where the name comes from. Mudu is truly the gateway to Taihu Lake. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was the most prosperous place in the west of Suzhou.
Mudu’s original meaning is ditch, small canal, and also generally refers to river. This name has a bit of uncommonness, a bit of elegance, and a bit of wet poetry. When you come here, you don’t need to have many companions, just one or two people are enough. In the spring when the grass is growing and the orioles are flying, you should wear a thin shirt, jeans, a sun hat, a backpack, and walk leisurely and calmly. This is the most ideal state for visiting Mudu.
My first impression of Mudu was very good, with small bridges, flowing water, cornices and tiles, and row upon row of antique buildings. Water connects the town in all directions, outlining the characteristics of the water town. The boat rocked and rocked, becoming part of the family.
Needless to say, I am a foodie. Whenever I visit a place, I must try the local traditional snacks first. As if not so, the local bone marrow cannot be touched. On Shantang Street, one small shop after another is open on the street. You can walk into any one and taste it at will. Thick old trees, women in Hanfu, cloth signboards fluttering in the wind, and various pastries placed on the street all interweave into Mudu's unique charm. It is indeed not easy for various shortbread shops to have been passed down for thousands of years. The names, such as Muchui Crisp, Kudzu Pueraria Crisp, etc., seem to make your lips and teeth taste sweet as soon as you hear them. I was attracted by a "Sanweisuwu" shop and walked over to buy two pieces. I guess the owner must have liked Lu Xun, so he borrowed the name "Sanwei Bookstore". Fried stinky tofu is a famous dish, but I was intimidated by the combination of fragrant and stinky smell. Come to a bowl of black rice, which is black. Use a small spoon to dig in and eat, and you will taste the faint sweetness. When you come to Mudu, this is a food you can’t miss.
Mudu ranks first among the thirteen scenic spots in Taihu Lake Scenic Area. Although it is located in a water town in the south of the Yangtze River, it is famous for its gardens. As the only ancient garden town in China, Mudu had more than 30 private gardens in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and more than 10 of them are still preserved today. Hongyin Shanfang is the former residence of Xu Shiyuan, a scholar in Mudu. Its "beauty of streams, mountains, wind and moon, and the abundance of flowers and trees in ponds and pavilions" are far superior to other gardens. Qianlong must visit this garden every time he came to Mudu. Yanjia Garden is the former residence of Shen Deqian, Qianlong's teacher and the longest-lived poet in China. It was later owned by Yan Guoxin, the richest man in Mudu, so it was called Yanjia Garden. This is also a very nice garden.
When you walk into Yanjia Garden, you have to admire the designer’s originality. The layout is dense and tortuous, with appropriate heights, exquisite and elegant local treatments, and is deep and graceful. It is worthy of being the "leader" of Suzhou's local gardens. I feel that after seeing Yanjia Garden, I have an overall understanding of the concept of "Suzhou Garden". Small bridges connect to corridors, waterside pavilions and pavilions. The abrupt places are grand, the recesses are sentimental, the wood carvings are exquisite, and the brick carvings are amazing. Every step brings a scene, and a courtyard has a sky. Walking along the middle road, there are five main buildings, namely the foyer, Yibin Hall, Shangxian Hall, Mingshi Building, and Tingnong Building, each with its own architectural style. The two study rooms are called Youyu and Begonia respectively. The former is located in a remote place, with a tall ancient magnolia near the window, as lush as ever. I was a little stunned. If I could read it here at night, I would be inspired to write more elegant articles.
Ancient, remote, spacious and beautiful, walk deeper into Mudu and fall in love with this place more and more.
Passing by the Mingyue Ancient Temple and the ancient stage, we turned to the old street of Mudu. Most of the shops here are not open. They are quiet, without the atmosphere of commerce, the noise of pedestrians, and the hustle and bustle of modern society. With the one you love, you can hold hands and walk on the old street for a while, and slowly appreciate the years. Stability, things are quiet and good, and ordinary people's happiness is nothing more than this.
I like the stone bridges in Mudu. Some bridge openings are round, but the bridge body is square. The green threads of the weeping willows are fluttering, and I want to hear the Qiong sounds while walking on the stone bridge. Standing on the bridge, with white walls and spires, a stream of green water, looking at Yanliu people's houses, the world of mortals, the bustle of tourists, it feels like being independent from the world. Standing on the small pavilion, shining a red light and looking over from a distance, there are green trees and red flowers, and a rocking boat carrying a few tourists. I am looking at them, and they are looking at me, slightly. A smile is enough to say hello to each other. Or if you sit on a boat and slowly pass under the bridge, will you hear Suzhou's Pingtan? A woman in ancient costume stood in front of the bridge and took pictures. Her costume matched the charm of the bridge. There is also a bridge that is actually covered by lush ivy. The bridge is gone, what you see is a vine bridge.
The moored boats, the old garden gates, the deep alleys, the white walls and tiles, the high arch bridges, the quiet streams, I am intoxicated in the water town of Jiangnan. If we traveled back to the Song Dynasty and could meet Fan Zhongyan in his hometown who chanted "Be anxious about the world's worries first, and be happy after the world's happiness", what joy would it be in life?
To share wonderful stories about the journey, I am a girl named Xiaofang in the village. Welcome to follow and forward.