vstars Chapter 157 Impression of Yicheng
Chapter 157 Impression of Yicheng
After leaving Tongcheng, we arrived at the ancient city of Anqing, Xiaoxing’s hometown of Yicheng. It has a new look with ancient charm, which makes the wanderers unforgettable and makes everyone interested in exploring it. Jixian Pass, Shuishiying, and Yingjiang Temple are all places that Xiaoxing often tells her friends about, making them want to go together.
Anqing, a city also known as "Yicheng", is like a dusty history book, with every page filled with stories, carrying the passage of thousands of years, quietly waiting for the returnees and visitors from all over the world to explore.
When Xiao Xing set foot on the land of her hometown, her joy was beyond words. The familiar streets and alleys of her childhood and the unique scent in the air all turned into the softest attachment in her heart. She couldn't wait to share this sense of belonging with her close friends.
Jixian Pass, as a very iconic place in Anqing, stands proudly and has witnessed the vicissitudes of history.
It is like a sturdy guardian, guarding the city's vital roads and playing a vital role in ancient military strategy.
Dynasties changed, wars raged, and countless armies have shuttled through and confronted each other here. The thick pass walls, despite being eroded by wind and rain and baptized by artillery fire, still stand stubbornly. The mottled marks on the bricks and stones are medals engraved by time, silently telling the story of the smoke-filled and thrilling past.
Xiao Xing, Zhang Nan and Xiao Taojie were laughing and chatting all the way. As soon as the car arrived at the Jixian Pass sign, they were as excited as if they had found a treasure. They hurriedly straightened their clothes and posed for photos, wanting to permanently freeze the moment of being in the same frame with the iconic landmark of their hometown.
Even the adorable panda dog Po was not to be outdone. He jumped around the crowd and occasionally appeared in front of the camera, adding a bit of playfulness and agility to the joyful scene.
At this time, Li Fugui and Zhang Tingjian, who were standing next to the car, smiled and watched Zhang Bei busy framing and taking pictures.
Zhang Bei fiddled with the camera intently, sometimes squatting down to capture unique low-angle shots; sometimes taking a few steps back to frame the panoramic view of everyone and the majestic Jixian Pass behind him, striving to leave the most perfect and memorable images for his friends.
The sunlight shines on them, outlining a warm and beautiful picture. The friendship between close friends is as shining as this warm light.
The history of Anqing is like a long, flowing river, the source of which can be traced back thousands of years.
Humans have lived and multiplied here since the Neolithic Age, laying the initial foundation of civilization on this land.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Anqing area belonged to the Wan State. The ancient Wan culture has sprouted and grown since then. The mountains and rivers of Wan have nurtured a unique regional style. The mysterious totems and ancient sacrificial rituals are the codes for the ancestors to communicate with the heavens, the earth, and the gods, and have cast a mysterious and primitive veil over Anqing.
As the wheel of history rolled forward, Anqing gradually became an important commercial and trade base along the Yangtze River during the Tang and Song dynasties.
Thousands of ships are sailing out of the dock, and merchant ships are loaded with precious goods such as tea, silk, porcelain, etc., heading to distant countries, and bringing back spices, jewelry and other rare treasures from foreign countries.
For a time, Anqing City was full of shops, the streets and alleys were bustling with activity, and the cries of hawkers and shouts intertwined into a prosperous commercial melody.
Literati and poets also flocked here, some climbed up the tower to overlook the Yangtze River and wrote magnificent poems with ink; some strolled along the riverside and talked about interesting stories with fishermen, injecting a rich cultural atmosphere into the city.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Anqing reached its peak of glory. As a key military town and political center in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it shouldered the important task of defending the south of the Yangtze River and governing the region.
The city is surrounded by tall and majestic walls, and the watchtowers on the walls are always alert to the movements in all directions. The government offices and mansions in the city are solemn and majestic, and government orders are sent from here to all parts of the country, maintaining the stability and prosperity of the area.
At the same time, Anqing's culture flourished, and the literary school represented by the Tongcheng School was unique and led the literary world for decades.
Literary masters such as Fang Bao and Yao Nai used their sharp writing and profound thoughts to analyze social phenomena and explore the philosophy of life. Their works were widely circulated throughout the country, making Anqing a holy place in the hearts of countless literati.
Since modern times, Anqing has experienced many ups and downs, but it still forges ahead.
In the tide of the Westernization Movement, the Anqing Arsenal came into being. It was like a spark of hope, igniting the dawn of modern industry in China.
China's first steam engine and first motor ship were born here, marking the first solid step for ancient China to catch up with the world's industrial trends.
The roaring sounds of machines broke the silence of traditional handicrafts and announced the arrival of a new era.
Strolling through the streets of Anqing, you will find ancient streets and alleys crisscrossing like a chessboard, each of which contains endless charm.
In the Daobaoshi Historical and Cultural District, the bluestone road winds and twists, and the Hui-style buildings on both sides of the road have flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted buildings.
The sign of the time-honored shop swayed in the wind, and the store was filled with the tempting aroma of traditional snacks. The Jiangmao dumplings had a delicious broth and plump meat filling; the Hu Yumei broad bean sauce had a mellow taste and unique flavor. Every bite was filled with the taste of childhood memories.
There is also Yingjiang Temple. The towering Zhenfeng Tower is like a sharp sword piercing the sky. The Buddha statues inside the tower are solemn and majestic, the murals are exquisite, and the incense smoke carries the prayers and blessings of generations of Anqing people.
Xiao Xing and his group traveled through these places full of historical heritage, sometimes marveling at the ingenuity of the ancients, and sometimes immersed in the glorious years of the past.
In the embrace of Anqing, they felt the fusion of history and reality. Every glance and every step they took was like a spiritual dialogue with the city.
Anqing, with its unique charm, welcomes those who love it with open arms, allowing them to continue writing their own stories with Yicheng on this land, allowing this bond that transcends time and space to become deeper and more mellow as the years go by.
Another significant development is the construction of the Anqing Yangtze River Bridge, which further facilitates communication between the city and other regions. Located between Yingjiang District in Anqing City and Dadukou Town in Dongzhi County, the bridge spans 5985.66 meters, with the main span measuring 1040 meters. As the 35th bridge built across the Yangtze River, it is 164 kilometers upstream from the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge and 96 kilometers downstream from the Tongling Yangtze River Bridge.
Construction on the bridge began in November 2001 and opened to traffic in December 2004. With a total investment of 13.174 billion yuan, it is a key national project during the 10th Five-Year Plan period. It serves as a hub for the He'an and Anjing Expressways, and a transportation hub connecting the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Pearl River Delta, and other urban agglomerations.
The bridge is a five-span, continuous, double-tower, double-cable-plane, fully welded, flat, streamlined steel box girder cable-stayed bridge with a main tower height of 184.78 meters. It has four lanes in both directions and a design speed of 100 km/h. Its clear height for navigation is ≥ 24 meters and its clear width is ≥ 460 meters.
The completion of the Anqing Yangtze River Bridge ended Anqing's history of having no cross-river passage, integrated Anqing into the expressway and railway circulation along the river, and promoted the economic development of the Wuhu-Jiangsu region.
As the afterglow of the setting sun shone across every corner of Anqing, blanketing the city in a golden hue, Xiao Xing and the others set off on their journey home, laden with memories and accomplishments. But they knew that the charm of Anqing had already taken deep root in their hearts, and in the days ahead, more reunions and surprises awaited them, as they continued to weave beautiful chapters of their lives in this homeland of Yicheng.