Half-day tour of Ningbo Lianqiao Di, Tianfeng Tower, and Ningbo Fuchenghuang Temple
In the center of Ningbo's old town, across the street from Tianfeng Tower, there is a serene place called "Lianqiao Di." The origin of the street name "Lianqiao" is due to the presence of a Lotus Bridge at the western end of the street. According to the "Yin County Gazetteer": "Lianqiao Street, formerly known as the lower part of the Lotus Bridge, at the head of the Heng River." The old street is lined with old residential houses, with white walls and black tiles, layered and uneven. Lianqiao Di retains the original courtyard system and street structure, and has redesigned the interior spaces for different commercial activities, giving new vitality to the old houses.
Strolling along, you will soon arrive at the Tu Youyou Former Residence Exhibition Hall, which is the former residence of Yao's family, the home of Tu Youyou's uncle, Mr. Yao Qingsan. In the courtyard, there is a sculpture depicting Tu Youyou as a young girl, quietly gazing at a patch of yellow Artemisia annua containing artemisinin. Tu Youyou is the first Chinese Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, and she lived here with her parents for ten years during her youth.
Next door is the former residence of the master stamp designer Mr. Sun Chuanzhe. Originally a private library named "Woju Lu," it is one of the few private libraries in Ningbo. His father, Mr. Sun Jiayong, was a famous bibliophile. The house is filled with the fragrance of books, and birds chirp outside. The library, named Woju Lu, was one of the three major private libraries of the Republic of China era, along with Fufu Room and Bieyou Studio. The first set of special stamps of New China, including the "National Emblem," were created by Mr. Sun Chuanzhe.
Around the corner is the Lu Xuzhang Deeds Museum. The Lu family of Jingmu Hall in Ningbo was a prominent family during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Lu Xuzhang was a hero of the secret front, a pioneer and founder of China's foreign trade, and a great contributor to Ningbo's reform and opening up.
Tianfeng Tower, originally a Tang Dynasty tower, is now a brick-wood structure in the style of a Song Dynasty pavilion, characterized by the exquisite and ancient simplicity of Song towers. It served as a navigational marker for water transportation in the ancient Mingzhou Port and is an important landmark of the port city. Ningbo people often say, "Tianfeng Tower, Drum Tower Alley, you can walk through the southeast, northwest."
Ningbo Fuchenghuang Temple is located in the core of the traditional Chinese medicine street area. It was first built during the Southern and Northern Dynasties (916 AD). Over a thousand years, it has undergone several reconstructions but has survived through the ages. It is one of the largest and best-preserved prefecture-level Chenghuang Temples in China, closely linked with Ningbo. A Chenghuang Temple holds half of Ningbo's history, preserving the unique memories of generations of Ningbo people. The main buildings of Ningbo Chenghuang Temple belong to the southern grand style architecture, with red walls and clay tiles. The main buildings in the temple include the screen wall, main gate, front courtyard, ceremonial gate, stage, middle courtyard, main hall, rear courtyard, rear hall, and the east and west side halls and rooms. The temple is divided into the Niangniang Hall, Dou Shen Hall, Caishen Hall, Cihang Hall, and Wenchang Hall.