Zhijianshudian

It is hard to imagine that such a space exists in the city of Changde. The old city walls with broken walls have witnessed the smoke of history. The moat runs through the city, and the stone and cement buildings are cold and hard. The carefully designed space has a strong artistic atmosphere. This place is suitable for taking pictures and strolling slowly. It is a street, an antique street, with a very atmospheric feeling. You can walk slowly with friends, stop and take pictures. There are also restaurants and small bars on this street, which has a very atmospheric feeling. The old West Gate is also very close to the pedestrian street. After strolling, you can also walk to the pedestrian street to eat. There are many small shops in the old West Gate, bookstores, small bars, and bowl vegetable shops full of atmosphere. The warm light shines through the coffee shops and teahouses on the corners of the cement buildings. Passers-by sit in groups of three or two, walking their dogs, chatting, eating delicious food, taking pictures... contented #recommended free punch-in places for niches #safe places for surrounding tours #city cycling notes #weekend destinations #niche discovery club

The Lao Ximen area has been a prosperous place in the ancient city of Changde since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. According to records, there were 169 streets and alleys in the city in the 1930s. It was still a complete city before the Anti-Japanese War. It was completely destroyed by Japanese bombing in November 1943. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Lao Ximen was basically forgotten and turned into a shantytown. In recent years, Changde has been committed to the transformation of the Lao Ximen system. On the premise of ensuring 100% return of local residents, it has reconstructed the enclosed courtyard in a modern style, opened the moat, rebuilt the low city wall, repaired the Anti-Japanese War bunkers, reproduced the cellar houses, protected the local intangible cultural heritage, and restored the unique geographical memory of the Lao Ximen area, turning Lao Ximen into Changde's "urban living room" and making it an Internet celebrity check-in spot with many cutting-edge buildings, thus becoming famous in the domestic and foreign architectural circles and winning many design awards. In April 2021, it won the "Urban Innovation Award" in the first "Sanlian Humanities City Award". The renovated Old West Gate is the most exquisite part of the city, which is never boring to see. Walking in the alleys along the river, those books, tiles, bridges, city walls, and bunkers will always make people stop for a long time and linger in their hearts. The overall spatial pattern of the Old West Gate is not complicated. Surrounding the two banks of a river, the Hulukou Square has a 100-meter-long curved tile roof, and the curved steps fall layer by layer, merging with the moat, forming a pool of quiet water. The moat is almost the same age as Changde, winding down along the mottled Ming city wall built in 1373. The water waves are agile, gently telling visitors about Changde's past. The 24 bridges of the Old West Gate on Water Street are paved in various forms such as flat bridges, pavilion bridges, corridor bridges, arch bridges, stone bridges, bamboo bridges, and wooden bridges. The blockhouse of the Changde Battle has been lying quietly by the moat for more than 70 years, becoming a tragic historical relic that witnessed the "bloody lonely city". It is closely nestled next to the reborn Silk String Theater, and the "Changde Silk String", a national intangible cultural heritage, can also continue to inherit the ancient local culture here. The Cave House Museum won the 2016 Architectural Creation Gold Award. Although it has been transformed into a luxury hotel, it still insists on using the traditional cave house as its architectural prototype, with high walls and courtyards, retaining the deep memory of Changde houses. The Bowl Vegetable Museum is the largest and most abrupt four-story red concrete building in Laoximen. It stands out in the plain gray-toned neighborhood. The facade boldly uses terracotta red, which is colorful but not at all tacky, reflecting the fiery character of Hunanese people. The designer retained the gables left by the old warehouse, and the upper and lower floors are connected by a variable-section staircase tube, extending to the rooftop wind shaft, stairwell, etc., using the form of sculpture to pay tribute to the local traditional bowl of bowl vegetables, forming a rich roof space.

Every city must have its history and culture to make you stop and linger. Every city also has its unique bookstores. I was attracted by the "stop time" and stepped into the Old West Gate. I heard a sonorous zither music and came to the platform of the Old West Gate Theater. I looked up at the grid room that was once a celebrity on the Internet, and examined the history and vicissitudes of the bunker in front of me. What I could see was this quiet bookstore. The bookstore was all white, mixed with the designer's various ideas and hobbies, white and black walnut, dried flowers and ink paintings, mugs and tea sets... The books were also selected from the essence of several major publishing houses, which are almost the publishing houses I often buy, such as CITIC, Renmin, etc. [Rose]

Fantastic Urban Architecture｜Changde Laoximen Potato Museum "I don't want the court to recruit a prince consort, but I can't bear to give up the stewed food in the pot." In the eyes of Changde people, a banquet is not complete without the stewed food in the pot. During the renovation of Changde Lao Ximen project, a popular bowl dish museum was specially designed to uphold Changde’s long-standing food culture. Its unique shape is particularly eye-catching among the buildings, with a Gaudi-like whimsy. It is still idle and is very suitable for checking in and taking photos. Landmark: ▲Changde Laoximen Potato Museum▲ 👉In addition to the rammed earth texture throughout the building, the most interesting feature is the staircase. The spiral staircase is placed in a cylindrical "bowl". Windows of different sizes project different light and shadows. Being in it, you have a wonderful feeling of traveling through time and space. 🌿The patio in the Bozi restaurant is connected to the sky and the ground. The lush green bamboos grow vertically towards the sky, blurring the concept of indoor and outdoor. The whole design has a Zen feeling of worshipping nature. 👉In addition to this museum, it is also recommended to visit the Old West Gate ▲Zhijian Bookstore▲ Zhijian Bookstore is known as the most beautiful independent bookstore in Hunan. This is a bookstore, but it is more than just a bookstore. When you come to Zhijian Bookstore, you can not only read, write, drink tea, coffee, and listen to music, but the bookstore also holds various cultural activities from time to time. There is also a small children's picture book area on the second floor. There are many books donated by children, with their names written on them. I found a Tyrannosaurus Rex series that Xiao Xiaoyu likes very much😊 Changde is an old city with a long history. It has suffered seven city-destroying battles and has been rebuilt seven times. The Old West Gate carries rich historical information and is engraved in the memory of every old Changde citizen. Now that time flies, I hope Changde Old West Gate can bring new vitality to this city.