Memories of Jiangnan

The Sonth of the River

Liu Hanjun

Zhejiang Literature amp; Art Publishing House

November 2022

82.00 （CNY）

Liu Hanjun

Liu Hanjun is a member of the China Writers Association. His collections include A Man’s River， Midnight Sunshine， Paddle Sound for a Thousand Years， The Colors of Culture， etc.

This book falls into two parts. The first part describes the scenery of Wuzhen， the Yangtze River， etc. and the stories about them. The second part， with the theme of history， tells stories about the figures and events in the Song Dynasty， the Ming Dynasty， and the Warring States Period.

The beauty of Wuzhen lies in its waters.

A river has been flowing since the Spring and Autumn Period and runs through Wuzhen from north to south. Its original name was Chexi， and is called Shihe River today. She was divided into two branches -- West Shihe River and East Shihe River. The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal passes through Wuzhen， flows into the West Shihe River and the North Moat at the northwest corner， and fills the water lanes of river branches. The water goes straight ahead and forms a river. A slight disruption makes a branch. If it stays for a while， it becomes a lake. The rivers and branches make a water network. Wuzhen is the daughter of the water network.

With the charms of Wu and Yue and a plain terrain， Wuzhen has streets and markets along the waters. Xizha Avenue runs along West Shihe River. It is formed and shaped by water. Along the avenue， every household has attics and lies aside from the river. In the green clear water， fishes seem to be swimming. In the mud， banana plants are swaying. The greenery is in front of your eyes， but you cannot see how deep the roots grow in this water town. A bird’s eye view of Wuzhen from the commanding heights shows that houses are crowded in rows， and old streets are winding and twisting. Compact and vivid views fill your eyes， just like vines curling and rolling naturally.

Along West Shihe River， which is only more than 20 m long， the sounds of chickens and dogs are heard. If you say hello to the other side of the river， someone will pop his head out and give you a reply. Like a long old film， the flagged pavement on Xizha Avenue goes all the way to the end， and every flag tells a story. A couple of wooden chairs and wooden columns lie at the base of the wall. If you walk eight or nine stone steps， you will reach the dock and see ferries waiting in the waves. Boats and horses are tied to the riverside. There are docks and water gaps everywhere. You can go aboard as soon as you set out and find shops as soon as you arrive. People in Wuzhen can start a journey and settle down as they wish. The boatman or boatwoman sits or squats kindly. They never shout at you but wait for your request. They may correct you humbly， “This is Wuzhen， but it is not a Wupeng boat （black-awning boat）. Not everything in Wuzhen starts with Wu.” Sitting alone in a flat-topped rowing boat， you can think about anything or nothing. Your mind can sway quietly with the green waves. When is a place where you can stay without doing anything until you stay still， becoming a view in the landscape painting？ Wuzhen， a water town， is a warm jade in Jiangnan. It has been delicately carved and ground by wind and rain. It is not a story made overnight， nor a beautiful picture painted in one go.

There are no two identical leaves in the world. There are no two identical bridges in Wuzhen. Various shapes of bridges are here： single-hole， three-hole， stone arch， and wooden. Some are solemn and solid， covered with mottled green moss; some are vivid and dynamic， like the hollow strokes in Chinese paintings; others are simple and flat， lying freely over the river like the sweat towels of old farmers. It is said that “walking across bridges can drive diseases away”. Life is like crossing a bridge. Every step you make is a new state. A bridge is a weight that makes Wuzhen heavier.

Leaning against the bridge， you look around. After waiting for a hundred years， you encounter a second. Love in China is mostly related to bridges. Wuzhen， the bridges’ hometown， should be where such stories take place. The peaches and plums sway in the breeze and drizzle on the bluestone bridge. Wuzhen is like a girl walking in a rainy alley. She is dressed in a mandarin gown of blueprint cloth and holding a soft blue umbrella. She lowers her head gently， leaving her graceful figure in the rainy ink painting. The soft breeze pulls up the girl’s dress. The heart is whispering.

A vagrant heart needs to rest， and the pavilions in Jiangnan are the best places. The buildings in Wuzhen are similar to the temples during the Southern Liang Period. “Nine temples and thirteen nunneries， two pagodas in the east and west.” There were more than 50 temples， abbeys， pagodas， monasteries， nunneries， halls， palaces， and shrines. Temples and churches were everywhere， with high eaves and ringing bells， giving Wuzhen a bit of religious mystery. Lingering around the pavilions of Wuzhen are the charms of previous dynasties. The fading notes seem like they are playing music as they were. The town has different kinds of folk houses， simple or delicate. They are like models showing their beauty on the stage.

Most houses in Wuzhen are built with brick and wood in the waters， with compact but disciplined structures， looking dense but comfortable. Creativity and ingenuity are found in every corner. You are looking like an elaborate-style painting. From the tall walls， the Japanese creepers climb into the courtyard and onto the window lattices， peeping at the views in Jiangnan gardens. The windows of every household are exquisitely designed. There are small windows in big ones， slightly open， like the breeze knocking gently or the camera snapping shots. You can see stairs on the ground floor and the attic upstairs. They are narrow but comfortable and safe and won’t block or tumble on you. Rooms and walls are connected. Once you enter a room， you can walk from this house to the next. Thousands of households live on the same river but have different lives.

Of course， the most popular houses are concentrated on Xizha Street， only two or three meters wide. There are teahouses and inns and restaurants found along the riverside. People from different places talk about anything they come across. The words are so honest and pleasant. This is Wuzhen， peaceful and comfortable. Days in Wuzhen are so quiet and relaxed.