Baixiang street is located in the southeast of Yuzhong District, Chongqing. It is about 425 meters long and less than 10 meters wide. It is adjacent to wanglongmen in the northeast, Taipingmen in the southwest, and the government Yamen. With the development of water transportation in Chongqing, merchants and boatmen have to deal with the government when they come to Chongqing. As a result, many warehouses and businesses have been built in that area, and Baixiang street has become increasingly prosperous. In 1886, Chongqing's earliest cable telegraph office was established here. After Chongqing opened its port in 1891, British, American, Japanese and other countries set up foreign firms here, forming a "Financial Street". With the development of Chongqing's water transportation, merchants and shippers had to deal with the government when they came to Chongqing. Therefore, many warehouses and commercial banks were built in that area. Because foreign businessmen were limited in the south bank and could not come to the city without permission, but foreign businessmen could not do nothing, so there were compradors. Baixiang street was in the Taipingmen, close to the government, so it was used as the office of various compradors and commercial firms. Therefore, Baixiang street had the earliest foreign houses in chongqingcheng, which absorbed some advantages of traditional Chinese architecture, such as Most of them are decorated with lattice doors and windows, carved and hollowed out, which is quite exquisite. For quite a long time, Baixiang street is the most luxurious street in Chongqing.
White elephant Street
Baixiang street, Chongqing old street, between wanglongmen and Taipingmen. There have been many celebrities in this small street, including Chen Yi, Wang Yunsheng, Zhou Enlai and so on. There are Qing Dynasty Post Office, Li Yaoting residence and other buildings.
How to get the name
On the one hand, there is a white marble sculpture stone elephant, which is just opposite to a pair of blue stone lions in Xuantan temple on the south bank. This is the folk legend that "the green lion and white elephant lock the river"; on the other hand, the local white elephant pool was originally used by the white elephant, so it was named white elephant street.
Historical evolution
Many things on Baixiang Street are closely related to the development of Chongqing.
According to historical records, during the reign of Chunyou in the Southern Song Dynasty (1241-1252), Yu Wangjie, a pacifying and instituting envoy of Sichuan (equivalent to the commander of the Yangtze River defense area military region in the Southern Song Dynasty) and the magistrate of Chongqing, once set up a talent recruiting hall here to recruit talents and discuss the strategy of resisting Mongolia.
In 1886, the earliest cable telegraph office in Chongqing was established here.
After Chongqing was opened as a port in 1891, British, American and Japanese companies set up foreign firms here, forming a "Financial Street".
No.15 Baixiang street is the former site of Yu Bao sponsored by Song Yuren in 1897 and Xin Shu Bao written by Xiao Chu nu in 1924. Around 1905, Bian Xiaowu, Yang Cangbai, Zhu shuchi and others raised funds to establish Donghua match company in Baixiang street. In the past, there were docks here, which were densely populated. It was one of the downtown areas of Chongqing.
Celebrity related
In addition to Lao She, there are many "celebrities" on the road of white elephant Street:
In 1922, Chen Yi was the main writer of Xinshu daily in Chongqing, and took a group photo with his colleagues in Baixiang street;
After Ta Kung Pao moved to Chongqing in 1938, Wang Yunsheng, the second general manager of Ta Kung Pao, lived in a small apartment in Baixiang street;
After the South Anhui Incident in 1941, Zhou Enlai held a forum of patriotic businessmen in Baixiang street
Representative building
The old building in the opening period: 166 Baixiang street. Built at the end of the 19th century, it combines Chinese and Western eclecticism style, and is a riverside block building in Chongqing during the opening period.
The former address of Chongqing customs declaration agency (Daqing post office): 154 Baixiang street. Built at the end of the 19th century, it is a brick wood mixed structure building with three stories high and green brick exterior wall. The facade is simple, the doors and windows are of coupon structure, and the wooden doors and windows are decorated with western style in detail.
The former site of American Dalai company: 142 white elephant street. Founded in 1850, it presents the baroque style of European Renaissance as a whole. It is the most distinctive old building in Baixiang street. Historically, it was also the silk shop of Wang Quantai.
Diaojiaolou dwellings in Baixiang Street: the street goes eastward along Baixiang street, passing through alleys, to the back of Baixiang street, typical Diaojiaolou structure can be seen. Continue down to Yangtze River Binjiang Road.
Li Yaoting Residence: Pu Fengju, Li Yaoting residence, is a small building shaded by tall Pueraria trees. It faces the Yangtze River from south to north, with three storeys on the front and four storeys on the back. The shape of bufengju's whole building is like a "boat", and its architectural style of brick, wood, green tile and arc-shaped corner is particularly common in the period of port opening.
Herbal medicine trade union: No.15 herbal medicine trade union in yangziba, once the tallest building in Baixiang street. This is a typical baroque style three story house with three nearly 5-meter-high arches and full of momentum. The exquisite relief on the outer wall of the building and the roman columns on the arcades and window sills of each floor have been restored according to the principle of repairing as old as before.
Private Xinghua primary school: built in 1953, it is a modern eclectic style building. The main building has three floors and one floor. The facade is of "three three systems" layout, and the exterior decoration of the building is mainly relief. Zhu junnan, the No.1 druggist in Chongqing in the Republic of China, raised money to build yangziba. The former site is divided into two parts: a teaching building and an office building to solve the education problem of the children of the drug gang. Now it is a cultural relic protection unit at district level.
The former site of Chongqing introspection Court: built in 1930, it was originally the guild hall of Shanxi merchants, where Guan Gong was worshipped, so it was also known as "Wu Sheng Gong". In the early 1930s, Shanxi guild hall was bombed and damaged by the Japanese during the Anti Japanese war. Chongqing was built into an introspective courtyard. Up to now, the brick on the wall still has the word "Wushenggong".
Address: Southeast of Yuzhong District, Chongqing (near Yangtze River Binjiang Road)
Longitude: 106.5844733715
Latitude: 29.55551869608
Traffic information: take bus No.112, 120, 141, 372 and 382 to wanglongmen station
Ticket information: Free
Opening hours: all day
Chinese PinYin : Bai Xiang Jie
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