点评:Changsha is the provincial capital of Hunan province. It is our first landing city and the last disembarkation point before returning to Singapore. Unlike Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Ancient Town, I did not see many caucasian foreigners on the street, and one main reason is because of the harshly hot weather especially in the month of September when we were there. Singapore is near the equator, and it is understandable that the daily temperature is about 32 degrees, but the weather in Changsha is even much more hotter at 38 degrees Celsius in September, which appeared very weird to me.
At such a hot zone, even with Taiping Street right in front of the hotel, I would think twice wandering along the alley during the day. The best time to roam along this ancient street was after dinner when all the neon lights were turned on and the street became vibrant.
Taiping Street (太平街) is one of the most well-preserved ancient streets in Changsha, retaining its original layout and historical charm. It has remained unchanged for over 2000 years since the Warring States period. Many old-style residences still showcase original elements like stone-framed doors, blue brick walls, courtyards with sky wells, and winding corridors. But the street is just 375 metres long, and I had wandered along this street for almost 5 times during my 3 days here.
Taiping Street is also home to the former residence of Jia Yi, a renowned statesman and literary figure of the Western Han Dynasty. But the residence was closed for renovation when we were there. Over the centuries, the people of Hunan have repaired and rebuilt Jia Yi’s residence more than 100 times, ensuring its preservation as one of Changsha’s oldest historical sites.
The street is very commercialized, and I wondered if business was so roaring during ancient times.
翻译:长沙是湖南省的省会,也是我们返回新加坡前的第一个登陆城市和最后一个下船点。与张家界和凤凰古城不同,我在街上没看到很多白人外国人,其中一个主要原因是天气炎热,尤其是在我们去的时候,正值九月。新加坡靠近赤道,白天气温在32度左右是可以理解的,但长沙的天气更热,九月竟然高达38摄氏度,这在我看来非常奇怪。
在如此炎热的地区,即使酒店门前就是太平街,白天在巷子里闲逛也会让我感到有些犹豫。漫步在这条古街的最佳时间是晚饭后,霓虹灯亮起,街道变得热闹非凡。
太平街是长沙保存最完好的古街之一,保留了其原有的格局和历史韵味。自战国以来,太平街两千余年风貌未变。许多古民居依然保留着石框门、青砖墙、天井庭院、回廊等原始元素。但这条街只有375米长,我在太平街的三天里,几乎走过五次。
太平街也是西汉著名政治家、文学家贾谊故居的所在地。但我们去的时候,贾谊故居正因修缮而关闭。几个世纪以来,湖南人民对贾谊故居进行了上百次修葺重建,使其成为长沙最古老的历史遗迹之一。
这条街商业气息浓厚,我不禁想,古时候的商业是不是也这么繁荣?