When talking about the most charming old street in Guangzhou, the first thing that comes to mind is Xiguan, Guangzhou. But today Fangfang takes everyone to visit the old city south of the Pearl River in Guangzhou - Long Daowei.
Long Daowei, this street name can no longer be found on the current map of Guangzhou. It is located on the northwest side of Baogang Avenue, Haizhu District, Guangzhou. It is a historic street in Haizhu District, with narrow streets and alleys as dense as spider webs. The contiguous dilapidated houses and granite roads extending in all directions make those who first arrive here feel like they have entered a maze.
First there was Longwei Road, then there was Longdaowei. The place name Longdaowei comes from Liu Yan (889-942), the founding emperor of the Southern Han Dynasty who ruled Lingnan during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. After he became emperor, he ordered to build an imperial palace here. The "Southern Suburb Altar" was built to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth. In front of the altar, a special passage for the emperor was built, which was modeled on the corridor leading to the Hanyuan Palace in Chang'an, called Longwei Road. Soon after the Song Dynasty unified China, all the palaces were burned down, but the village formed at the Longweidao site was still called Longweidao. To this day, the old local residents still call this area Longdaowei.
Checking Baidu, I found that when Baidu introduced Long Daowei, it changed from its usual cold-winded narrative, and the words were full of poetry and picturesqueness: streets of red bricks, green tiles, and bluestones, the river flowing slowly under the Shuzhu Bridge, a person leaning against the door to blow the wind A little girl with soap bubbles, two old ladies chatting and laughing at the door, three students riding bicycles together, if Tang Bohu came here, what he would shake open would be a painting...
The street entrance is quite spacious
Across Longxiang Street is Long Daowei
"There is Nankai in the north and Nanwu in the south." The famous century-old Nankai martial arts school is located in Longdaowei.
The old houses have gone through ups and downs, and are full of twists and turns and poignant stories.
The old house has three doors, called "three sets of doors" to adapt to the humid and rainy climate in the south. The entrance door is recessed inward and has steps. The outermost door is the foot door, which is two low doors with carved upper parts. The second door is the sliding door, a set of round wooden gates that can be pushed and pulled in parallel. The third door is It's the main door. Usually only the first two doors are closed.
The old banyan tree that occupies half of the street
Literary men, poets and photographers all have a special liking for old houses.
The so-called streets are only three or four meters wide, so cars cannot pass in the streets and alleys, making them even more quiet and peaceful.
The Dragon Guide is like a maze. There are no dead ends here. There are dark branches and bright lights everywhere. You may turn around and come back to the same place.
The streets in Longdaowei are wide and bright enough, and you can get sunshine on every street. It is a pleasure to explore on foot.
The gifted courier boy is the only motor vehicle entering the streets
A pot of tea, a caged bird, good mood, nourishing the soul, and being at ease
Residents who have lived here all their lives
Residents told us that Long Daowei has changed a lot due to the renovation of the old city.
The two old sweethearts kept smiling and whispering.
The houses of wealthy families in the past are now rented by ordinary people. It is really like "the king in the past flew into the homes of ordinary people"
It’s summer vacation, and the complicated streets and alleys are just perfect for children to play hide and seek.
In this narrow alley, bicycles are the best mode of transportation
Living in upper and lower berths makes life convenient
There is a hair salon on the corner that offers a haircut for 10 yuan. This should be the price 20 years ago.
Even the way to wash your hair is from 20 years ago.
Various traditional shops from all walks of life line the streets.
Turning around, I came across a petty bourgeoisie store decorated in a new style, which gave me a strong sense of time travel.
An old man who has been setting up a clock repair stall for decades laments that the old craft is about to be lost.
An old man walking through the streets recycling scraps and bargaining with residents
Long Daowei Market is the only existing place still named after Long Daowei
The vegetables sold in the old town are fresh and cheap
Sell now and kill now, make steamed fish tonight
Go home and cook
Against the background of the new residential buildings rising from the ground, the dilapidation of the old houses becomes even more apparent.
With the renovation of the old city, how long can these old houses and streets, which carry history and are full of stories, be preserved?
The sunset slants on the red brick wall, which is really beautiful
Using our lenses to record these urban villages that are about to disappear is our only wish as photographers
