Flower Street

Flower Street

This is a not-so-long street where you can see from one end to the other; it’s a street with a long history, yet today we can hardly make out what it looked like in the past.

This street once captivated two emperors of the Qing Dynasty—Kangxi and Qianlong—who lingered here enchanted; this street gave birth to a literary prodigy and the creation of an enduring long-form storytelling piece, *The Pen Blooms into Flowers*...

This is Flower Street—the cultural vein of the city, a root of Qingjiangpu.

Two Beautiful Legends Passed Down

Walking along this weathered and narrow street, you can’t help but wonder what Flower Street looked like deep in history.

During interviews, many people could no longer recall that period of history. Historical records indicate that due to the prosperity of the canal in early times, Qingjiangpu, as a waterway hub, saw merchants and boatmen from the north and south disembark at the Grand Sluice and enter Huai’an City. The path they took back then was Flower Street, which thereby thrived, making Flower Street prosperous because of the canal.

Regarding the origin of Flower Street, Uncle Chen Ermin, who has lived on Flower Street for over 60 years, explained that the origins of the street have been lost to time and can no longer be verified, but two beautiful legends remain, leaving people with much to ponder and yearn for.

“One legend says that this street was very commercially bustling in the early days, full of merchants, and had numerous private gardens. As a result, growing flowers, appreciating them, and critiquing them became a defining feature of the street. The fragrance of flowers filled the air, and naturally, the whole street exuded the sweet scent of blossoms—hence the name Flower Street spread.” According to Uncle Chen, besides the story of growing and appreciating flowers, another explanation for the street’s name is flower selling. In the past, every household here made flowers using high-quality perfumed silk from Suzhou. The petals were large, stamens bright, colors varied, and shapes elegant—just like real flowers. More importantly, it is said that every year officials were sent from the capital to inspect and select flower patterns to be sent to the palace, exclusively for the imperial concubines and palace maids to wear. This brought great fame to Flower Street, attracting generations of merchants, the wealthy, scholars, and poets. It also drew Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, who visited multiple times.

Staff from the city’s Cultural Relics Bureau believe that although there is no definitive account of Flower Street’s origin, both legends may be correct and are not contradictory. Whether the flowers were grown or sold, Flower Street was destined to be associated with flowers.

Relevant materials indicate that in the early days, Flower Street was a three- to four-li-long thoroughfare, lined mostly with old houses belonging to Huai’an’s old urban area—much like Nanjing’s Confucius Temple. Before Chengde Road was built, East Main Street and Niuhang Street were both part of Flower Street. In 1998, the government invested in constructing Chengde Road, which split Flower Street in two. The western section was incorporated into East Main Street and Chengde South Road, reducing its size by half. It was precisely the construction of Chengde Road that altered Flower Street’s fate. When Chengde Road was first built, people entering the old city—aside from via Beimen Bridge in the north—mostly came through the Grand Sluice and Flower Street. Once Chengde Road opened to traffic, it completely replaced Flower Street’s function as an entrance route, and from then on, Flower Street grew increasingly quiet.

The Birth of a Literary Prodigy

“Through the dim window, the wind cuts like scissors; in the deep courtyard, catkins fly like a curtain.”

Strolling down Flower Street and looking at the buildings with their blue bricks and gray tiles, one can’t help but recall this line of storytelling from Qiu Xinru, and remember this extraordinary woman who lived on Flower Street 200 years ago, and her enduring long-form storytelling piece, *The Pen Blooms into Flowers*.

Back then, Flower Street was the most bustling and lively place in Qingjiangpu, with teahouses, grocery stores, carriage shops, fabric shops, and traditional Chinese medicine shops—all readily available. Especially notable were several large flower shops. The street wasn’t only full of flowers but also flower boats, flower baskets, lanterns, fans, and umbrellas... Qiu Xinru, who married into a prominent family on Flower Street at the age of 20, often performed her self-composed *The Pen Blooms into Flowers* in the teahouses, expressing her lament over the tragic fate of women.

Historical records state: In 1805, Qiu Xinru was born on Shima Pier Street in Qingjiangpu. Influenced deeply by her family’s literary culture from childhood, both her grandfather and father were well-educated locals with strong literary backgrounds. At age 7, she studied in a private school with her father and was known for being clever and wise beyond her years. By 20, she was strikingly beautiful and graceful. She began creating storytelling works at just 18. After marriage, she worked tirelessly day and night to write the epic storytelling piece *The Pen Blooms into Flowers*. Soon after, her husband died, her beloved son passed away prematurely, and then her parents-in-law died in succession. Penniless and with no support, Qiu Xinru had to return to her parents’ home. Enduring the hardships of life, she spent about 30 years pouring her sweat and tears into creating *The Pen Blooms into Flowers*, a massive work of nearly 1.2 million characters. *The Pen Blooms into Flowers* is another long-form storytelling masterpiece by a female writer, following *Tian Yu Hua* and *再生缘 (Renewed Fate)*. With its grand structure, intricate plot, blend of narration and song, and poetic richness, it stands as a rare masterpiece in the history of Chinese literature.

The renowned historian Zheng Zhenduo, when commenting on Qiu Xinru’s *The Pen Blooms into Flowers* and Chen Duanshen’s *Renewed Fate*, believed that *The Pen Blooms into Flowers* surpassed *Renewed Fate* in writing technique, character portrayal, and plot arrangement—being more nuanced, ingenious, and vivid. It was nothing short of a major literary discovery and a rare gem of its time, thus establishing *The Pen Blooms into Flowers*’ undisputed and unique status in the history of Chinese literature.

The writer Shen Haiqin wrote in her essay *Flower Street*: “The origin of Flower Street is said to be either because the residents loved to grow plants or because they made silk flowers for the imperial court. But I think it’s because of Qiu Xinru’s flower-like beauty and her creation of *The Pen Blooms into Flowers*, which had a tremendous impact on the literary history of our country. Because in my view, Qiu Xinru is the image ambassador of Flower Street, representing its cultural depth and charm.”

A Place That Carried the Lives of Common People

Hundreds of snacks, shops lined up next to each other, bustling crowds—Uncle Chen Ermin’s memories of Flower Street include a place covering daily goods, snacks, entertainment, and more, carrying the lives of the common people of Huai’an.

Speaking of Flower Street, one must mention its snacks. The author Yang Yi wrote in his essay *Huai’an’s Flower Street*: “Day or night, food stalls are scattered everywhere. As early as the Qianlong era, Flower Street’s snacks numbered over a hundred varieties. Even after a hundred years of change, the variety of snacks still competes in splendor: Wenlou Soup Dumplings, vegetable steamed buns, fried buns, beef wontons, shredded pork noodles, Huangqiao burnt pancakes, ox tongue burnt pancakes, fried dough twists, Pulu tea crisps, twisted dough sticks, mung bean balls, crispy crackers, sweet porridge, steamed cakes, sweet lotus roots with glutinous rice... enough to dazzle your eyes and overload your taste buds.”

If you get tired from strolling, just sit down and rest, and sample some of Flower Street’s signature snacks. Imagine sitting in the classic-style Flower Street, enjoying distinctive and delicious treats while listening to the lilting melodies of Huai Opera—wouldn’t that be wonderful?

“When we were kids, this place was our paradise,” Uncle Chen Ermin reminisced. Back then, Flower Street had many households, mostly simple two-story buildings. During the leisurely evenings, the elderly would set up a chessboard at their door, inviting friends for a match, or show off their skills by playing the erhu or flute, attracting local opera enthusiasts. Aside from Beijing Opera, the elders most often enjoyed Huai Opera. Everyone would hold a small teapot with tea leaves, take a sip, sway their heads, and hum along—the scene was incredibly leisurely. The adults, after a busy day, hurried home to cook. At this time, the aroma of home-cooked meals wafted from every household on Flower Street. The children, cooped up at school all day, would run outside joyfully at this hour, gathering in little groups to play games. Back then, kids played with hoop rolling, beanbag tossing, and rubber band skipping—they’d absolutely forget to go home unless their parents urged them to eat. They’d play until they were covered in dirt, inevitably earning a scolding from their parents at night.

“Can you imagine what it was like back then? Just like the old Beijing in the TV series *Big House Gate*, bustling with people, simple folk customs, life was modest, but everyone was content. In most people’s hearts, this place was our ‘old Beijing’ back then,” Uncle Chen Ermin reflected emotionally.