Yizi Street

Yizi Street

According to local folklore in Gaochun, there is a street in Lake Gucheng known as “Yizi Street” (One-Line Street). Since the construction of the Yongfeng Weir during the Song Dynasty, dozens of large and small weirs were built in Lake Gucheng, stretching from east to west in a continuous expanse. The northern embankment of the weirs formed a straight line along the river channel, with residents living on both sides. The area enjoyed convenient water and land transportation, and merchants and travelers came and went in an endless stream. People used the bluish-gray strip stones quarried from Huashan Mountain to pave a “one”-shaped street. Shops stood in great numbers, cooking smoke curled in the air, and it was a well-known market far and wide at the time. After the construction of Dongba Dam during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, especially when the dam was heightened by three zhang (approximately 10 meters) during the Zhengde era, river and mountain floodwaters could no longer flow eastward. As a result, the water level of Lake Gucheng rose sharply, and 60 large and small weirs were submerged under the lake. “Yizi Street” was also buried in the lakebed silt. Nowadays, the term “Yizi Street” mostly refers to the preserved Gaochun Old Street.

Located in the county seat of Gaochun, the old street, also known as Chunxi Old Street, was first built during the Song Dynasty. It served as a commercial street from its inception, so its architectural layout reflects the concept of wealth accumulation. The overall plan is shaped like a money bag in an arc, somewhat resembling the English letter “S,” symbolizing the gathering of wealth.

Looking across the entire Jiangsu region, why is there such a well-preserved ancient street? It turns out that in ancient times, overland transportation was inconvenient, while water transport was highly developed. Areas near docks and ports were generally more prosperous. Historically, Gaochun County was known as a “land of fish and rice.” Chunxi Old Street is situated close to Guanxi River, the busiest waterway in Gaochun at the time. During the Song Dynasty, the docks along Guanxi River accommodated ships stretching several li (a traditional unit of distance), and it had long been one of the famous grain markets alongside Wuhu and Wuxi. Guanxi River connected upstream to Wuhu and Anqing, and downstream to Suzhou and Hangzhou. It was the shortest and safest water route through the Taihu Lake system from the Suzhou-Hangzhou region to areas downstream of the Yangtze River such as Anhui, Jiangxi, and Hubei. The docks saw a bustling trade of goods from north and south, and merchants from east and west, making it a hub of frequent commercial activity. Due to the prosperity of the old street’s commerce, other industries that supported business activities also rapidly developed. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the old street had become a fully-fledged commercial district with distinct features of the Jiangnan water towns, integrating trade, food, and local customs.

The surface of the old street has horizontally laid rosy granite slabs in the middle, flanked by vertically paved bluish limestone. The combination of warm and cool tones, arranged in orderly horizontal and vertical patterns, creates a strong visual appeal. In addition to the distinctive street surface, the old-fashioned drainage pipes along the street are also quite unique. The stone slabs of the sewers reflect the ancient philosophy of harmony between man and nature. The outer frame of the drain cover is square, while the center is round, representing the concept of “the round sky and square earth.” The lozenge-shaped handle in the middle is modeled after the shape of silver ingots from the Song Dynasty. In ancient times, whenever workers cleaned the sewers, they would shout “Fortune comes with the water!” to alert passersby, who would then know to make way.

Shops along the old street operated at the front, with living quarters and reception areas upstairs, and the rear sections used as warehouses or workshops. Shopfronts were typically three bays wide, extending several rooms deep, with connecting wing rooms between sections forming self-contained courtyards. The central courtyard, or “tianjing,” was designed in ancient architecture for ventilation and lighting, but it also held unique cultural significance. In ancient times, people likened water to wealth, hence the saying “seeing water brings fortune.” Rainwater from the sky was considered a gift from heaven, and the tianjing was specially designed so that when it rained, water would flow down the eaves into the courtyard, symbolizing “returning water to the hall, keeping wealth from flowing away.” The architectural structure of the old street is a typical example of the “Yi Ke Yin” (One Seal) style in Jiangnan traditional buildings. The houses are all two-story brick-and-wood structures with single-eave gable roofs, blue bricks, small tiles, horse-head walls, white walls, and black-tiled roofs. Walls on both sides extend slightly outward, adorned with carved dragon heads holding waist drums, believed to ward off fire demons. Roughly every 5 to 15 houses, a 2-meter-deep alley runs through, with a “Land God Pavilion” built above the entrance. Legend has it that this type of Land God Pavilion was invented by Wu Zixu, a general of the Wu State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. It is said that to conquer the Chu State, the King of Wu ordered Wu Zixu to dig a canal for transporting troops and supplies. After accepting the task, Wu Zixu scouted locations and eventually decided to dig north of present-day Lake Gucheng. However, the project faced extreme difficulties—the canal dug one day would mysteriously revert the next, and laborers fell ill with a strange disease. Frustrated but helpless, Wu Zixu once dreamed of an immortal who told him, “To dig the canal, first honor the Land God.” As a native of Chu, Wu Zixu was now helping Wu destroy his own homeland, angering the Land God, who deliberately created obstacles. Following the immortal’s advice, Wu Zixu built grand temples to the Land God and prayed devoutly. The Land God, moved by his sincerity and resigned to fate, finally relented. Eventually, the canal was completed—it became the world’s first artificial canal, the Xuhe Canal.