Hui Che Alley

Hui Che Alley

Highlights – "Harmony Between the Civil and Military Officials": During the Warring States period, the state of Zhao discovered a beautiful jade called the "He Shi Bi." The King of Qin pretended to offer fifteen cities in exchange for this precious jade. At that time, Qin was very powerful, and Zhao was no match for it. Although the King of Zhao knew it was a trick, he could not refuse the offer. In a dilemma, his attendant Lin Xiangru volunteered to deliver the jade to Qin. After arriving in Qin, he realized the King of Qin had no intention of exchanging the cities for the jade, so he secretly sent the jade back to Zhao and then confronted the King of Qin on moral grounds, eventually bringing the jade safely back to Zhao. When the King of Qin’s first scheme failed, he devised another: he invited the King of Zhao to a banquet in Mianchi. After careful consideration, the King of Zhao decided to take the risk, and Lin Xiangru accompanied him. At the banquet, the King of Qin insulted the King of Zhao by playing the se (a Chinese zither), but Lin Xiangru turned the insult back on him. Later, with the support of the general Lian Po, the King of Zhao and his entourage returned safely to Zhao. For his successive great achievements, Lin Xiangru was appointed as the Prime Minister, outranking the veteran general Lian Po. Lian Po was dissatisfied and threatened to humiliate Lin Xiangru. Whenever they met on the street, Lin Xiangru would voluntarily step aside. People didn’t understand why and thought Lin Xiangru was afraid of Lian Po, but later they learned that Lin Xiangru was putting national interests above personal pride. When Lian Po found out, he felt deeply ashamed and went to Lin Xiangru’s residence with a thorny branch on his back to apologize. From then on, the two officials worked together to assist the King of Zhao, and the state of Zhao gradually grew stronger. Introduction – Located in the southern section of Chuan Cheng Street in Handan city center, the alley is about 75 meters long. It is said to be the place where Lian Po, the senior general of Zhao, yielded the right of way to Lin Xiangru, the Prime Minister. Hence the name. On the eastern entrance wall of the alley stands a stone tablet erected in the 12th year of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty, inscribed with the six large characters “Lian Po Hui Che Alley” (Lian Po’s Carriage Retreat Alley). Next to it is another stone tablet, which records the historical story of Lin Xiangru yielding to Lian Po multiple times for the sake of national unity.

Handan City, Hebei Province