Renyi Alley

Renyi Alley

The “Renyi Alley” in Jianchangying West Street, Qian’an City, Hebei Province, gets its name from the concept of “renyi” (benevolence and righteousness). This small lane, known as the “Renyi Alley,” is located south of the former west gate of Jianchangying. The alley is about 50 meters long and 1.1 meters wide, paved with two uneven rows of flagstones that help prevent muddy passages during rainy or snowy weather. Because the alley is so narrow, it can usually only accommodate one person carrying a load, and if two people face each other, they can only pass by sidestepping.

Jianchangying is a strategic town guarding the Lengkou Pass. The Lengkou Pass is an important mountain pass of the Jizhen section of the Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall, located 32 kilometers northeast of Qian’an City, Hebei Province. During the Ming Dynasty, it served as a passage for the Mongolian Uriankhai Three Guards to offer tribute to the capital, and was also a key location for transportation and military affairs. After the Qing Dynasty entered the pass and established its rule, with the unification of the regions inside and outside the Great Wall, Jianchangying gradually prospered as a commercial hub due to its status as a key north-south transportation route. According to historical records, Jianchangying was another major transit hub for trade between eastern Hebei and the region beyond the Shanhai Pass, besides Shanhaiguan itself. Its commercial heyday lasted from the mid-Qing Dynasty until the beginning of the War of Resistance against Japan. From the founding of the People’s Republic of China to the early days of the reform and opening-up period, it remained an important local market for trading agricultural and sideline products. Since ancient times, there has been a saying: “Kaiping Town is bottomless, but Jianchangying never runs out of goods.” It is said that the original West Street of Jianchangying and the nearby Chicken Market Street were not originally connected, but the existence of this Renyi Alley made the connection possible.

Although the alley is narrow, it is associated with a legendary story. It is said that during the Ming Dynasty, there were two neighboring families in Jianchangying — one surnamed Ren in the east and the other surnamed Liang in the west. The Liang family wanted to build an east wing room on the foundation of the disputed land, which the Ren family opposed. The two families stuck to their own views and refused to yield. The Ren family sent a letter to their relative who was an official elsewhere, asking him to mediate and seek justice. Soon after, the official replied with a letter containing four lines of poetry:

I’ve sent a letter all the way for just a wall,

What harm is there in yielding two feet more?

The Great Wall still stands strong after miles and miles,

But where is the First Emperor of Qin today?

Upon receiving the letter, the Ren family thought the advice was reasonable. As neighbors, they realized that a close neighbor is better than a distant relative, and they voluntarily yielded two feet of land. Learning of this, the Liang family felt ashamed and also yielded two feet of their foundation. What had started as a standoff turned into mutual courtesy. The two families reached an agreement, creating a four-foot-wide passage that made it convenient for pedestrians to come and go.

This act of kindness earned praise from neighbors and residents. Influenced by this example, the local community has lived in harmony, mutual respect, and courtesy for many years. Since then, the story of the “Renyi Alley” has become widely known and passed down through generations.

Source: Tourism Bureau