Xinglong Street

　　In the ancient city of Taonan, there is an old street that still retains its charm from a century ago. Like a living historical scroll, it authentically records the prosperity of Taonan’s modern commerce and trade, the landscape of this strategic stronghold, and also unfolds stories—those that should have happened or perhaps shouldn’t have—this old street is called “Xinglong Street.”

　　Xinglong Street is located in the northern half of Taonan’s urban area, stretching 2 kilometers from east to west and spanning over 20 meters in width. Over a hundred years ago, this place was a symbol of the commercial hub and strategic stronghold for both the northeast and Inner Mongolia. Its status as a commercial center is backed by historical evidence. As early as the Han Dynasty, this was a vital route on the Northern Silk Road leading to Mongolia and Russia, while the Tao’er River served as the essential crossing point for northern ethnic minorities traveling to Chang’an to pay tribute during the Tang Dynasty. Whether as a stop along the Silk Road or a tribute crossing, the convergence of people naturally gave rise to commerce. The flourishing trade in Taonan indeed stems from seeds sown by ancient merchants. Moreover, throughout the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties, and the Republican era, rulers established administrative posts here and deployed heavy military forces to guard it, indicating its significance as a strategic stronghold.

　　Strolling down Xinglong Street, one can still see dozens of merchant buildings retaining their former glory. According to elders, in those days, shops lined both sides of the street, offering gold and silver jewelry, fabrics and dyes, silk and linen, medicinal herbs and tonics, hardware and ironwork, clothing, hats, shoes, socks, tobacco, alcohol, sugar, and tea. Even mountain dwellers from the Greater Khingan Mountains hundreds of kilometers away came here to trade, or to bring items such as deer antlers, ginseng, and lingzhi mushrooms for authentication and certification at Xinglong Street shops before selling them inland, proudly telling buyers: “Don’t worry, these were certified by Xinglong Street in Taonan.” Not to mention the sheer number of merchants at the time, but within the urban area of Taonan, vehicles came and went along this street daily, and horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws—equivalent to today’s taxis—numbered in the hundreds.

　　In the middle section of Xinglong Street, three buildings stand out particularly—the Marshal Wu Mansion, Tiannendi Bureau, and Daxing Pawnshop.

　　The Marshal Wu Mansion is a European-style architectural complex with Gothic features, standing over 20 meters tall. It once served as the commercial offices and official residence of Wu Junsheng, a Republican-era lieutenant general, military governor of the Tiaoliao region, and military commander of Heilongjiang Province. Such grand European-style architecture was unparalleled in small and medium-sized cities in Northeast China. In the early years of the Republic, Wu Junsheng led troops to station in Taonan, deploying two brigades to guard the stronghold, which deterred Japanese invaders from encroaching on the border and helped quell the Wutai Rebellion. Without delving into his martial prowess, let’s highlight a story from his personal life to reflect the unconventional existence of this “tongue-tied” general who “slept with beauty’s wrist in grip, woke with power over the realm.” Wu’s fifth concubine (referred to as the third concubine in novels and TV dramas), Li Zhujun, was originally a star actress of the “Nenjiang Troupe.” During a performance, she captivated Wu. By then, Wu was over sixty, with a large household of wives and concubines, but he was a seasoned ladies’ man—once he set his sights on a target, escape was impossible. So, he offered ten thousand silver dollars to the troupe leader through a mix of coercion and persuasion to take her as his concubine. Though Wu kept tight control over his wives and concubines, his fifth concubine, still in the bloom of youth, grew restless and lonely, eventually having an affair with an adjutant. Unfortunately, Wu discovered them. But being the formidable figure he was, he knew that making a scandal would only bring shame upon himself, so he used charity work as a pretext to build a nunnery in the southwestern suburbs of Taonan. On the day of its completion, he took his wives and concubines there and deliberately asked for the fifth concubine’s opinion. Unaware of his intent, Li Zhujun remarked, “This place is serene and elegant, perfect for spiritual practice.” Wu replied, “Then follow your heart—you have the air of an immortal, and after tranquil cultivation, you will surely achieve enlightenment.” And so, the fifth concubine spent her days in solitude, tending to the dim lamp…

　　The Tiannendi Bureau is another renowned historic building on Xinglong Street. During the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, Batu, the twelfth-generation prince of the Jasaghtu Khanate, was deeply in debt and began illegally leasing and embezzling frontier land revenues. When the imperial court discovered this, the practice was abolished and replaced with official management, leading to the establishment of the “Mongolian Frontier Bureau.” While Batu was under probation, he modeled the structure after the princely mansions of East and West Single Streets in Beijing and built this “royal office compound,” which successively served as the offices of the “Mongolian Frontier Bureau” and the “Taonan Prefecture.” As the “Mongolian Frontier Bureau,” Emperor Guangxu personally bestowed a golden plaque inscribed with “Tiannendi Bureau,” featuring recessed European-style characters with the words “Bestowed by Emperor Guangxu” underneath, which was hung above the second gate. This is the origin of the name Tiannendi Bureau... During the Liberation War, revolutionary leaders and military strategists such as Tao Zhu and Deng Hua worked here.

　　The Daxing Pawnshop may not be as eye-catching on Xinglong Street, but it is closely tied to a major historical event in China—the spark that ignited the shocking “September 18th Incident.” On June 25, 1931, Japanese military spy Captain Nakamura Shintarō and his team of four were conducting reconnaissance in the Xing’an area under the jurisdiction of Taonan Prefecture when they were captured and secretly executed by the Reclamation Army unit led by Guan Yuheng. Aside from sending evidence of their espionage to Fengtian and Beiping, the bodies, horses, and other materials were burned to destroy traces. However, a quartermaster in the Reclamation Army, tempted by greed, stole Nakamura’s gold watch and pawned it at the Daxing Pawnshop on Xinglong Street. Meanwhile, a Japanese spy named Uematsu Kikuko, who was involved with an officer of the Reclamation Army, got him drunk and extracted the truth. She quickly reported the situation to the Japanese intelligence chief, Doihara Kenji. Doihara immediately came to Taonan, bought back the gold watch from the Daxing Pawnshop, and used it as evidence that the Chinese army had unjustly killed Japanese “agricultural experts.” He protested to the Chinese government and resorted to military threats, but received no satisfactory response. Using the “Nakamura Incident” as a catalyst, on the evening of September 18th of the same year, Japanese forces detonated a section of the South Manchuria Railway at Liutiaogou, falsely accusing the Chinese army, and at 11 PM, the Kwantung Army bombarded Beidaying and launched a full-scale attack on Shenyang—the “September 18th Incident” erupted. The “Nakamura Incident” serves as a reminder to remember history and never forget national humiliation.

　　Over a hundred years have passed, and the ancient city of Taonan has undergone tremendous changes. Yet the stories of Xinglong Street seem like they happened just yesterday, forever enlightening future generations on what to inherit, what to promote, what to discard, and what to remember.