"The No. 1 Lane in Jiangnan", Qingguo Lane, Changzhou.

Qingguo Lane is an ancient street built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and has a history of 500 years. In the past, water transportation in the Grand Canal was particularly developed and ships gathered here. It was the distribution center for fruits from the north and the south, equivalent to the current fruit wholesale market. So this place used to be called "Qianguo Lane", Qianguo means many kinds of fruits. Because "Qian" and "Qing" are indistinguishable in Changzhou dialect and have exactly the same pronunciation, it was later called "Qingguo Lane", and this name has been used to this day.

First of all, I would like to introduce a very powerful figure, Tang Jingchuan. He was a writer in the Ming Dynasty and a famous anti-Japanese general. More importantly, he was also a famous anti-Japanese general and Qi Jiguang’s teacher. Tang Jingchuan built his own house at Qianguoxiang Wharf as early as the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. Because he planted eight sweet-scented osmanthus trees in the courtyard, the house was later called "Eight Osmanthus Hall".

Celebrities who came out of the small Qingguo Lane and Bagui Hall include Liu Shiyong, the famous anti-Yuan general, Li Boyuan, the condemned novelist in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties, Qian Weicheng, the number one scholar and calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty, and Westernizer in the late Qing Dynasty. Sheng Xuanhuai, the pioneer of the movement, Wu Ying, the founder of the Palace Museum, linguist Zhao Yuanren, Zhou Youguang, the father of Chinese Pinyin, and modern celebrities include Zhang Tailei, Liu Guojun, and Qu Qiubai, who twice served as the top leader of the Communist Party of China. Qingguo Lane is truly the "No. 1 Lane in Jiangnan".

Many of the buildings in Qingguo Lane are old houses left over from the late period or the Republic of China. It was already dilapidated. Therefore, the Changzhou Municipal Government renovated and upgraded Qingguo Lane and made a good choice in terms of protection and renovation. The new Qingguo Lane incorporates many modern elements. Now the first phase of the scenic spot has been opened, and there is an endless stream of tourists during holidays. Many Changzhou citizens, as well as tourists from nearby cities, come here because of the famous Mu Qingguo Lane and want to see what Qingguo Lane will look like after the renovation. The scenic spots are completely free. Under the current background of high ticket prices in many scenic spots, the ticket-free policy reflects the determination and courage to inherit and carry forward Changzhou culture and civilization. Because the free ticket policy can attract more tourists from all over the country, it will also allow more people to understand the culture and civilization of Changzhou.

What impressed me the most was eating Changzhou local cuisine?