In Hangzhou, a modern mega-city with towering buildings and bustling streets, there are still many old streets and alleys with white walls, black tiles, wooden windows, attic rooms, courtyards, and wells. No matter how the city develops and changes, these old streets and alleys remain the most basic and vibrant existence of the city. However, there are always many street names that are difficult to understand at first glance, such as Huoyaoju (literally Gunpowder Bureau), Cufang Alley (literally Vinegar Workshop Alley), and Limahuitou (literally Turning Around Immediately)…especially Zhidafangbo. Perhaps many people still don't understand whether it is a person, an alley, or a street.
In their spare time, people can walk through several lively old streets and alleys and pass by several old streets with the works of famous engravers to reach Zhidafangbo, a street with a strong sense of history.
Zhidafangbo runs south towards Jiefang Road and north to Qingchun Street. Sandwiched between these two bustling thoroughfares, it has always been unremarkable and unknown, even to many old residents of Hangzhou, who don’t know its name, let alone its past.
Zhidafangbo has a long history and was originally named Zhongban Street, which was inhabited by the Southern Song royal clan. During the reign of Emperor Renzong in the Ming Dynasty, a high ranking official Ying Chaoyu moved here because he refused to bow down to Wei Zhongxian, and he built a large mansion in the lane. Because his official position was also known as Fangbo, the lane was then called Dafangbo Lane. The mansion spanned the two horizontal and straight lanes, so these two lanes are called Hengdafangbo (literally Horizontal Dafangbo) and Zhidafangbo (literally Straight Dafangbo).
Zhidafangbo has witnessed the extravagance of the imperial relatives and nobles, listened to the sound of reading at the Yangzheng Book House, and watched the historical changes of the Guangji Hospital... It has a broad vision, but says nothing, like the quiet flow of the Donghe River, passing through the years calmly.
Walk along Zhidafangbo and turn right, and one can see a typical Jiangnan-style courtyard - the former residence of Qian Xuesen, located at No. 2 Fangguyuan, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou.
This residence was brought to Qian's family as a dowry of Qian Xuesen's mother. Qian Xuesen spent his early childhood here and later entered Shanghai Jiaotong University, where he would return to reunite with his family every summer and winter vacation. This old house witnessed Qian Xuesen's growth and recorded his attachment to his homeland and his sincere patriotism.
Today, this century-old old mansion has been given a new mission by the times. As the only traditional residence in China that has been renovated to commemorate Qian Xuesen, it uses new media display methods that combine technology and culture to vividly depict Qian Xuesen's life of dedication to his country and his remarkable achievements, and thus glows with new vitality.
History is in a hurry, with no time to caress the wrinkles of a small street. Listen carefully to the slow heartbeat of Zhidafangbo, and count its glory and vicissitudes over the years.