Exploring Huimin Road: The Medical Benefit to the People and Its Cultural Heritage

Huimin Road, stretching from the southern section of Zhonghe Middle Road in the east to the southern section of Yanan Road in the west, is a 510-meter long and 6-meter wide asphalt road. It is not just a street, but also a flowing history, a poem full of vicissitudes and changes.

The name of Huimin Road has changed many times throughout history, with 12 different names from "Shinan Fang" before the Song Dynasty, to "Jinzi Alley" during the Song Dynasty, to "Huimin Alley" during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, "Donggongxie," "Huaguangxiang Hexia," "Xingongqian," "Huimin Road" during the Republic of China, briefly changed to "Weimin Road," and finally restored to "Huimin Road." Although it is only one mile long, it is named after "medical benefits to the people" in the history of Hangzhou. Its relationship with medical benefits to the people is said to have started during Su Dongpo's tenure as a local official in Hangzhou.

Su Dongpo was furious when he saw this and immediately set up a "hospital" in the city to provide free "medicine" to the people infected with the epidemic. This "hospital" was the starting point of Huimin Road and laid the historical heritage of "medical benefits to the people" for Huimin Road.

Later, Su Dongpo found that many patients had come from far away and it was very inconvenient. With the help of the high monk Canliao, he obtained a donation from the wealthy Jin Baiwan, and then ordered the rental of houses near the Zhongan Bridge and the Qiantang River to make it easier for people to see a doctor and get medicine nearby. Thousands of people were saved.

Afterwards, the name of this alley was finally set as "Huimin Road" in memory of Su Dongpo's good deeds for the people. Today, walking on Huimin Road, we can almost hear the echoes of history. The medical practitioners who once dedicated themselves to treating patients, and the people who once walked on this road...Their figures and stories seem to be right in front of us.

This road is not only a witness to history but also a cultural intersection. The ancient architecture, unique street scenes, and rich commercial activities have added a strong cultural atmosphere here.