Live Your Best Lives
Do you know where the "least Zhejiang" place in Zhejiang is?
Some people label it "Zhejiang's Little Sichuan" because people here love spicy food, and they often get questioned at the dinner table: "Hey? Don't you Zhejiang people like spicy food?"
It is located at the junction of Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces. The Hui-style architecture is its eyes and eyebrows, the vicissitudes of the ancient road once walked by immigrants from Fujian is its backbone, and the Jiangxi people's habit of loving spicy food is the freedom in its nature.
Speaking of freedom, it is also Zhou Xun’s hometown. The saying “the land and water nurture the people” is absolutely correct. Zhou Xun’s agility, unrestrainedness, freedom and lack of limits are also the epitome of it. It is Quzhou.
△Promotional photos of the TV series "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace"
Below Quzhou, there is a small town that is even more "unconventional", and it is also our protagonist today - Jiangshan.
In terms of economy, it is not as good as other sister cities in Zhejiang, but it is the first county in the country to start the high-speed rail from Beijing, and it is also the starting station of many high-speed rails. It is home to the most unique peak of China's Danxia and the country's largest line of sky - Jianglang Mountain. It is the first scenic spot in Zhejiang to be included in the World Natural Heritage List.
Today we are going to explore this treasure town - Jiangshan.
Jianglang Mountain is famous for its majestic and unique "Three Stones". It has the most unique peak in China's Danxia, the largest "One Line Sky" in the country, the thousand-year-old Kaiming Zen Temple, and more than one hundred other scenic spots.
The Three-Pian Stone is tall and majestic, and it can present different shapes at different angles, either like a cactus or in the shape of a "川" character.
Erbadu straddles three provinces and is hidden in the mountains, unknown to the public. It is known as "a dream lost in the mountains". The ancient town's architectural styles combine the Anhui-style horse-head walls, Zhejiang-style roof ridges, Gan-style eaves and Fujian-style brick walls.
It is unique. This small immigrant world composed of retired soldiers from the ancient north and merchants from all over the country has been nurtured into a beautiful "hybrid" due to the collision and integration of cultures from all over the world. There is also a training base for Dai Li to cultivate female agents in the ancient town. 1,100 years ago, Huang Chao opened up a thousand-year-old Xianxia Ancient Road here. Due to its special terrain and easy defense and difficult attack, it has also become an important military fortress.
Although it is no longer prosperous, it still retains the original appearance of the ancient town. Various buildings such as Fengxi, Zhubo Bridge, Agricultural Expo Hall, Beibao Gate, Military Officer's Office, Bingshu Foreign Goods, and wooden carved gatehouse make people dream back to the past.
Hemu Courtyard is a homestay located in the Hemu Painted Pottery Cultural Village in Jiangshan. Because it is full of charm and looks like a paradise, the locals regard it as a business card of Jiangshan. When friends come to Jiangshan, they will bring them to Hemu Courtyard for a visit.
Here, hiding from reality and time, we secretly travel back to the suburbs of the Song Dynasty to drink tea and arrange flowers.
There is a wide river in front of the Hemu Courtyard. In spring, the large clusters of light yellow rape flowers in the river are very eye-catching and steal the limelight. Even in the rainy season every year, they will be submerged by the river water when the rain comes, but in April of the following year, they will be full of energy and return to the appointment with spring.
A bridge was carefully built over the river, just big enough for two people to pass. Cars were not allowed to pass through, and the noise of dripping and beeping water was blocked on the other side of the river. On this side of the river, a huge waterwheel stood with a sense of ritual, and the healing sound of the flowing water told the visitors: We have arrived.
■The cabin on the tree
I'm not kidding. The first sight of the Harmony Courtyard will make you "shocked". It's not because of its appearance, but because there is a tree house hidden in the big tung tree with lush branches and leaves in the yard!
This is simply the secret base I dreamed of as a child!
During the summer vacation, I would climb up in no time, holding an ice watermelon and a telescope. The tree house was full of treasures, such as tin frogs, glass marbles, and colorfully painted stones. I would stay in the tree for the entire afternoon and not climb down until grandma called me for dinner... I had rehearsed such scenes many times in my dreams when I was a child. This Chinese toon tree could grow into people's hearts.
Every corner of the bluestone path is dotted with a lamp. When the lights first come on, the entire courtyard is illuminated with warmth. Late at night, the lights in the courtyard make you feel like you're home. Later, the owner of the B&B told me that all the lights in the B&B were carefully arranged by an excellent lighting designer. Then I understood.
■Ancient houses of immigrants
The owner of the B&B has lived in a mansion from the Ming and Qing dynasties since he was a child and has a deep attachment to traditional ancient buildings. The B&B has 4 houses, none of which are native to Jiangshan, but "immigrated" from Wuyuan, Shangrao and other places. The oldest one is a building from the Ming Dynasty. It is said that the owner of the B&B sold 8 houses at that time before bringing them back to Jiangshan.
Once, the owner of a B&B went to Fuli Village in Quzhou to collect folk songs and saw an ancient building facing demolition. This was one of the four ancient buildings left to his son by a wealthy family in the Qing Dynasty. The owner liked it very much and felt it would be a pity to demolish it, so he discussed with the original owner whether he could buy it.
After receiving the news that the original owner was willing to sell, the B&B owner excitedly invited a professional team to mark each component of the house, draw blueprints, take photos, and carefully dismantle it bit by bit. After transporting it back to the Hemu Courtyard, it was installed bit by bit. It took two years to complete. This is the current "Fuli Ju".
In addition to Fuliju, the other three houses also have their own stories. In addition to the charm left by time, the ancient houses are also worth savoring for their stories.
■New vitality for ancient buildings
The lobby of Hemu Courtyard is located in an ancient building called "Shanqing Hall". The name is taken from "A family that accumulates good will surely have good fortune". It serves as the facade of Hemu Courtyard.
As you enter the door, there is a hollow wooden partition several people high, which makes you feel that there is a big world inside. On the desk in front of the partition is a huge birdcage. As the seasons change, flowers are arranged in it using local materials. This flower arrangement is not just an embellishment, it can often light up the vitality of the entire space. It is so magical.
Shanqing Hall's furnishings are mostly made of bright and warm oak, which forms a visual contrast with the thick and steady camphorwood pillars. The front desk of the B&B is also a small bar, serving craft beer and various fruit wines brewed by the B&B owner himself. Whether you want to be three-quarters drunk or seven-quarters drunk, it is not a problem.
The sunken rest area behind the partition can be used for drinking and chatting, as well as for projecting, leaving enough space for friends to gather together.
When the weather is fine, you can sit cross-legged on the tatami by the floor-to-ceiling window, drink tea, bask in the sun, and eat snacks made by the B&B owner. The sunlight makes the Jin Jun Mei in the cup crystal clear. If it weren't for the wind blowing the wind chimes, you would really be in a trance and forget what year it is.
The rooms in the B&B follow the design principle of just enough, which can ensure high-quality living without too much complicated decoration, retaining the extended artistic conception and blank space.
The flower arrangements in each room are designed by the B&B owner, who will change the style whenever he or she gets new inspiration.
■The poetry of life
The owner of the B&B is an art major and a fan of Song Dynasty culture. The four arts of Song Dynasty people: burning incense, hanging paintings, making tea, and arranging flowers, all of these elegant literary activities that we have read about in books, have been brought to life here.
The owner of the B&B, like a magician, used simple and clever methods to arrange the wild flowers picked at the door, either on a plate or in a birdcage.
Each method can preserve the original beauty of branches and flowers to the greatest extent. Not only that, the flowers may not have thought that they could have such a beautiful figure.
Even people who originally had no interest in flower arrangement would instantly become fans of the B&B owner. The B&B owner said, "Traditional flower arrangement requires flowers to be used as a medium, and requires careful composition and proportion. The direction of the flower branches should extend the artistic conception without leaving anything to be desired. On the contrary, there are no restrictions on the choice of flowers and vases." This really tests the aesthetics and ingenuity of the flower arranger!
In addition, the homestay also offers tea-making, pottery and other experiences, but I’m keeping it a secret and look forward to you exploring it on your own.
There is a new scene at every step in the Hemu Courtyard. It would be a waste if you don’t take a group of photos in Hanfu. Wearing wide-sleeved Confucian skirts and fluttering clothes, no matter what age you are, you should spare no effort to please yourself.
Wearing Hanfu and then experiencing pottery, tea making, flower arranging, and incense burning, this full sense of ritual will definitely bring a more interesting experience.
There are many stories in every corner of Hemu. The seemingly simple courtyard has its own cultural connotations and life aesthetics. If you appreciate it carefully, you will definitely find a lot of interesting things.
■Lovely appetite
The human desire for food is the most lovely and down-to-earth desire. When I arrived at the hometown of "Three Heads and One Palm", of course I couldn't help but satisfy my appetite. On the first day of staying in the Hemu Courtyard, I asked the owner of the B&B, "Where is the best restaurant in Jiangshan?" The owner answered without hesitation, "My home."
Later, the plate-licking behavior at every meal was enough to prove that this confidence was not groundless. What people most wanted to talk about in detail was the signature dish of Hemu Courtyard: Hemu Charcoal Pot White Goose.
△Photo source @周柚
White goose stewed in an earthenware pot is a traditional dish of Jiangshan, and the Hemu charcoal pot white goose is an improvement on it. The owner of the homestay added Chinese angelica, Codonopsis pilosula, wolfberry and other medicinal materials to the original recipe. The goose meat is first stir-fried with onions, ginger and other ingredients over high heat, and then put into the charcoal pot and continue to stew.
△Photo source @周柚
The traditional method is to heat the charcoal pot directly on the fire. However, Hemu Courtyard built a charcoal stove in the yard and placed the small pot of goose meat in the charcoal pot and simmered it for 2 hours. This can keep the goose meat fresh and tender and the soup will be thicker.
△Photo source @周柚
After more than two hours of stewing, the soup has become very thick. I put a piece of goose meat into my mouth. It is salty, fresh, and spicy, which is essential for Quzhou cuisine. It instantly wraps my whole mouth.
鹅肉酥软鲜嫩，入口即化，吃完鹅肉，来一碗白米饭，拌上汤汁，可以吃到舔盘！
△照片来源@周柚
衢州菜的C位“三头一掌”好吃到什么程度？
一句话，它颠覆了很多人对鸭头、兔头的看法，一口咬下，肉质酥烂，往嘴里一过，肉和骨头便能瞬间分离，伴随着浓郁的酱汁，吃起来，后劲立马上头，又辣又鲜，那叫一个爽。
“一座衢州城，半城烤饼香”，在衢州的大街小巷，总有一个烤饼摊位默默伫立在一角，刚出炉的烤饼，外皮松脆带着葱香，内里是满满的混着小葱的肉馅，松脆的外皮，结合肥而不腻的五花肉，肉葱香、干菜香四溢，吃完后，整个口腔都还在回味。
除此以外，还有很多美食等你探索，记得多带几个胃！
这就是可爱的江山，一个闲适、自由、让人快乐的小城。
杭州出发，坐高铁一个半小时就能到，我们终究离不开城市，但可以在这里暂避红尘，找个时间，去看看吧！
