A New Look for Nanchang Street

Nanchang Street is located in Wuxi City, East China's Jiangsu Province. It's a core scenic¹ spot of the city, featuring the Qing Ming Bridge Historic and Cultural Street District. Now our reporter shows you a different taste of it, combining ancient architecture with modern touches. Wang Jing has more.

 Standing beside the ancient Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Nanchang Street is unique and quiet. Free from heavy traffic and skyscrapers², it boasts the typical architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which date back hundreds of years. Two and three storied wooden houses with pink walls and black tiles stand along the zigzagged³ blue stone street. Here, you can also see the threshold of the house at old times, the groove⁴ on the door for locking, as well as the creaking floor when you walk on it. However, it is in these old traditional houses that all kinds of innovative⁵ architectural designs are waiting for you.

At the entrance to this street, what first catches your attention is the Somi ice cream shop. Various ice creams await the guests, each with their own flavors.

Next to Somi, another shop decorates its outer wall with green leaves. A big tent umbrella and several chairs are laid in front of the door, tempting⁶ passers-by to stop and take a rest. Across the door, you can see a small blackboard, with orderly arranged postcards and mugs. This is the Indus Cheese House.

Westen shop "Bluz" sells simple meals during the day, but transforms into a bar at night. It seems unusual when drinking wine and bathing in the blues⁷ of the ancient Chinese buildings. Shop owner Xiao Zhu says the antique beauty of Nanchang Street is what attracted him to open the shop here.

"A combination between Chinese and western culture may give you a surprise if you run a genuine western food shop on a traditional Chinese street."

Walk along Nanchang Street, you may also see bookstores with cartoon characters on their walls, British natural soap as well as branname clothing stores. Even Starbucks is going to open a flagship store here. In a word, Nanchang Street is becoming more and more appealing to young people.

"Compared to the highrises in downtown area, I prefer to walking among the small wooden houses here."

"This street smacks⁸ of antiquity⁹. You can have a lot of fun here and you find yourself in an entirely¹⁰ new world here."
The senior ones also have fun in this colorful street. Ms Tan and Mr Lu used to live in this street. However, they moved out because of the reconstruction¹¹ of the street years ago.

"This street reminds us of our childhood. Now we grow old, but we are glad that we can still enjoy this old street."

"We always take our friends here no matter where they come from."

It is said that Nanchang Street used to have many traditional Chinese shops like rice shops, bookstores, barbershops, tea houses and theaters. Now, a lot of modern and western style fresh elements have joined the street. In regards to the mix-up of styles, Ye Guojian, who is in charge of investment operation of "Wuxi Qing Ming Bridge Historic and Cultural Street District" project, says this is just what his team expected.

"We thought about many different programs before, including whether we should make it into a tourist spot, or a resort. But later, we thought that street is the heartland of Wuxi. We hope its residents can enjoy a modern life here. Therefore, we rebuilt it with modern elements, but we keep its old style as well. "
 
Ye says this is just one part of the reconstruction project of Nanchang Street, which began to receive visitors in May. Now they have started the second part, which will focus on "art and culture".

"Though the two parts are on the same street, for the second part, we will pay more attention to its long history and rich culture, as well as its relation with art."

Ye Guojian tells us that cultural heritage items such as jade¹² sculptures and Wuxi embroidery¹³ will be brought to the second part of Nanchang Street. At the same time, some old studios that produce crafts such as cane¹⁴ products or tiger ovens may also come to the street. Folklore¹⁵ exhibitions about wedding celebrations will become parts of the streets' scenery. In addition to all of these, a small opera house is going to be built, playing the pioneer opera. To receive backpackers from all over the world, a hostel¹⁶ with 60 rooms will also be available on the street.

For CRI, this is Wang Jing.

1 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

2 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。

3 zigzagged   

adj.呈之字形移动的v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The office buildings were slightly zigzagged to fit available ground space. 办公大楼为了配合可用的地皮建造得略呈之字形。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The lightning zigzagged through the church yard. 闪电呈之字形划过教堂的院子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 groove   

n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯

参考例句：

• They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
• The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

5 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

6 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

7 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

8 smacks   

掌掴（声）( smack的名词复数 )； 海洛因； （打的）一拳； 打巴掌

参考例句：

• His politeness smacks of condescension. 他的客气带有屈尊俯就的意味。
• It was a fishing town, and the sea was dotted with smacks. 这是个渔业城镇，海面上可看到渔帆点点。

9 antiquity   

n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹

参考例句：

• The museum contains the remains of Chinese antiquity.博物馆藏有中国古代的遗物。
• There are many legends about the heroes of antiquity.有许多关于古代英雄的传说。

10 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

11 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

12 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

13 embroidery   

n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品

参考例句：

• This exquisite embroidery won people's great admiration.这件精美的绣品，使人惊叹不已。
• This is Jane's first attempt at embroidery.这是简第一次试着绣花。

14 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

15 folklore   

n.民间信仰，民间传说，民俗

参考例句：

• Zhuge Liang is a synonym for wisdom in folklore.诸葛亮在民间传说中成了智慧的代名词。
• In Chinese folklore the bat is an emblem of good fortune.在中国的民间传说中蝙蝠是好运的象征。

16 hostel   

n.（学生）宿舍，招待所

参考例句：

• I lived in a hostel while I was a student.我求学期间住在青年招待所里。
• He says he's staying at a Youth Hostel.他说他现住在一家青年招待所。