Riding the wind of rebirth

Standing on the battlements above the city gate and looking south, the entire fortified city comes into view and becomes even clearer.

Opposite the city gate was a straight avenue that stretched over a kilometer to the upturned eaves of the Bell and Drum Tower. Below the tower, the road formed a cross, extending in all directions to create the city's main thoroughfare. Numerous quiet alleyways branched off from the main avenue, between which stood rows of blue-tiled roofs and white walls.
Apart from the fact that the cobblestone pavement of the central cross street has been replaced with cement pavement, the pavement in the alleys still retains the layout of stone slabs and cobblestones. The entire old town has basically preserved its appearance from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China period, and time seems to have stood still here.

Only the pedestrians walking on the street, the passing tricycles, bicycles, and some cars, as well as the newly installed streetlights and water pipes after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the goods and signs of the shops on both sides, indicate that time is about to cross into the new millennium.

"You really know how to pick a spot!" Xu Anxin was getting carried away again on the streets of this old city, which covered more than ten square kilometers. He habitually reached out and hooked his arm around Zhou Zhi's neck, pulling him to his side. "I never knew there were such ancient cities in China. It's really an eye-opener."

"Actually, there are many other ancient cities in China, such as Langzhong Ancient City and Wuzhen," Zhou Zhi said. "But you should visit these ancient cities while you can, as they still retain their original charm. If you wait another ten years..."

"What will happen in ten years?" Li Laosan frowned slightly. "After the huge success of the Yu Tang Foundation's documentaries, the concept of cultural heritage should be deeply ingrained in people's minds now, right? Shouldn't places like this be protected?"

"Yes, but even if it is protected, it is unrealistic to maintain such a large city entirely with government funding, or to relocate all the residents for protection. Therefore, commercial development must also keep up, otherwise where will the funds for maintenance come from?"

"Only when the residents of the city can become rich by relying on the ancient city and have economic benefits will everyone consciously maintain the existence of the ancient city. This inevitably requires commercial renovation to attract tourists and encourage them to spend money."

"So even if these places are protected in the future, they will become very commercialized and lose the charm of the ancient city."

"Then how can we preserve the charm of the ancient city while also making a fortune by attracting tourists?" Li Laosan asked.

“I can’t think of any solution.” Zhou Zhi shook his head: “This is an inherent contradiction. We can only choose one or the other, or emphasize one at different stages. We absolutely cannot have both.”

After saying that, he smiled again and raised his camera: "I think this is the only way to capture the old city in its current state through the lens. It's just a pity we came too late. It would have been even better if we could have photographed the cobblestone streets before the main streets were paved with cement. Everyone, strike a few poses later. Maybe in twenty years, your images will be indispensable in the visual records of the old city of Huili!"

After passing the small square, everyone walked onto the straight avenue leading to the Bell and Drum Tower.

"Actually, we can't blame the modern atmosphere for invading the ancient city. Look at the bell and drum tower across the street, isn't it antique enough? In fact, this kind of building, built on a city platform that is open on all four sides in a cross street, is not found in the ancient architectural styles. At least, it is not found in the ancient city and palace construction styles recorded in the Song Dynasty's 'Yingzao Fashi'."

"This construction method can only be a style that appeared after the Qing Dynasty. In the past, the bell and drum towers were either built on the east and west sides of the city, or the east and west gate towers were used as bell and drum towers. This central arched design actually only appeared after the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties."

“Chinese classical architecture has always emphasized feng shui. Before the Qing Dynasty, there was no bell and drum tower. To make up for the ‘empty central axis’ in traditional architectural culture, such a luxurious building was specially built on the cross street in the center of the city, forming a four-sided symmetrical pattern with the bell and drum tower as the center,” Zhou Zhi said. “So the ancients were actually constantly absorbing and creating new ideas and methods. When this building was first completed, in the eyes of the classical defenders, it probably felt like the modern commercial atmosphere we see on the street now, that it was ‘not ancient’.” This road is actually not very long. Everyone walked and stopped, taking pictures and sightseeing. Unlike the many tourists who come to check in everywhere in later generations, ancient cities like Huili rarely have outside tourists who come here specifically to visit. Therefore, the behavior of Zhou Zhi and his group made the local residents curious. They didn’t know why the familiar sights of the ancient city made these people so happy. The mottled brick walls and the stone benches eroded by wind and rain could make them pose and take pictures for a while.

Soon, the group arrived at the foot of the Bell and Drum Tower.

The building is more accurately called "Lingxiao Tower" because at that time, most buildings in Huili City were only as high as their foundations. Therefore, the towering three-story building on the foundation became the highest point in the city. Although it was only about thirty meters high, it was worthy of the name "Lingxiao" in that era.

This reminded Zhou Zhi of something funny. There was a saying in Jiachuan back then: "Manzhou has a bell and drum tower, half of which stands in the sky." But when Zhou Zhi actually went to Manzhou and saw it, he found it to be nothing special, not even as tall as the white pagoda in Baimi Township.

It was mainly due to the contrast with the generally low-rise buildings in the city at that time.

At the intersection of the crossroads, a large platform shaped like a flat-topped pyramid was built. The platform was paved with bricks and stones, and there were arched openings on all four sides to allow the crossroads to pass through from the bottom. There were steps on both sides of the arched openings, so that people could walk up to the platform.

Above each of the four arched openings is a stone-carved horizontal plaque, which reads "Xingren" and "Chongyi" to the north and south respectively, and "Wenzhi" and "Wu'an" to the east and west respectively.

In the eyes of an expert like Zhou Zhi, it is clearly the work of an ancient person with a precise and rigorous style.

The building above is a reconstruction, about fifteen meters high, shaped like mandarin ducks, with painted beams and carved pillars, and shimmering with light. The plaques on the east, south, west, and north sides read "Auspicious Purple Qi Comes from the East", "Venus Shines in the West", "Colorful Light Shines in the Southern Sky", and "Light Divides the North Pole".

Zhou Zhi suspects that the inscription on the plaque is the earliest inscription on Lingxiao Tower, but it was written by a local calligrapher in modern times. In terms of calligraphic skill, it is somewhat weaker than the eight characters "仁义文武" on the scroll.

There is a newly erected stone tablet on the side of Beijuan Cave. After reading it with these questions in mind, Zhou Zhi realized that his guess was correct and the mystery was solved.

According to the inscription on the stone tablet, Lingxiao Tower was first built in the twelfth year of the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, mainly by Luo Yuanzhu, the then prefect of Huili. It had two floors. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, Lingxiao Tower underwent two more renovations and repairs.

In the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign, Lingxiao Tower was destroyed by fire during wartime, but the archway still remains.

"In the tenth year of the Xianfeng Emperor's reign, the Anglo-French allied forces actually reached this place?" Li Yijia wondered. "That can't be right, can it? The French army came from central Yunnan." (End of Chapter)