LadiesandGentlemen:
TodaywearegoingtovisitZhongyangStreet.Thisisthedowntownarea.Inordertobetterknowthestreet,wearegoingtowalkthroughit,whichtakesabout40minutes.Thosewhodonotlikewalkingmaykeepseated,ourcoachwillgoalonganotherstreetandstopattheFloodControlMonument.ThosewhocannotwalkthatfarmaytakeataxitotheFloodControlMonument.Nowlet6’sgetoffthecoach,andtakeawalkonZhongyangStreet.
ZhongyangStreetmeasures1450metersfromJingweiStreetinthesouthtotheFloodControlMonumentontheriverbankinthenorth.ThisisChina’slongestwalkway.Thestreetwasbuiltattheendofthelastcentury.ItwasconnectedtoawharfattheSonghuaRiver.BecauseoftheconstanttransportofthegoodsneededforbuildingtheChinaEasternRailway,ashoppingcenterbegantotakeshapealongthitreetattheturnofthecentury.Harbinatthattimewasasemi-colonialcitywithaforeignpopulationofmanythousands.politicsandeconomywereactuallycontrolledbyforeignpowers.OwingtotheconcentrationofChineseshopsalongthitreet,foreignerstookitasaChinatownandcalleditChinaStreet.
Haveyounoticedthecobbledroadsurface?ThisistheonlycobbledstreetleftinHarbin.Thiscobbledstreetwaspavedin1925.Thankstothegoodquality,thestreethaskeptingoodshapewithafewrepairsinthepast.Thitreetbegantotakeshapeasaninternationalstreetinthe1920s.Therewereoverahundredshopsandmanywereownedbyforergners,suchasRuians,Greeks,Czechs,Swedes,Swi,Frenchmen,GermansandEnglishmen.Theybuilttheirshopsintheirindividualstyles.Therefore,thestreetnotonlylookedlikeaforeignstreet,butalsowascontrolledbyforeigners.Nowthimoothcobbledstreetmayremindusofthepastwhenforeignersweresittinginchariotsalongthestreet,asifwecouldstillhearthehorse-hoofsclickingoncobbles.
Overhalfacenturyispast,ZhongyangStreetisweather-beaten.Withtheimplementationofreformandopening-up,itisreadytowelcomevisitorswithanewoutlook.
Thebuildinginfrontofusisveryattractive.ItomeandarchedwindowsaretypicaloftheByzantineStylepopularinEuropeduringtheMiddleAges.Itwasbuiltin1934anditwasashoeshopownedbyaCzech.Afterliberation,itbecameaspecialtyshop-WomenandChildren’sDepartmentStore.ItisthebiggestspecialtyshopalongZhongyangStreet.Thereareagoodvarietyofcommodities.Nowsomeworldfamoupecialtychainshavealsosetupbranchesdownhere,suchasCrocodile,Boiniandsoon.YoucanseesomegentlemenalsowanderingintheWomenandChildren’sDepartmentStore.Atsuchagoodshoppingplace,theywillnotwalkoutempty-handed.
OppositetheWomenandChildren’sDepartmentStoreistheCentralShoppingCityopenedinNovember1994.OnitsoriginalsitetherewerefivesmallstoresrunbyRuians,whichwerebuiltin1932.Afterliberation,theywereturnedintoonedepartmentstore.In1994,theoldbuildingwastorndown,andthiscomprehensivedepartmentstorewasbuilt.ThearchitectureisacombinationofaEuropeancastlewithmodernarchitecture.IthasbecomeanewscenicspotonZhongyangStreet.
Atwegoalongtheroad,weareabletoseetheCentralpharmacy.Itwasabungalowbefore.In1912,GermanSidemen’sopenedashopheretosellelectricalequipmentandmaterials.Afterliberation,itwasreconstructed.Nowyoucanfindnotonlymedicinehere,butalsotheGoldlionshop,asuper-marketandaKentuckyFriedChickenRestaurant.
ThihoppingCenterwasopenedin1995.ItsoriginalsitewasashopmanagedbyaSwede.Itdealtinchina,porcelainandenamelware.Afterliberation,itbecameafood-store.ThebuildingyouseenowwasdesignedbyafamousarchitectinHeilongjiang.Itisamasterpieceofadoptingreliefsculpturesinmodernconstruction.ThisbuildingisanattractivesiteinZhongyangStreet.
ThenostinterestingbuildingalongZhongyangStreetistheModernHotel.Itwasconstructedin1913.Itisofanattractiveoutlookandmagnificentlydecorated.IthasatypicalBaroquestyleoftheNeo-artisticperiod.Atfirst,itwasinvestedandmanagedbyaJewishFrenchman.TheoriginofitsChinesenameoncearousedtheinterestofmanypeople.Therewasacolumninnewspaperfordebatingitsorigin.SomehelditsChinesenamecamefromtheword“mother”,somesaiditcamefrom“modern”.However,modernseemedtooverwhelmmotherasyoucanseethehotelnowusedtheModernHotelasitsEnglishname.
ModernHotelhasallthefacilitiesofamodernhotelincludingwell-decoratedsuites,diningroomsandmediumandsmall-sizedmeetingroomsinEuropeanpalatialstyles.Thereisalegendaryoilpaintinghangingonawallonthelandingofthefirstfloor.ItwaspaintedafamousRuianpainter.Hewasinspiredby“DivineComedy”composedbyDante.Itshowsaprettygirlsavedbyangelsfromconfinementbyinsectsanddemons;thegirlwhoenduredtorturesinhellwasabouttorisetoheaven.ThispicturewaspaintedredduringtheCulturalRevolution.AftertheCulturalRevolution,theoriginalpaintingwasrestored.Nowweareabletoappreciateitsartisticcharm.
Inthepastfewdecades,modernHotelhascateredtomanyfamouspeople,suchaswellknownChinesewritersGuoMoruoandDingLing,andarenownedpainter,XuBerhong.ThosewhohavestayedherealsoincludedistinguishedAmericancelebritieuchasAnnaLouiseStrong,EdgarSnowYue-SaiKan.Moviestudioshaveshotmovieshere.“HarbinintheDarkNight”,“LondonInspiration”,“TheOrientExpretoMoscow”haveleftpeoplelastingmemories.
OppositetheModernHotel,thereisHuameiRestaurant.ItwasMalseRestaurantservingwesternfood.Afterliberation,itwasrebuiltseveraltimesandtwomorestorieshavebeenadded.However,itsoriginalEuropeanStylehadbeenkept.Itwasreportedin1973thattherewere260WesternrestaurantsinHarbin,withover100concentratedalongZhongyangStreet.HuameiRestaurantwasoneofthebestknown.Nowitservesmanyspecialties,suchasRuiandishes,pottedcattletail,Frencheggandfriedprawns.ItiaidaRuiancelebritywhousedtoserveinthearmyoncevisitedHuamei.Afterdinner,hecouldnothelppraisingfoodservedinHuamei.HedeclaredtheRuiandishesheresurpaedthoseinRuia.HewouldsendchefsfromRuiatoHuameitolearntocookwhenhegotbackhome.NowthatyouknowHuamei,yourknowledgeofZhongyangStreetwillnotbecompleteifyouhavenottriedthefoodhere.
Furtherinthefront,wecanseetheEducationBookstore.Itwasconstructedin1909.ItisaBaroqueconstruction,extravagantandnovel,withboldlinesandstrongcontrast.Overtheentrance,therearetwostaturs.TheyareTitansinGreekfairytales.ThemaleisAtlasandthefemaleisGalliached.Itiaidtheyholduptheskywithheadsandshoulders.Educationrelatestothefutureofacountry.MaytheseTitansholdupthebuildingofeducation,andaccompanyustoaprosperoustomorrow.
OppositetotheEducationBookstore,thebuildingintheNeo-artisticstyleisQiulinDepartmentStore.Itischaracterizedbysimplestructure,flexiblelayout,freestyle,andcurveddecoration.Qiulinwasconstructedin1903.Inthepastfewdecades,ithastransformedfromacolonialcompany.IthaswitneedgreatchangesinZhongyangStreet.
ManypeoplesayZhongyangStreetisastreetofarchitectureasover70buildingsappearindifferentstyles.SomestateitisasmallparisintheOrient;someaertitisaMoscowintheOrient;somedeclareitisasymphony.Whenyousteponthiscobbledstreet,itisasifyoucouldhearaprelude.Asyougofurtheralongthestreet,youcanseetheWomenandChildren’sDepartmentStore,andtheFloodControlMonumentattheriverside,asiftheirvariedstructuresweredifferentchaptersconstitutingaharmonioustune.ThiymphonyaccompaniesthepeopleinHarbinastheysufferedbeforeliberation,wanderedthroughtheCulturalRevolution,andusheredinthereformandopeningup,andencouragesthemtofaceuptothemagnificent21stcentury.
Iwouldliketocallthitreetaninternationalshoppingmall.Therearestateownedstoresandoutletsofforeignproducts.Therearebanksandpost-offices.Therearehotelsandrestaurants.ThereareJewelers’andphotographers’.peopleareabletostroll,shopandenjoydelicaciesalongthestreet.Atnightover200shopswillberadiatingwithcolorfulneonlights.Thiscentury-oldstreetwillradiateitsvigorandbecomemoreattractive.
LadiesandGentlemen,ifwegofurtherforward,weareabletoreachtheFloodControlMonument.NowIwillgiveyousomefreetimeforshoppingandphotography.WewillmeetattheFloodControlMonumentintwentyminutes.
