At the beginning, Shaxi originated from a photo album. At that time, it was attracted by the merchants and towns on the ancient tea-horse road. Stores with imprints and mottled colors; folk houses are all telling the sound of horseshoes on the ancient tea-horse road, and all are recording the prosperity of the once-downtown market.
In the late summer and early autumn of 2020, the kitten and I drove 40 into Shaxi again. In fact, this trip to Shaxi was also a temporary one. Originally, the destination from Dali was Balagezong in Shangri-La. When I arrived in Jianchuan, I realized that it was only a few dozen kilometers away from Shaxi, so I turned left on National Highway 214. Drive on the 084 county road to the ancient Shaxi that you want to miss, and go to the ancient tea-horse road. Time flies like a shuttle.
After driving 12.9 kilometers along the winding mountain road, the loess wall beside the road is full of images of caravan merchants consigning goods in the old days. This is Shaxi. It happened to be the Shaxi market day when I went there, and I took Mei Kitten to walk around the market along Shaxi New Town while it was still early, and I also experienced the daily life of the local residents in Shaxi by the way.
Leaving Xinjie, I found my way to Sideng Street and stopped for a long time. As far as the eye can see is the imprint of the gradual commercialization of the best-preserved market on the Millennium Ancient Tea-Horse Road. Walking slowly along the ancient stone road towards Dongzhai Gate, some old houses on both sides have opened to sell fashion goods or Shops for so-called tourist products from wholesale.
I walked into Beiguzong Lane and wanted to see the former five-star horse shop in Ouyang Courtyard; take a look at this five-star horse shop that integrates Bai painting, wood carving and architectural skills. Perseverance, let's go to the iron general to guard the goal. I had to take a picture of him now. Standing at the door, I seem to see the hustle and bustle of merchants and caravans, and I seem to hear the bold and unrestrained yelling of Maguotou, and the ticking of horseshoes and the tinkling copper bell seem to echo over the ancient town.
Walking out of Beiguzong Lane, I came to Sifang Street in the ancient town to see the ancient stage built in the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty after 400 years of vicissitudes. Standing under the 300-year-old locust tree at the street entrance, I felt as if Going back to the past years, watching the scenes on the ancient stage with those caravans, merchants, and villagers, I seem to be having a time-space dialogue with the ancient stage, the vicissitudes of life. Listen to him tell about the rise and fall of the Ancient Tea Horse Road.
At noon, I said to Mei Xiaomao that we should leave. The simplicity of Shaxi only exists between Sifang Street and Sideng Street. The old people don't want this quiet and indifferent life to be destroyed by development and tourism development. What they want is memory and inheritance; what they want is that the street market of the Ancient Tea Horse Road is as simple, pure and indifferent as before.
I hope that Shaxi, which has already started commercial development, will not be gradually submerged in the atmosphere of commercialization like Lijiang ten years ago. I hope that the simple and indifferent streets such as Sifang Street and Sideng Street will still be ringing. The brass bells thump, and the rough and unrestrained yelling of the horse pot head accompanied by the crisp horseshoe ticking in the years of Qingshi in the ancient town.