LadiesandGentlemen:
TodaywearegoingtovisitZhongyangStreet.Thisisthedowntownarea.Inordertobetterknowthestreet,wearegoingtowalkthroughit,whichtakesabout40minutes.Thosewhodonotlikewalkingmaykeepseated,ourcoachwillgoalonganotherstreetandstopattheFloodControlMonument.ThosewhocannotwalkthatfarmaytakeataxitotheFloodControlMonument.Nowlet6’sgetoffthecoach,andtakeawalkonZhongyangStreet.
ZhongyangStreetmeasures1450metersfromJingweiStreetinthesouthtotheFloodControlMonumentontheriverbankinthenorth.ThisisChina’slongestwalkway.Thestreetwasbuiltattheendofthelastcentury.ItwasconnectedtoawharfattheSonghuaRiver.BecauseoftheconstanttransportofthegoodsneededforbuildingtheChinaEasternRailway,ashoppingcenterbegantotakeshapealongthisstreetattheturnofthecentury.Harbinatthattimewasasemi-colonialcitywithaforeignpopulationofmanythousands.Politicsandeconomywereactuallycontrolledbyforeignpowers.OwingtotheconcentrationofChineseshopsalongthisstreet,foreignerstookitasaChinatownandcalleditChinaStreet.
Haveyounoticedthecobbledroadsurface?ThisistheonlycobbledstreetleftinHarbin.Thiscobbledstreetwaspavedin1925.Thankstothegoodquality,thestreethaskeptingoodshapewithafewrepairsinthepast.Thisstreetbegantotakeshapeasaninternationalstreetinthe1920s.Therewereoverahundredshopsandmanywereownedbyforergners,suchasRussians,Greeks,Czechs,Swedes,Swiss,Frenchmen,GermansandEnglishmen.Theybuilttheirshopsintheirindividualstyles.Therefore,thestreetnotonlylookedlikeaforeignstreet,butalsowascontrolledbyforeigners.Nowthissmoothcobbledstreetmayremindusofthepastwhenforeignersweresittinginchariotsalongthestreet,asifwecouldstillhearthehorse-hoofsclickingoncobbles.
Overhalfacenturyispast,ZhongyangStreetisweather-beaten.Withtheimplementationofreformandopening-up,itisreadytowelcomevisitorswithanewoutlook.
Thebuildinginfrontofusisveryattractive.ItssomeandarchedwindowsaretypicaloftheByzantineStylepopularinEuropeduringtheMiddleAges.Itwasbuiltin1934anditwasashoeshopownedbyaCzech.Afterliberation,itbecameaspecialtyshop-WomenandChildren’sDepartmentStore.ItisthebiggestspecialtyshopalongZhongyangStreet.Thereareagoodvarietyofcommodities.Nowsomeworldfamousspecialtychainshavealsosetupbranchesdownhere,suchasCrocodile,Bossiniandsoon.YoucanseesomegentlemenalsowanderingintheWomenandChildren’sDepartmentStore.Atsuchagoodshoppingplace,theywillnotwalkoutempty-handed.
OppositetheWomenandChildren’sDepartmentStoreistheCentralShoppingCityopenedinNovember1994.OnitsoriginalsitetherewerefivesmallstoresrunbyRussians,whichwerebuiltin1932.Afterliberation,theywereturnedintoonedepartmentstore.In1994,theoldbuildingwastorndown,andthiscomprehensivedepartmentstorewasbuilt.ThearchitectureisacombinationofaEuropeancastlewithmodernarchitecture.IthasbecomeanewscenicspotonZhongyangStreet.
Atwegoalongtheroad,weareabletoseetheCentralPharmacy.Itwasabungalowbefore.In1912,GermanSidemen’sopenedashopheretosellelectricalequipmentandmaterials.Afterliberation,itwasreconstructed.Nowyoucanfindnotonlymedicinehere,butalsotheGoldlionshop,asuper-marketandaKentuckyFriedChickenRestaurant.
ThisshoppingCenterwasopenedin1995.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.ItwaspaintedafamousRussianpainter.Hewasinspiredby“DivineComedy”composedbyDante.Itshowsaprettygirlsavedbyangelsfromconfinementbyinsectsanddemons;thegirlwhoenduredtorturesinhellwasabouttorisetoheaven.ThispicturewaspaintedredduringtheCulturalRevolution.AftertheCulturalRevolution,theoriginalpaintingwasrestored.Nowweareabletoappreciateitsartisticcharm.
Inthepastfewdecades,modernHotelhascateredtomanyfamouspeople,suchaswellknownChinesewritersGuoMoruoandDingLing,andarenownedpainter,XuBerhong.ThosewhohavestayedherealsoincludedistinguishedAmericancelebritiessuchasAnnaLouiseStrong,EdgarSnowYue-SaiKan.Moviestudioshaveshotmovieshere.“HarbinintheDarkNight”,“LondonInspiration”,“TheOrientExpresstoMoscow”haveleftpeoplelastingmemories.
OppositetheModernHotel,thereisHuameiRestaurant.ItwasMalseRestaurantservingwesternfood.Afterliberation,itwasrebuiltseveraltimesandtwomorestorieshavebeenadded.However,itsoriginalEuropeanStylehadbeenkept.Itwasreportedin1973thattherewere260WesternrestaurantsinHarbin,withover100concentratedalongZhongyangStreet.HuameiRestaurantwasoneofthebestknown.Nowitservesmanyspecialties,suchasRussiandishes,pottedcattletail,rdinner,hatyouknowHuamei,yourknowledgeofZhongyangStreetwillnotbecompleteifyouhavenottriedthefoodhere.
Furtherinthefront,aBaroqueconstruction,extravagantandnovel,theentrance,heseTitansholdupthebuildingofeducation,andaccompanyustoaprosperoustomorrow.
OppositetotheEducationBookstore,characterizedbysimplestructure,flexiblelayout,freestyle,epastfewdecades,switnessedgreatchangesinZhongyangStreet.
stateitisasmallParisintheOrient;someassertitisaMoscowintheOrient;yousteponthiscobbledstreet,ugofurtheralongthestreet,youcanseetheWomenandChildren’sDepartmentStore,andtheFloodControlMonumentattheriverside,symphonyaccompaniesthepeopleinHarbinastheysufferedbeforeliberation,wanderedthroughtheCulturalRevolution,andusheredinthereformandopeningup,andencouragesthemtofaceuptothemagnificent21stcentury.
eareJewelers’andphotographers’leareabletostroll,century-oldstreetwillradiateitsvigorandbecomemoreattractive.
LadiesandGentlemen,ifwegofurtherforward,llmeetattheFloodControlMonumentintwentyminutes.
