A brief account of Jiulonggang Republic of China Town in Huainan.

On September 25, 2024, I finally had the opportunity to visit the Jiulonggang Republic of China Town, which is famous for being the filming location of several TV series. Architecture is a solidified art form, and I believe it is also a solidified history. It can witness and silently narrate the changing times, and it can also witness the historical changes of a city. Of course, all of this requires you to slowly appreciate and cherish it. Jiulonggang Town, Datong District, the source of modern Huainan City: A collection of buildings from the Republic of China period is still preserved, known as the "Jiulonggang Republic of China Architectural Complex", and the location is also known as "Jiulonggang Republic of China Town". Here, tourists and literati are constantly attracted to visit, using pictures, words, and videos to tell the stories and history behind each building. In the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930), the National Government Construction Commission established the Huainan Coal Mine Bureau, with its headquarters located in Jiulonggang. The following year, the East and West Mines of the Huainan Coal Mine Bureau in Jiulonggang were put into operation. In 1936, the Huainan Railway was completed and opened to traffic, and the Huainan Railway Bureau was also established in Jiulonggang. With the establishment of the Huainan Coal Mine Bureau and the operation of the Jiulonggang Mine, an industrial and mining town rapidly emerged. From the 1930s to the 1950s, the Huainan Mining and Railway Company, Huainan Coal Mine Bureau, Huainan Mining Bureau, CPC Huainan Mining Committee, and CPC Huainan Municipal Committee were all located in Jiulonggang. In the early days of liberation, Jiulonggang was the economic and political center of Huainan City. It was not until 1956 that the CPC Huainan Municipal Committee and the Huainan Mining Bureau moved from Jiulonggang to Dongshan. Walking slowly through the streets and alleys, wandering through the buildings of the Republic of China period, one cannot help but feel a sense of wonder. Back then, my father worked at the Mining Bureau Technical School for two years, and my mother also visited him here. Whenever I talk about this, my father always has a long memory. Therefore, each building of the Republic of China period is a symbol of the city's memory during that historical period, recording the city's changes and witnessing the passage of time. In the Jiulonggang Republic of China Town, there is a group of buildings named after "Heaven, Earth, Mystery, Yellow, Universe, Cosmos". These buildings are residential bungalows, with a total of 6 rows, and this area also has a name called "Huainan Village". From its construction in the 1930s, it has experienced nearly 90 years of wind and rain. To this day, most of these houses are still inhabited by residents, with a strong sense of life and intimacy. Walking along the roadside, stone tablets engraved with words such as "Anhui Province Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit - Jiulonggang Republic of China Architectural Complex" highlight the value of these buildings. On both sides of the street, tall and straight sycamore trees sway in the wind, dropping pieces of remaining yellow leaves. I hope that like the No. 2 bus parked on the 8th floor, it will take away the yellow leaves and leave behind a memory. Whenever I visit a city, as long as I find tall and straight sycamore trees on both sides of the street, I can basically be sure that I have arrived in the old city area. I like these sycamore trees. Next to the office of the Huai Shun Community, a sports goods store named "Xingguang" is closed, but the large characters on the door are clearly visible. Diagonally opposite, a two-story brick-concrete building is the office building of the Huainan Mining Institute. The bluestone pillars and bluestone steps in front of the door have left traces of time. The building was built in the 1930s and was originally the office building of the National Government Huainan Coal Mine Bureau. In 1938, after the Japanese army occupied Huainan, it became the office building of the Japanese Coal Mine Corporation. Today, the building is covered with vines, which hang down from the roof and sway in the wind. The dilapidated wooden door, water stains on the wall, and dark glass cannot hide the building's magnificent momentum and layout. Back then, it must have been a place where many important people came and went. Now it is decaying and declining. Think about it, what is absolutely eternal? What is immortal? Time flies, and the past is like smoke. The former prosperity of Jiulonggang Republic of China Town is no more, and the hustle and bustle has returned to peace. Chinese people believe that the river flows east for thirty years and west for thirty years. I dare to guarantee that as long as these buildings are well preserved, they will definitely be well preserved, because no one wants to be a sinner of history. In the near future, this place will surely regain its vitality. The past can only be savored, and history can only be savored. And savoring needs a carrier, and isn't Jiulonggang Republic of China Town the best carrier?