Old Longtou Street is really old. It records the history of Kunming and the history of Kunming can’t miss Old Longtou Street in turn. If you study in China, you can go to this street and experience the ancient atmosphere there.
Once students who are learning Chinese in China went there and found that this is a very old street, where Diaojiao Buildings (a kind of wooden or bamboo house supported by wooden pillars) are still standing along the two sides. Watching from the one side of the village, you will feel that folds of Diaojiao Buildings seem to be falling down at any time. But this kind of buildings which is not fixed by nails has been standing here for hundreds of years and stable still. Those not completely red wooden doors and windows were covered with dusts. Red paint layered many years ago has almost faded so that grey color of the original wood starts revealing. When these students told the old men sitting beside the buildings that they are studying in China, the old men were quite enthusiastic to tell them many stories about these old buildings.
The biggest advantage of learning Chinese in China is that you can experience Chinese culture in person. This old street still remains the custom of traditional fair, whose history is hundreds years long. Every Wednesday people from surrounding villages will get together here and sell some handicrafts or necessities. This kind of fair culture has been less and less. It is quite worth of visiting and experiencing.
learning Chinese in China, you should know some revolution history of China. There are many former residences of revolutionary martyrs in this old street. In the turning besides an old tree lies the former residence of the couple Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin. This house was designed and built by themselves in 1938 and is still perfect in front of us.
Take a turning and walk straight, you will find the former site of the famous Southwest Multi-university, which was also the former site of the Central Historical Language Institute and the former site of Professor Feng Youlan at that time. If you are learning Chinese in China, you can visit this building. You may find that this is a building of Qing Dynasty. In fact, it used to be a Taoist temple named East Yue Temple, where stone tablets are still been hanging on its walls. Later in 1938, the Southwest Multi-university established here. The library, classrooms and so many other empty rooms will make you sigh for this history period. The osmanthus tree in front of the library has been hundreds years’ old, who witnessed the history of Southwest Multi-university and live until today. Green grass grows strongly on the roof of this building; carves on those beams covered with dusts are so old. The historical air of these original historic traces can’t be beat by any modernized historic site. For students of learning Chinese in China who want to research this historical period, this will be a good place.
learning Chinese in China, you can also taste the most authentic Chinese cuisine. In Longtou Street, you can sit in the Hui restaurants on the sides of the street leisurely and have a taste of the authentic steamed mutton, which is so tender and delicious that you will never forget. Small pig’s knuckle of Longtou Street is a famous dish in China. Some Kunming people will even drive here only to buy a small pig’s knuckle, for the cooked pig’s knuckle is soft, fragrant and nutritious. Once you take one bite of it, the delicious taste will remain in your tip of tongue for several days.
Longtou Street is such a wonderful place for both people who want to trace history of old China and people who like enjoying delicious food. Come to study in Keats School, you will have a very good experience.