Fashion Reading City

Author: Fashion Magazine
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: The reason why landscapes attract travelers is that mountains are right there (in the distance or before your eyes), yet you know so little about them, or nothing at all—so-called "running to death while looking at the mountain." This is the mystery of mountains. But where does the mystery of cities lie? We live in cities, seemingly familiar with and understanding them, yet we cannot describe what they truly are. Those things lost over time—why did they lose their way? Those things preserved—how do they relate to life? How will we answer these questions? The daily life of a city is precisely what makes it beautiful and moving, yet we often overlook the discovery of its beauty. If a city lacks life, it is merely a ruin, only fit for veneration and lament. Although people are heartbroken and disappointed to say that Chinese cities are becoming increasingly homogenous in the process of modernization, it is fair to say that the distinct personalities of each city have long been deeply ingrained. They may be ancient and steady, rich and dazzling, or passionate and alluring. They are also destinations for travelers passing through due to their geographical locations. Each city has its unique, irreplicable character. Those familiar street names, local cuisines, and dialects are city details that can never be transplanted. They record the simple and peaceful atmosphere of daily life in the city and have shaped its personality. Of course, there are also the men and women who live in the city, immersed in these details, and they are always the scenery that never fails to captivate us.
Perhaps we cannot fully interpret a city through a travel book with illustrations and text, as that would be too superficial. But this is the city we can see and feel, the city that deeply attracts us. As for the more profound theories within, they can be left to the scholars of the humanities to study. Although people are disappointed to say that Chinese cities are becoming increasingly homogenous in the process of modernization, it is fair to say that the distinct personalities of each city have long been deeply ingrained. They may be ancient and steady, rich and dazzling, or passionate and alluring. They all have their unique, irreplicable character. Those familiar street names, local cuisines, and dialects are city details that can never be transplanted. They record the simple and peaceful atmosphere of daily life in the city and have shaped its personality. Of course, there are also the men and women who live in the city, immersed in these details, and they are always the scenery that never fails to captivate us.