" - Water Town Shaoxing"

Author: Shen Fuxu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-09-27
Features: This book focuses on a region within "The Rural China," namely Shaoxing. Regarding the history, geography, and culture of Shaoxing, there are abundant records and works from ancient times to the present. I do not intend to emphasize these aspects but rather want to combine the scenery with emotions,ing feelings within the scenery, allowing readers to share this sentiment. Childhood experiences are always beautiful in memory, like poems. The water towns of childhood, though somewhat hazy in memory, are vividly imagined. Small bridges over flowing water, courtyards with lush greenery, bustling streets, people coming and going at the bridges, and shops lined up like fish scales. In this ancestral home with white walls and black tiles, the square courtyards are filled with countless aspects of life's joys. The busyness of festivals, summer nights of cooling off and storytelling, and the pleasures of childhood all manifest in these architectural images. While the beauty of Shaoxing's water town is precious, what is even more precious is that it has been literaryized. The aesthetic appreciation people have for it is largely due to the portrayals by literary figures like Lu Xun. Here, there is the sentiment of Lu Xun's novel "The Old Home," the vivid descriptions in "The Water Opera," and the humorous portrayal of Kong Yiji. Theater is even more intense and moving, with Yue Opera and Shaoxing Opera being widely loved. The plots and melodies of these performances add an incomparably brilliant hue to the landscape of Shaoxing's water town. My records of my hometown Shaoxing are written out of emotion, with emotion as the main focus. I have been away from my hometown for nearly half a century, yet the scenes there seem vividly before my eyes; I lived in my hometown for twenty years, yet it feels so rich and long. This is all due to emotion.
Author Biography:
Shen Fuxu: Born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, Shen Fuxu graduated from the Department of Architecture at Tongji University in 1963 and taught there. He is currently a professor at the Department of Architecture at Tongji University and has established the Shen Fuxu Research Laboratory. He primarily engages in research on aesthetics, art culture, and architectural theory. His major works include "The Lattices of Architectural Art and Culture," "Man and Architecture," "Introduction to Architecture," "Aesthetics," "An Introduction to the Modern Western Cultural History," and "Architectural Design Techniques." His upcoming works include "Illustrated History of Chinese Architecture," "The Origins of Chinese Architectural Decoration and Art Culture," and "Chinese Architectural Environmental Ecology."
Li Yuxiang: Born in Nanjing, Jiangsu, in August 1962, Li Yuxiang graduated from the Department of Journalism at Wuhan University. He holds a master's degree in visual arts and is a member of the Chinese Photographers' Association. He is currently employed at the Sanlian Bookstore. His published works include the "Old Houses" series of illustrated books, among others. His works have been exhibited and published both domestically and internationally. This book depicts the natural architecture and cultural landscapes of Shaoxing's water town, as well as the life of common people in Shaoxing during the 1940s and 1950s, all imbued with the author's memories of childhood. The book includes chapters on:
1. Water Towns and Villages
2. Alleys
3. Residences
4. Architecture and Decoration
5. Water Town Culture
6. Theater
7. Festivals and Old Customs
8. Exploring Historical Sites