ChuanSha Alley

Last weekend I biked down a quaint but picturesque little street just north of ChuangSha city. The narrow street starts off Huaxia Rd but you first have to go under a small bridge where a few peddlers sell cigarettes and incense sticks.
I asked them how old this little street was, but no one seemed to know except that it was "very old." I got off my bike and started walking down the quiet street. The homes where so close that I took the occasionally peek inside; mostly older people that were preparing or eating their lunch, as it was about that time. Some of the people that sat or stood in front of their tiny homes gave me a curious stare, which I would reply with a "ni hao", resulting in a smile and a "ni hao" in return. On the way, all little shops sold incense and fake money (for the life hereafter). Near the end, I saw what I had suspected, a small local temple. Several older people gathered around when I began asking about the age of these buildings again. The replies were similar from these friendly people, "very old," "well before liberation." My guess is at least 100 years. They encouraged me to go inside the temple, but before doing so I asked if I could enter one of the small courtyards, not unlike Beijing's Siheyuans. They welcomed me and I admired the old wooden doors and small windows. The ground in the courtyard had been paved with concrete which took away some of the antiquity feeling, but it was probably done for practical reasons, especially when it rains. Outside the temple, some candles and incense were still burning. I then proceeded to enter the temple, asked the old ladies working there if I could take a picture. Since this temple is not a tourist attraction, it was no problem. In the middle of the complex was a small courtyard, surrounded by three main rooms, each with their different Buddhist deities. After saying goodbye to all the friendly folks inside and outside the temple, I took the path across the narrow bridge behind the temple and biked another 8 km or so until I got home. In a country that is changing so fast, it was great to get another taste of the "old China."