Wuyi Lane () is located on the south side of
Qinhuai River
The Qinhuai River () is a tributary of the Yangtze with a total length of 110 km. It flows through central Nanjing and is called "Nanjing's mother river". It is the "life blood" of the city. The Qinhuai River is divided into inner and outer river ...
in
Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
. During the
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
period, it was the barracks of the army guarding the
Stone City
The Stone City () is the site of an ancient fortified city within Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China. Almost all of the original city is gone; all that remains are portions of the massive city wall.
History
The original town was built during the W ...
of
Wu. The name Wuyi means black clothes. This was because the
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
s at that time always dress in black. Later the aristocrats of
Eastern Jin
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air L ...
(317-420) gradually assembled at Wuyi Lane, making it popular and famous. In addition,
Wang Dao
Wang Dao (; 276 – 7 September 339), courtesy name Maohong (茂弘), formally Duke Wenxian of Shixing (始興文獻公), was a Chinese politician during the Jin dynasty who played an important role in the administrations of Emperor Yuan, Empe ...
and
Xie An
Xie An (謝安) (320 – 12 October 385), courtesy name Anshi (安石), formally Duke Wenjing of Luling (廬陵文靖公), also known as "Xie Dongshan" (谢东山, "dongshan" literally 'East mount'), was a Chinese politician of the Eastern Jin d ...
, the two founding fathers of Eastern Jin, once lived here. The poem ''Wuyi Lane'', written by Tang poet
Liu Yuxi
Liu Yuxi ( Wade-Giles: Liu Yü-hsi; ; 772–842) was a Chinese poet, philosopher, and essayist, active during the Tang dynasty.
Biography
Family background and education
His ancestors were Xiongnu nomadic people. The putative ‘seventh generat ...
is based on it.
In 1997, the government of
Qinhuai District
Qinhuai District () is one of 11 districts of Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, China.
Administrative subdivisions
Qinhuai has administrative jurisdiction over the following 12 subdistricts:
In 2013, Baixia merged into Qinhuai gainin ...
restored Wuyi Lane and rebuilt Wang and Xie Former Residence 王谢故居 to commemorate Wang Dao and Xie An. It is built in Ming and Qing styles.
The poem:
《乌衣巷》 刘禹锡
朱雀桥边野草花，乌衣巷口夕阳斜。
旧时王谢堂前燕，飞入寻常百姓家。
:Wuyi Lane
Beside the Zhuque Bridge wild flowers thickly grow,
Along the Wuyi Lane the sun is setting low.
Where once the swallows knew the mansions of the great,
They mow to humbler homes would fly to nest and mate.
--translated by Cai Tingan (蔡廷干)
Beside the Bridge of Birds rank grasses overgrow;
O’er the Street of Mansions the setting sun hangs low.
Swallows that skimmed by eaves painted in bygone days,
Are dipping now among the humble home's doorways.
--translated by Xu Yuanchong
Xu Yuanchong (; 18 April 1921 – 17 June 2021) was a Chinese translator, best known for translating Chinese ancient poems into English and French. He was a professor at Peking University since 1983.
Early career
Xu Yuanchong was born in Nancha ...
(许渊冲)[300 Gems Of Classical Chinese Poetry -- traanslated by Xu Yuanchong Peking University Press《中国古诗精品三百首》]
References
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Nanjing