April 16, 2009 Thursday, zxy_Sina Blog A
When you arrive in Suzhou, if you don't listen to Kunqu Opera, it seems like something is missing. Kunqu originated as a folk opera in Kunshan, Jiangsu during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, and gradually developed into the largest vocal cavity drama genre during the Ming and Qing periods... The style of Kunqu is soft like silk strings, very suitable for performances in the halls of gardens. Its ethereal sounds gather all elegance.
If there's an opportunity, you can also listen to Pingtan, which will give you a basic understanding of the highly distinctive Wu dialect.
14:30 Suzhou Ding Garden
The tour guide said that Kunqu could be heard at Ding Garden not far away. I've never heard of Ding Garden before, so it might be a newly developed scenic area. But because it's close to Tiger Hill, we went there immediately. There are really too many places in Suzhou to listen to Kunqu and Pingtan, and we just want to feel the atmosphere without being picky about its level.
Ding Garden restores the landscape of Suzhou's water towns, naturally including garden scenery. This gourd-shaped garden gate is full of fun, making the dull white wall come alive instantly.
Ding Garden Teahouse is located by a large fountain square. On the first floor is a tea culture exhibition, displaying Lu Yu's statue and his "Tea Classic" stone carvings... Climbing the corner stairs to the second floor, there is a small stage surrounded by wooden carved railings in the center. The stage has placed items such as guzheng, pipa, and erhu.
Before the Kunqu performance began, we chose a front-row elegant seat. When in Suzhou, one must taste Biluochun tea... but the server brought us all old tea, costing fifty-five yuan per pot. Let's make do with this, tomorrow we'll go to Xidongting Mountain on Taihu Lake to drink some higher-class tea. Sip some tea, crack some sunflower seeds, and wait for the performance to start.
A man and a woman who went on stage moved gracefully, able to play instruments and sing, multi-talented. As for what they were singing, I didn't understand much, only feeling that Kunqu's sound was very delicate, giving off a peaceful aura.
If there were a grand performance of Kunju here, the eyes would surely be delighted by the gorgeous stage design...
After resting for a long time in the teahouse, we continued our garden tour. It turns out Ding Garden has a significant history: the site of the tomb of Liu Bowen, a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, is here. The tour guide said that Liu Bowen's tomb had ninety-eight locations, and this one at Ding Garden is the only one that hasn't been looted or excavated, while the other ninety-seven are all empty tombs! Is this real or fake? Thinking about it feels confusing... Could it be that Liu had made too many enemies in his lifetime?
There's also a Suzhou folklore exhibition in the garden, where I saw scene models of Tang Yin, Wen Zhengming, Zhu Zhishan, and other talented scholars from Wuzhong composing poetry and painting here. Throughout history, Suzhou has produced countless talents, truly a land of outstanding people and auspicious geography.
18:06 Guanqian Street
After touring Ding Garden, it was already dark. The dinner location had already been decided: De Yue Building on Guanqian Street. Guanqian Street refers to the horizontal pedestrian street in front of Xuanmiao Temple. Xuanmiao Temple is Suzhou's largest Taoist temple, with its main hall built during the Song Dynasty, but it was too late to go inside and take a look.
The name "Taijian Lane" compared to Guanqian Street, sounds a bit vulgar... It's rumored that two very powerful eunuchs once lived here. Although Taijian Lane is still called "Lane," it is actually a wide and flat food street. Several of the most prestigious old-established restaurants in Suzhou are concentrated on this street: De Yue Building, Song He Building, Chuan Fu Building, and Green Willow Wanton Shop, almost all facing each other to compete for business.
18:48 De Yue Building
De Yue Building is surely well-known to many people. In the 1980s, there was a movie called "Little De Yue Building" that told the story of this place.
De Yue Building started in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, with over four hundred years of history. It specializes in authentic Suzhou cuisine and has a great reputation. Although Suzhou cuisine does not belong to the same culinary tradition as Hangzhou cuisine, both fall under the category of "Southern Sweet."
Inside De Yue Building, the decoration is ancient and elegant, creating a refined atmosphere. The ancient charm highlights the authentic inherited culinary skills here. In such an environment, even if the dishes are a bit expensive, diners can readily accept it.
Suzhou cuisine often uses a sweet-first, salty-last cooking style, with rich oil and thick sauce, equally rich in color and flavor.
Cherry juice meat, fragrant, tender, fresh, and sweet, has a texture similar to Hangzhou's Dongpo Pork but tastes quite different. (58 yuan)
Five-color silver fish soup is rare for its lightness, highlighting the freshness of silver fish, one of the "Three Whites of Taihu"... (32 yuan)
Finally, the signature dish of De Yue Building, Squirrel Mandarin Fish, is served. The surface of the fish is golden and crispy, drizzled with an extremely thick sweet and sour gravy. The "squeaking" sound accompanies the aroma spreading everywhere, stirring the heart before the chopsticks have even moved... (140 yuan)
To be continued, more pictures are stored in the space album...