Introduction to "Looking Back at Jinjiiling"
Jinjiiling is located in the core of the old city of Duchang on the bank of Poyang Lake. After 800 years of ups and downs, it was once a prosperous ancient commercial street and an important water transport terminal in northern Jiangxi, carrying the clan culture, market fireworks and century-old legends. In 2018, the old city was demolished. Thousand-year-old streets and alleys were completely razed, and high-rise communities were erected. The old appearance was covered in dust over the years, and only the place name remained in the hometown.
This book uses a dual-line narrative of modern retrospection and century-old retrospection, spanning three eras: the troubled times of the Republic of China, the post-war years, and contemporary demolition. Today's descendants of the Huang family return to their hometown to find their roots, salvage the lost memories of the old streets in the brand-new buildings, and unlock the dusty past of their ancestors. The camera returns to the war years of the Republic of China. There are many merchants and boats in Jinjiiling, but they are caught in the tug of war of resistance against Japan. The gentry protects the family, the patriots save the country, and the common people struggle. Persistence and betrayal, sacrifice and redemption are staged in the streets.
From the wars of the Republic of China to the demolition in the prosperous times, one street can see the vicissitudes of a hundred years. New buildings cover old alleys, and time buries fireworks. The novel is based on real regional history, describing the ups and downs of the clan, the ups and downs of the family and country, and the nostalgia for the hometown. It uses a history of the demise of old streets to freeze the centuries-old memory of a city that will never fade.
