uring the Qingming holiday, my friend and I went to the ancient town of Sijing for sightseeing. I want to share with you the cultural and geographical features we feel and learn of this ancient town.

Cultural characteristics and historical background: Xiatang Village, Song Town, Songjiang District was formed at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. The residential shops are all built along the river. From west to east, the riverside street is formed along the north bank of Qiangtang River. Sleeping by the river, families all built water bridges and had their own boats which were docked on the water and under the water bridge. Nowadays, most of the ancient town is concentrated in the lower pond of Qiantang River and the south bank of Zhongshiqiao, which basically preserves the river street pattern and some traditional buildings of the traditional water town market. In the ancient village, there existed attractions such as Anfang Tower, Ma Xiangbo’s former residence, and Shi Liangcai’s former residence. Architectural features: Today's residential areas are concentrated in Xiatang Street in Qiangtang and in the south bank of Zhongshi Bridge, which basically preserve the river street pattern and some traditional buildings in the traditional water town market. Xiatang Village is located in the water town where the river network is densely covered. The houses are mostly arranged according to the position and location of the front street and the river. The general building is shallow, the courtyard is narrow, and most of them have only one axis. The house has neither a pinch nor a house. A large and honest family facing the river side sometimes built a stone stairs on the revetment and made a private hoe. The layout of the stone stair has two types: in parallel with rivers and vertical to rivers. Traditional architectural dense areas, especially the interior core protected areas, form a relatively complete traditional urban texture with high density, rich changes, multiple spatial levels, small building scales and diverse combinations.

Nearby attractions: Fulian Bridge (commonly known as Zhongshi Bridge), located in the middle of the town and across the Qiangtang River. Built in the Ming Wanli years, it has gone through many constructions while the most recent comprehensive renovation was completed in 1986.

Futianjing Temple: Futianjing Temple is located in the middle of the old street. Formerly known as Yan Jiaxuan, it was built in the forty-three years of Qing Emperor Qianlong (AD 1787) and belonged to a pure Buddhist cultural landscape. In 1994, it was renamed as the Futianjing Temple with the approval of the relevant departments and officially opened to the public. In the Futianjing Temple, there are many small and subsidiary temples such as the Heavenly King Hall, the Sound-seeking and the Rescue Yuantongbao Hall as well as the Buddhist Temple. The overall layout of the temple is also beautiful and exquisite.

The former residence of Shi Liangcai was built in the early 20th century. It is a two-story building with a stylistic combination of Chinese and Western architecture. The main building has both a Chinese-style hall and a Western-style house. It is an excellent modern building of the Songjiang area. In 1924, this residence has witnessed a great renovation based on the original site of Qing Dynasty. It has a foyer, a middle wall door, a second-floor brick and wooden structure. The personal chronicle of the owner of the former residence is composed of four parts: "The Life of the Bumpy Life", "The Deep Feelings of Lishui", "The Spring and Autumn Period of the Newspaper Industry" and "The Soul of the Chinese". Both of the rooms downstairs and upstairs hold exhibition of Shi Liangcai’s personal life and the things he used are on display.

Shi Liangcai (1880—1934), born in Jiangsu Province and as a native of Jiangning, is a famous patriotic progressive person. He is also an outstanding journalist and newspaper giant in China. When he was 7 years old, he moved to Jiangsu from Jiangning with his father. He established the first private elementary school in Sijing. As a modern newspaper giant in China, Shi Liangcai regarded the "Declaration" as a revolutionary basis while extensively uniting left-wing progressive writers and actively participating in the anti-Japanese national salvation activities. At the same time, he also boldly disclosed the non-resistance policy of the Kuomintang authority. His courage in defensing for the Communist Party's righteousness has angered Chiang Kai-shek. In 1934, he was assassinated by the Kuomintang spies in Haining, Zhejiang.

Anfang Tower: Located in the right side of the entrance to the archway, it is built in a small garden by the riverside. The entrance ticket (including the tower) is 3 yuan per person. The tower is 35.18 meters high and has a diameter of 12.45 meters. Each side is 5.42-meter long and is a seven-story octagonal pavilion. Since the original tower has been destroyed, the tower is a reconstructed one. The whole pagoda is a combination of reinforced concrete and wood. The seventh floor of the tower is dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha with the best wish of keeping safety.

Ma Xiangbo's former residence: Ma Xiangbo's former residence was opened in 2003. The former residence is a self-contained, private house constructed in the Jiangnan style, giving people a sense of delicacy, simplicity and elegance. On both sides of the hall, there are sculptures and related pictures which chronicle Ma Xiangbo's life experience and outstanding contributions, vividly showing Ma Xiangbo's ordinary and remarkable life. Ma Xiangbo was originally born in Jiang Danyang. (1840-1939) He started his academic life at the age of 5 and went to Shanghai at the age of 12 when he studied at the Ignatius School (ie Xuhui Middle School) and Xujiahui Theological Seminary, where he received a doctorate in theology with excellent performance. He can speak six languages and studies Chinese and Western cultures. He is a leading figure in the field of modern Chinese education.