Hankou,a Kaleidoscope of Memories

When looking back on the history of Wuhan, all of us will feel its grandeur and glory.

I could almost hear Ye Diaoyuan, a poet in Qing Dynasty standing on the bank of Yangtze River, chanting his rhythmic Zhuzhici Lyrics(folk lyrics)“Grasses on the expansive land are eternally green; A gust of lake wind carries the tune playing.”His folk lyrics are acute observations of the local life of Hankou in Qing dynasty, a multi-perspective view of the colorful Chu cultures, as well as an emotional episode of the vernacular flavor; the vintage and nostalgic Cheongsam reminds us of the life in the Concessions in Hankou, where slender figures with elegant gestures and oriental ingredients greet our eyes; the ship “Zhiyinhao” sailed down the river into the vivacious downtown areas where are dotted with dancers and singers, while gramophones babbling about the secrets of local life in the Republic era…

Chi Li, a woman novelist in Wuhan,once wrote, “The city encompasses us in all aspects with the passing of the years. This is my city.” The traditional yet exquisite folklores have long been merged into the city life, bearing witness to its prosperity and cultural charm. As local residents in Wuhan, we inevitably grow up with the advancement of city. In an age when progress is overstressed, we are committed to creating a city of cultural diversity,merging the East with the West, and juxtaposing the old with the new.

“Wuhan exists not just in our memories;it is planted in our soul and flesh.” Wuhan locals are steretyped as careless and casual type. It seems that they are likely to trash talk their hometown. Yet they also cherish it at the bottom of their heart. These unspeakable emotions or whatever they are calling are deeply ingrained in their minds,who will continue telling the stories of Wuhan, though in different ways.

每每翻开武汉的历史，都会不自觉地感慨她的厚重与悠久。

江边依稀传来叶调元“平芜芳草碧于烟，一阵湖风送管弦”的低唱浅吟，平仄富有韵律的竹枝词，是对清代汉口市井生活的细微观察，是对楚文化不同风姿的多面展示，是对地方情绪的倾情诉说；古雅风韵的旗袍装饰了汉口租界历史，让我们记住一个个端庄靓丽又尽显东方神韵的美丽背影；“知音号”顺江而下，繁荣街市，歌舞升平，旧式留声机咿咿呀呀诉说着民国年代的心事……

武汉作家池莉曾写道：“随着岁月前行，它们立体交叉在我的身周，这就是我的城。”那些古老而又精致的民俗风情，早与这座城市融为一体，见证这里的星耀繁荣，彰显汉文化的巨大魅力。而我们作为武汉人，不声不响地陪着这座城市共同成长，在强调发展的新时代，我们致力于打造一个古今共存，融汇中西的多元江城。

“武汉不用怀念的，武汉本来就在我心中，就在我身体里。”武汉人总是大大咧咧，吐槽最多的是自己的家乡，爱的最多的也是它。那些不与言说的感情，那种可以被称之为情怀的东西，深埋在每个武汉人的心底，以另一种方式继续讲述武汉的故事。

流光溢彩的汉口记忆

策划|刘冬莉