Wuzhou, Guangxi, is located at the confluence of the Xijiang, Xunjiang, and Guijiang rivers, and serves as the confluence of the three rivers. As an important node of the the Pearl River Basin, Wuzhou has always been an important channel for north-south cargo transportation. The arcade city adjacent to the Xijiang River and near the water is the place where Wuzhou's century old commercial port began. It is backed by mountains and facing the water, gathering crowds of people and merchants. The arcade city in the past was our commercial and cultural center. We not only did business here, but also had to come and visit for good luck when holding wedding banquets. This is still the place where we locals' big luck 'comes after finishing the New Year's Eve banquet Yang Zhenhua, a merchant in the arcade city, said. Recently, Yang Zhenhua's Cantonese restaurant welcomed the first batch of customers after comprehensive improvement and renovation of the arcade city. I am a local of Wuzhou and have been cooking Cantonese cuisine for over 40 years, "said Yang Zhenhua. The environment of the arcade city has improved, and there are more tourists, giving me more confidence in doing business here. Currently, Wuzhou Qilou City is developing towards modernization and diversification. While protecting historical heritage, Wuzhou City actively promotes the renovation and renovation of the arcade city. Wandering in the "revitalized" arcade city, the buildings and sculptures with Chinese and Western architectural styles are displayed on both sides. The rich Lingnan characteristics can be seen from all sides. The traditional characteristics of food, such as paper wrapped chicken, beef intestines, submarine porridge, attract tourists to stop and taste. When Tang Fengwei and his family from Guangdong came to Wuzhou for tourism, they specifically visited the arcade city. The cultural atmosphere here is strong, and there are many places where visitors of all ages can experience interaction and have fun, "said Tang Fengwei, pointing to his grandson who was interacting with street actors in the distance. Rong Jie, a local resident of Wuzhou, made an appointment with the children to see the new style of the arcade city. During the tour, Cantonese folk music played in the neighborhood, and another round of live performances began. "The current arcade city has such activities as role playing and folk custom experience, and it also shows tourists our characteristic business cards such as Guilinggao and Liubao Tea in Wuzhou." Rong Jie said, "The most surprising thing is that the iron rings on the pillars are still there." Most of the arcades in the arcade city are three or four stories high, the bottom floor is usually shops, and the upper floor is residential. The "iron ring" in Rong Jie's mouth refers to the iron ring on the brick columns on the first floor of the arcade. In the past, when there were floods, the arcade city was flooded several meters high, and only boats could sail on the streets. Iron rings were used to tie up boats in the past Rong Jie said that coexisting with water is the norm of life for people in Wuzhou, and it also reflects the wisdom of life. This city prospered and was once damaged by water, but now it is friends with water. In the past, when the flood first hit the streets, residents in the arcade city used bricks to elevate their goods and opened their doors for business as usual. Next to the street facing window on the second floor, which is several meters above the ground, there will be a "water gate". If the flood inundates the shops on the first floor, everyone will open the "water gate", climb up and down the bamboo ladder, and take a small boat to enter and exit. With the construction of the flood control system on both sides of the Xijiang River in Wuzhou, the "water gate" and iron ring of the arcade block are no longer useful, but optimism and calmness have always been engraved in the bones of the arcade residents. In the era of water transportation dominance, Wuzhou, as an important commercial center, attracted a large number of merchants and visitors from afar. After several ups and downs, Wuzhou Qilou City is gradually reproducing the hustle and bustle that transcends time and space. Lai Zhiguo, Deputy General Manager of Investment Promotion at Wuzhou Lingnan Qilou City Commercial Operation Management Co., Ltd., said, "Qilou City has a unique historical accumulation. We have endowed it with experiential modern projects, combined with new commercial packaging, so that both locals and tourists can feel the new vitality of Qilou City." The continuous arcade buildings record the changes of the city and the passage of time. Stepping into the arcade city with one foot, looking up at the Xijiang River in the distance, it feels like stepping into the river of time. After a hundred years of vicissitudes, people still come and go here. (New Society)