Chapter 6 Chapter Five: Chun An Peach Blossoms

A Santana sedan was driving at high speed on the highway leading to Nanjing. Suddenly, a pothole appeared on the road.The body of the car jolted violently, and Pan Zhengfan, who was sitting in the car, was suddenly lifted up, and then fell heavily again. Pan Zhengfan straightened his body and sat down again. He has experienced such bumps countless times, and he is used to it. In order to establish the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, this is the 22nd time he has gone to Nanjing to report the relevant situation to the provincial party committee.He had predicted that when he ran fifty times, the memorial hall would be officially completed.

Building a memorial hall is a big event, and every step is very cautious. When the preparations for the memorial hall began, the first problem faced was the location selection. As one of the persons in charge of the preparatory office for the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, and also the director of the Huai'an Urban Construction Bureau, Pan Zhengfan is well aware of the difficulty of selecting a site. Site selection is not simply choosing a suitable terrain, it needs to consider many related restrictive factors.In order to choose an ideal museum site, he thought day and night, looked around, and kept running. His eye sockets were sunken due to overwork, and his eyes were red, swollen and congested due to lack of sleep.

Huai'an is a famous historical and cultural city with a history of more than two thousand years.The old city was built in the early Eastern Jin Dynasty more than 1,600 years ago.At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, four miles north of the old city, a new "new city" was built, forming a corner with the old city.During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the "Liancheng" was rebuilt between the old and new cities.One county in Huai'an owns three cities at the same time, which is rare in China.The old city of Huai'an was repaired in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and its scale reached its peak.After wars and changes, the three cities no longer exist today, but the basic pattern of the cross-shaped chessboard streets centered on Zhenhuai Tower in the old city is still maintained, and there are many cultural relics and historic sites left by history.In addition to the original Zhenhuai Tower and Wenfeng Pagoda, the cultural relics attractions have newly added and restored the former residence of Wu Chengen, Liang Hongyu Temple, Guan Tianpei Temple, Hanhou Temple, etc.After careful thinking, repeated discussions with leaders at all levels of the province, city, and county and relevant experts, and following the guiding ideology of the Central Propaganda Department's approval, everyone agreed that the choice of the site for the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall in the ancient city of Huai'an should at least meet the needs of the people. Such conditions:

1. The site of the museum should be located in a prominent and beautiful location in this ancient city. After the memorial hall is completed, it can become an important landmark building of the city. 2. The location of the museum site should strive to have a wide view and a peaceful environment, reflecting the natural characteristics of Huai'an Water Town, and try to have a corresponding artistic conception with Zhou Enlai's character. 3. The transportation should be convenient, and the connection with the city should be relatively compact, which is conducive to the parking and entry and exit of various vehicles, and form a reasonable and organic connection with Zhou Enlai's former residence, which is convenient for the arrangement of tour routes.

Based on such conditions, the relevant personnel searched in and around Huai'an City with their eyes wide open.People successively put forward more than ten alternative locations. After repeated investigation, investigation, research and analysis, their attention gradually focused on several places such as the south side of the former residence, the stadium, the army garrison, Moon Lake and Taohuayin. In those days, everyone seemed extremely tense and hardworking, and Pan Zhengfan was extremely busy.He synthesized the relevant information and spent three nights working hard to compile a detailed "Comrade Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall Site Selection Comparison Table".On this form, he clearly wrote down the name and orientation of the project, the distance from the former residence, the area, the demolition situation, the surrounding situation, the foundation situation, the traffic situation, the environmental quality evaluation, the main advantages, and the main disadvantages.He made full preparations for the upcoming Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall site demonstration meeting.

In May 1987, the site demonstration meeting for the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall was grandly held in Huai'an Hotel, which was shaded by green trees.Attending the meeting were more than a dozen well-known experts in architecture and urban planning from all over the country, as well as Sun Jiazheng, deputy secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee, and many leading comrades from Huaiyin City and Huai'an County.After the host of the meeting made a brief opening speech, Comrade Pan Zhengfan focused on introducing the specific situation of each plan. 1. The scheme of the south side of the former residence.The location of the project is only one lane away from the former residence of Zhou Enlai in the north, facing the main avenue in the west and south, and facing residential buildings in the east.It is 77 meters wide from east to west and 102 meters long from north to south, covering an area of ​​7854 square meters.Because it is close to the former residence and the main traffic road, it is convenient to visit.

Second, the "central axis" plan.There are two options here.In order to use the current stadium, which is the site of the former Governor's Ministry of Water Transport.The location is 160 meters long from north to south and 102 meters wide from east to west, with an area of ​​16,320 square meters.The second is to demolish and relocate houses northward from the stadium to Dongmen Street, with a width of 90 meters from east to west and a length of 110 meters from north to south, covering an area of ​​9,900 square meters.The main feature of these two schemes is that they are located in the center of the old city and have a prominent location.

3. Troop resident plan.The location of the project is 400 meters southeast of Zhenhuai Tower, where the Confucian Temple and Fuxue were originally located. The site is 100 meters wide from east to west, 135 meters long from north to south, and covers an area of ​​13,500 square meters.Its main feature is that it is not facing the busy city and is relatively quiet. 4. Moon Lake plan.The location of the project is on the edge of Yuehu Lake in the south section of Xichang Street, 900 meters directly south of the former residence.It is 80 meters wide from east to west, 120 meters long from north to south, and covers an area of ​​9,600 square meters.Its main feature is that it is close to the lake and facing the water, and there is a piece of land on the east side that can be used as a parking lot.

5. Taohuayin plan.The project is located in the Taohuayin Lake area, 1.6 kilometers northeast of the former residence.It is 800 meters wide from east to west and 700 meters long from north to south, with an area of ​​350,000 square meters.Its main features are open area and water surface, beautiful environment, convenient transportation and good greening conditions. Pan Zhengfan's voice was a little hoarse due to day-to-day travel, fatigue, and poor rest.After he introduced the relevant information of each plan, he distributed the copied "comrade Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall site plan selection comparison table" to each participant.

The meeting place seemed very quiet, only light-colored smoke lingered silently above everyone's head.All eyes were on the chart and the watch hanging on the wall. The process of thinking is a difficult process.Although silent, you can feel that everyone's brain cells are moving at high speed. After a long silence, someone began to cough softly.This seemed to be some kind of signal, and the others put down the charts in their hands and raised their eyes. Those near the window stood up and opened the window. A fresh, fragrant wind blows in.People's spirits can't help but lift up.

The speech begins.The beginning of the speech is also the beginning of the debate.Based on the principles and requirements of site selection, everyone expressed their views on each plan.The atmosphere of the venue was very warm and active. ——I agree with the proposal on the south side of the former residence.Its biggest advantage is that it is very close to the former residence of Zhou Enlai, so it is very convenient for tourists to visit.Tourists pay homage to Zhou Enlai's former residence first, and then pay homage to the memorial hall, and they can maintain the same emotionally, without changes and interruptions due to the distance between the two.Furthermore, there are many examples of former residences and memorial halls close together. Many great people and celebrities at home and abroad have their former residences and memorial halls arranged in the same way. ——I don't agree with the proposal on the south side of the former residence.It is certainly a great advantage that it is close to the former residence of Zhou Enlai, but we should not ignore its obvious defects.First of all, its area is too small, only more than 7,000 square meters.It is obviously inappropriate to build a permanent memorial building for a great man on such a small area.Zhou Enlai has a noble personality and a broad mind. His memorial hall should also give people a sense of loftiness, transcendence and openness, so that people can feel Zhou Enlai's temperament, demeanor and spiritual heritage as soon as they are in it.Now the former residence of Zhou Enlai is quite small. Once the memorial hall is completed, it will surely attract more Chinese and foreign tourists. If the area of ​​the memorial hall is too small and the capacity is too limited, it will inevitably cause further congestion and congestion to the tourists. Then, Also can't receive good visiting effect.In addition, because the area is too small, parking of vehicles is also very difficult. ——I also don't agree with the proposal on the south side of the former residence.I think it is more appropriate to adopt the stadium scheme.Comrade Zhou Enlai left Huai'an to study in the Northeast when he was twelve years old. After that, until his death, he never came back.But he has always had deep feelings for his hometown.He remembers the Wentong Pagoda where he dug wild vegetables when he was a child, the Zhenhuai Tower where he visited many times and put pigeons on it, and the Wenqu where he once rowed a boat and splashed a series of laughter.He misses the homeland that raised him, and he also misses the people in his hometown.Now, to build a memorial hall is equivalent to the return of Comrade Zhou Enlai, and Huai'an should give up the best place.As far as good things go, the stadium couldn't be better.It is located in the city center, on the same central axis as Zhenhuai Building.It is also the site of the governor's mansion for water transportation, and the foundation is also good.At the same time, its area is more than 16,000 square meters, and the area on the south side of this former residence is much larger. ——There are indeed many advantages in the scheme of the stadium. If you want to count them in detail, you can also name some.For example, it is very close to the former residence, and the transportation is convenient without damaging the original pattern of the city.However, this plan also has a fatal weakness, that is, the location of the stadium, a "treasure of geomantic omen", is too prominent and prominent, so that the memorial hall occupies such a position, which is very different from the unique image of Comrade Zhou Enlai. Unite.During his lifetime, the Prime Minister had always been hard-working and simple, generous, humble, and approachable. Although he held a high position, he never wanted to highlight himself.Building the memorial in such a place is obviously contrary to the original intention of the Prime Minister. ——The viewpoint put forward by this comrade is justified.However, in the construction of the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, the emotional factors of the people in the hometown must also be considered.If you feel that the location of the stadium is too prominent, we can shift it slightly and adopt the stadium north scheme. ——No, this plan has more disadvantages than the stadium plan.First of all, it will demolish a large number of private houses north of the stadium.The Prime Minister loved the people and would rather be thin for the sake of the world.To build a memorial hall and disturb the folks in the hometown is even more contrary to the wishes of the Prime Minister.In addition, it is not appropriate to build the memorial hall in such a downtown area. The noise of people makes it difficult to form a quiet and solemn commemorative atmosphere. ——As far as the environment is quiet, I think the army station plan is good.It is far from the downtown area and has a relatively large area. --no.I have visited the site many times, and the environmental quality of that place is relatively poor, and the surrounding landscape is relatively messy.In addition, to get there from the former residence of Zhou Enlai, one has to pass through the downtown area, which is visually and emotionally blocked. Each of the previous proposals has been proposed, but each has been rejected one after another because of its major flaws.In the end, people's attention naturally focused on the two schemes of Moon Lake and Taohuayin. These two places are both deserted and have natural water surfaces, so the conditions are very similar.People were arguing and comparing, and the center of gravity gradually shifted to Taohuayin. Taohuayin is a very beautiful name.During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it was once one of the famous "Eighteen Scenic Spots" in Huai'an.Back then, the pavilions, terraces and pavilions formed an interesting contrast, the water was blue and the flowers were red, and the scenery was beautiful.There is a poem from the ancients: "The spring is full of peach blossoms, and the east wind greets you with a smile. Peach blossoms are better, and infinite is tenderness." Unfortunately, this wonderful place was later destroyed due to wars and other reasons, and now there are only ripples left.In 1958, Huai'an planned to restore this scenic spot and build a park in the north of the city here, but it was not realized due to lack of financial resources.At this time, comrades in Huai'an strongly advocated that Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall be built in Taohuayin.In this way, not only the memorial hall has an ideal site, but also the former scenic spot of Taohuayin can be revitalized. The demonstration meeting has been going on for two or three hours, and Sun Jiazheng, deputy secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, has been listening attentively to everyone's speeches.At this time, he stood up and said with a smile: "After sitting for such a long time, are you all tired? I think we are not busy deciding on the location of the museum. Let's go to Taohuayin together to see it. How about it?" Everyone responded.We walked to Taohuayin not far from the hotel. Taohuayin was a swampy land at that time, and as soon as they stood on the shore, everyone immediately felt a sense of refreshment.Here, the sky is blue and the water is green, the clouds are white and the wind is clear. Looking around, more than 400 acres of water lie quietly in front of people.More than 100 meters to the east, it is the transit road of Huaiyin and Huai'an.Two hundred meters to the west is Beimen Street in Huaian City.To the south is the urban area of ​​Huai'an City, and to the north is close to Wenqu.There are no old trees, monuments and tall buildings around, and the view is very wide.Because it is an abandoned water surface, it does not occupy fertile land, and does not need to demolish a large number of residential buildings. The environment is also extremely elegant and quiet, which is very consistent with the atmosphere to be created by the memorial hall.Moreover, from a long-term perspective, according to the current plan, the future Huai'an City will develop from east to north, so that the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall will be located in the center of the city. "A drop of water in the hometown makes three friends." The water surface here is so open, it is a godsend!Everyone looked very excited, and when everyone exchanged glances, they would smile heartily at each other.That meaning is very clear: the site of the memorial hall, that's it! Afterwards, someone said that when he was considering choosing a site for the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall, he had an interesting dream.In his dream, he saw a colorful phoenix flying slowly from the north with a huge halo, and the sky was shining brightly. The stars faded.The phoenix circled several times in the sky above Huai'an City, and finally landed quietly on the land in the middle of the water in the northeast of the city.Zhou Enlai's nickname was "Daluan", and "Luan" is a divine bird like the phoenix.The phoenix lands in the northeast of the city, and the piece of water in the northeast of the city is Peach Blossom Yin! The coincidence of dreams and reality adds magic and beauty to the selection of the site of Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall. After the site was officially determined, relevant parties sent people to Beijing to report the site situation to Comrade Deng Yingchao.Sister Deng also thought that the location was well chosen, and she repeatedly expressed her gratitude to the local government and the people of her hometown.