Ladiesandgentlemen:
Todaywearegoingtovisitzhongyangstreet.thisisthedowntownarea.inordertobetterknowthestreet,wearegoingtowalkthroughit,whichtakesabout40minutes.thosewhodonotlikewalkingmaykeepseated,ourcoachwillgoalonganotherstreetandstopatthefloodcontrolmonument.thosewhocannotwalkthatfarmaytakeataxitothefloodcontrolmonument.nowlet6'sgetoffthecoach,andtakeawalkonzhongyangstreet.
Zhongyangstreetmeasures1450metersfromjingweistreetinthesouthtothefloodcontrolmonumentontheriverbankinthenorth.thisischina'slongestwalkway.thestreetwasbuiltattheendofthelastcentury.itwasconnectedtoawharfatthesonghuariver.becauseoftheconstanttransportofthegoodsneededforbuildingthechinaeasternrailway,ashoppingcenterbegantotakeshapealongthisstreetattheturnofthecentury.harbinatthattimewasasemi-colonialcitywithaforeignpopulationofmanythousands.politicsandeconomywereactuallycontrolledbyforeignpowers.owingtotheconcentrationofchineseshopsalongthisstreet,foreignerstookitasachinatownandcalleditchinastreet.
Haveyounoticedthecobbledroadsurface?thisistheonlycobbledstreetleftinharbin.thiscobbledstreetwaspavedin1925.thankstothegoodquality,thestreethaskeptingoodshapewithafewrepairsinthepast.thisstreetbegantotakeshapeasaninternationalstreetinthe1920s.therewereoverahundredshopsandmanywereownedbyforergners,suchasrussians,greeks,czechs,swedes,swiss,frenchmen,germansandenglishmen.theybuilttheirshopsintheirindividualstyles.therefore,thestreetnotonlylookedlikeaforeignstreet,butalsowascontrolledbyforeigners.nowthissmoothcobbledstreetmayremindusofthepastwhenforeignersweresittinginchariotsalongthestreet,asifwecouldstillhearthehorse-hoofsclickingoncobbles.
Overhalfacenturyispast,zhongyangstreetisweather-beaten.withtheimplementationofreformandopening-up,itisreadytowelcomevisitorswithanewoutlook.
Thebuildinginfrontofusisveryattractive.itssomeandarchedwindowsaretypicalofthebyzantinestylepopularineuropeduringthemiddleages.itwasbuiltin1934anditwasashoeshopownedbyaczech.afterliberation,itbecameaspecialtyshop-womenandchildren'sdepartmentstore.itisthebiggestspecialtyshopalongzhongyangstreet.thereareagoodvarietyofcommodities.nowsomeworldfamousspecialtychainshavealsosetupbranchesdownhere,suchascrocodile,bossiniandsoon.youcanseesomegentlemenalsowanderinginthewomenandchildren'sdepartmentstore.atsuchagoodshoppingplace,theywillnotwalkoutempty-handed.
Oppositethewomenandchildren'sdepartmentstoreisthecentralshoppingcityopenedinnovember1994.onitsoriginalsitetherewerefivesmallstoresrunbyrussians,whichwerebuiltin1932.afterliberation,theywereturnedintoonedepartmentstore.in1994,theoldbuildingwastorndown,andthiscomprehensivedepartmentstorewasbuilt.thearchitectureisacombinationofaeuropeancastlewithmodernarchitecture.ithasbecomeanewscenicspotonzhongyangstreet.
Atwegoalongtheroad,weareabletoseethecentralpharmacy.itwasabungalowbefore.in1912,germansidemen'sopenedashopheretosellelectricalequipmentandmaterials.afterliberation,itwasreconstructed.nowyoucanfindnotonlyMedicinehere,butalsothegoldlionshop,asuper-marketandakentuckyfriedchickenrestaurant.
Thisshoppingcenterwasopenedin1995.itsoriginalsitewasashopmanagedbyaswede.itdealtinchina,porcelainandenamelware.afterliberation,itbecameafood-store.thebuildingyouseenowwasdesignedbyafamousarchitectinheilongjiang.itisamasterpieceofadoptingreliefsculpturesinmodernconstruction.thisbuildingisanattractivesiteinzhongyangstreet.