Huizhou Old Streets

Although most stores along Laojie sell local produces, antiques, and touristy knick-knacks, if you do a little bit research in advance, you'll find some real, authentic old stores here, for example, this old Chinese herbal medicine store. And I've even got myself a doctor's appointment here today!

Tong Deren herbal medicine store has been on Laojie for over 120 years. The decorations and layout are characteristic of that time period; and what's more, it still keeps the tradition of having a practitioner of Chinese medicine see patients at the lobby.

Seeing the traditional Chinese doctor is quite relaxing - no need to have awkward metal equipment poking around or even inside your body. Just a few minutes of pulsing, looking and chatting,

And somewhere inside these antique cabins are the dried grass, barks, roots and other novelty herbal medicine that supposedly can bring me well and sound sleep.

If you have to get some travel souvenir from Laojie that can best represent Huizhou, Ink slab is a safe bet. And it's not too hard to find a good piece here since the area is known for crafting one of the best ink slabs and ink sticks in the country.

Mr. Wang Zuwei has been engaged in inkstone carving for over a decade, and he is just one of the many ink stone artists along Laojie.

Xiaolan: "how much does this piece cost?"

Wang: "It takes about 3,000 US dollars."

Xiaolan"Wow, 3,000 US Dollars - it's some kind of money. But this is a piece of artwork, and it requires the master about one month's time to make it."

Wang: "behind this one month, it's years of training and practice."

Huizhou boasts the best ink slab in whole country, now I see why. To make a good piece of ink slab is not only the carving work. It's your training, your education in a lot of areas. For example, literature, painting, and music, because the designing and the creativity behind the whole piece of inkslab is more important, that's how you bring out the best of this piece of stone.