《城門幾丈高》講述重慶開埠的歷史

□ 文、圖/本刊記者 熊怡

《城門幾丈高》講述重慶開埠的歷史

□ 文、圖/本刊記者 熊怡

6月1 6日，徐蓓在重慶精典書店和讀者分享紀錄片《城門幾丈高》拍攝及幕后故事。

“在重慶逛街就像被一大群人挾著前行。涌動的行人呀，轎子呀，運貨的騾呀、驢呀、馬呀，還有無數的棒棒，肩上挑著根扁擔，扁擔兩端用繩子系著兩個大筐。凡是能在街上做的事，人們都在街上做。叫賣的小販呀，修補瓷器的呀，這兒有理發師在剃頭，那兒有穿戴整齊的女工匠……”

19世紀末，英國冒險家立德樂帶著他的新婚妻子來到重慶，留下了這個城市早期的影像及文字記錄。

2017年，由英國劍橋大學社會人類學碩士、英國政府志奮領獎學金獲得者、國內資深紀錄片制作人徐蓓導演，帶著即將在央視播出的首部重慶開埠歷史紀錄片《城門幾丈高》，為來過這里的外地人、外國人講述，她的家鄉重慶向西方國家打開城門，引領中國長江上游經濟發展和對外開放，走過了一條什么樣的路。

“城門城門幾丈高？三十六丈高。騎白馬，帶把刀，城門底下走一遭。”

也許所有的重慶人都聽過這首童謠。由于發音相近，這首童謠又有這樣的版本：

“城門城門雞蛋糕，三十綠豆糕。騎馬馬，坐轎轎，走進城門砍一刀。”

這部講述重慶城市基因形成的紀錄片片名，靈感來自于童謠《城門幾丈高》。而這首童謠的產生與流傳，本身就是故事的一部分。

深挖重慶的開埠歷史，然而并不局限于本土。不久前公布的《城門幾丈高》紀錄片片段，透露出導演徐蓓看待歷史的國際視野，以及她觀察和認識事物新的方法論。“站在更廣闊的時間、空間背景下，才更能發現重慶這座城市在歷史上的重要性。”同時，徐蓓還分享了攝制組遠赴英國尋找拍攝線索的獨家花絮。

《城門幾丈高》紀錄片取材于1891—1945年這個時期的斷代史，共分為5集。第一集《朝天門》，敘述清朝末期重慶的開埠歷程；第二集《城門開》，介紹首批來到重慶的英國人對這座城市近代化進程的影響；第三集《潮水來》，講述第一代民族資本家留學歸來如何加快這座城市建設；第四集《舵把子》，展現民族資本家盧作孚在北碚進行鄉村建設對重慶近代化的推進；最后一集《龍門陣》，呈現了抗戰時期各路人士匯聚重慶的景象，就像在重慶擺了8年的“龍門陣”。抗戰勝利后，有的人走了，有的人留下了，而這座城市的故事還在繼續……

“在這部紀錄片里，英國作為當時的西方之首，幾乎占據了頭兩集的每一幀。”徐蓓說，重慶開埠，從第一批英國人進駐重慶，重慶現代航運業和城市近代化歷程由此開始，重慶也成為中國西南地區最早向世界開放的地區。

立德樂，英國曼徹斯特人，第一個駕駛輪船通過三峽的英國人。《大不列顛名人錄》至今仍稱贊立德樂是“開發中國西部的第一人”，《重慶歷史名人錄》把立德樂列為在渝留下業績的12位外國友人之一。當年，立德樂在重慶開設洋行，經營四川土特產和外國舶來品，這是重慶歷史上的第一家外商洋行。立德樂用自己的冒險精神，和至今仍屹立在重慶南濱路的立德樂洋行舊址，在重慶近代史上留下了自己的印記。

1889年2月15日，立德樂駕駛蒸汽輪船“利川號”從宜昌出發，穿越三峽，經過二十多天航行，于3月9日抵達重慶朝天門碼頭，政府官員帶領船只列隊江中，鳴鑼放炮迎候，上萬名老百姓擁到江邊觀看。徐蓓介紹，像“利川號”這樣早期在川江上航行的蒸汽動力船，當年都是在英國城市格拉斯哥的克萊德河畔設計建造和裝配的。

遍布克萊德河兩岸的造船廠，使格拉斯哥成為了曾經的造船中心。為尋找歷史線索，徐蓓帶領攝制組遠赴英國設計之都格拉斯哥，探訪了這座百年造船之都。在造船廠的陳列館里，看到了曾經航行在川江上輪船的“古董”發動機。

從英國到中國重慶，立德樂及他的同胞—長江三峽商業汽輪先驅“肇通號”船長蒲蘭田，用生命和時間丈量了兩國的距離，也加快了重慶城市近代化的進程。

隨著1891年3月重慶開埠，各國在重慶紛紛設立領事館，并開設洋行、公司，建立工廠。英國人郝博遜在朝天門糖幫公所建立海關，后遷至太平門順城街。

從1891年起，重慶海關每年都會留下關于這座城市的詳細記錄。重慶地方史研究會會長周勇說：“海關報告幾乎就是一部‘百科全書’，比如，政府發生了什么事，今年建了幾所學校，鴉片是怎么運進來的，甚至包括當時的女人解放裹腳，里面都記錄得非常清楚。”可以說，重慶就是19世紀西方國家打開中國西部的一把鑰匙。

“從歷史發展角度來講，重慶開埠實質是以英國為首的西方勢力打開了中國西部的大門。”周勇認為，但從近現代化發展的角度來說，重慶開埠使這座城市成為長江上游地區第一個進入現代化的城市，與當今重慶引領長江上游經濟有密不可分的關系，從紀錄片《城門幾丈高》可以一窺究竟。

“when going shopping in Chongqing, the street is so crowded that you tend to step forward under the arms of hordes of people. The street is crowded with pedestrians, sedans, goods-carried mules, donkeys and horses, and the Bang-Bang army who shoulder a carrying pole tied with two big baskets on its both ends. People in Chongqing are inclined to do anything allowed in street where it, thus, is fi lled with hucksters, porcelain menders, barbers who are serving their clients and well-dressed craftswomen.”

In the late 19th century, Leadery, an adventurer from Britain, came to Chongqing with his newlywed wife, then leaving the early image and written records of Chongqing.

The director Ms. Xu Pei, a China’s senior documentary producer, who has obtained master’s degree of social anthropology granted by Cambridge University and won the Chevening Scholarship, made the first historic documentary of recording the opening of Chongqing’s port—The City Gate with Several Meters High, which is going to be shown on CCTV in 2017. This documentary will introduce what a road Chongqing walked in its long journey of opening up to the western world as well as how Chongqing led an economic development and opening-up progress in the upstream of the Yangtze River to people from the rest of China and foreign friends.

“How high is the city gate? Thirty-six Zhang (120 meters). Riding a white horse and taking a knife, let’s take a walk under the gate.”

People in Chongqing may all have heard this nursery rhyme. As for the similar pronunciation, this nursery rhyme has the other version:“Egg cake in the gate, and green bean cake costs thirty yuan. Riding a horse and sitting in the sedan, let’s walk into gate and wave a knife.”

The name of this documentary recording how Chongqing took its shape was inspired by The City Gate with Several Meters High. However, they are also the part of story that how this nursery rhyme came to being and how it was spread.

When having an in-depth understanding of port-opening history, you’ll find that it is not limited within its indigenous part. The documentary segment broadcast not long ago unveiled the director’s international view toward history and her new ways to observe and know the world. “Standing under the broader background of both time and space, you will fi nd the important role of Chongqing played in its history.” At the same time, Ms. Xu also shared exclusive tidbits made in the journey of seeking shooting clues in the London.

Based on the dynastic history from 1891 to 1945, this documentary is divided into five episodes. The first episode called Chaotianmen records how Chongqing opened ports in the late Qing Dynasty; the second one called the City Gate is Open introduces the impact from the first British people who came to Chongqing on its modernization; the third one called Tidewater is Coming tells how the first-generation national capitalists who returned hometown after studying abroad made their efforts to speed up the development of Chongqing; the fourth one called Rudder Handle demonstrates how rural construction conducted by national capitalist Lu Zuofu in Beibei boosted the modernization of Chongqing; the last one called Longmen Battle Array shows such a grand image that people from different walks gathered in Chongqing during the War Resistance against Japan as if Chongqing has displayed “the longmen battle array” for eight years. After the victory of the War of Resistance against Japan, some people were gone, and some were left there while the story about Chongqing is still continuing…

“In this documentary, Britain as the lead of the western world almost occupies the first two episodes.” Ms. Xu said that since Chongqing started to open ports and the first British people settled down in Chongqing, its modern shipping industry and modernization began its new journey, thus Chongqing becoming the earliest region open to the rest of world in the southwest China.Leadery from Manchester, Britain, was the fi rst British person that succeeded in driving the ship through the Three Gorges. The Britannica—Who’s Who in the World still praises him as “the first person of developing the west China” and Historical Records of Chongqing listed Leadery as one of twelve foreigners who have made great achievements in Chongqing. At that time, he opened a foreign firm in Chongqing which mainly managed local products in Sichuan and foreign products, representing the first foreign firm in the history of Chongqing. Leadery, embracing the spirit of adventure, left his marks in the modern history of Chongqing as his foreign firm and warehouse still stand in the Nanbin Road of Chongqing.

On February 15, 1889, Leadery started his journey with the steamboat of “Lichuan” from Yichang, traveled through the Three Gorges, and then reached the Chaotianmen dock on the March 9th after 20-day navigation. Officials led boats to line up in the river while showing their welcome with fabulous decorations, gong beating and cracker fi ring, attracting thousands of people to have a look on the riverside. Ms. Xu introduced that at that time, steam-powered ships like the boat of “Lichuan” which traveled in the rivers of Sichuan in the early period were designed, manufactured and equipped in the Clyde Bank, Glasgow, Britain.

Bene fi ted by shipyards spreading all over both sides of the Clyde River, Glasgow became once a shipbuilding center. With the purpose of fi nding historic clues, Ms. Xu led her production group to Glasgow, City of Design in Britain, to visit this century-old shipbuilding capital. They also have seen the “antique” engine which sailed in the Chuanjiang River in the exhibition hall of shipyard.

From Britain to Chongqing, Leadery and his fellow, Pu Lantian, the captain of “Zhaotong”, a Chinese ship which entered Sichuan for its fi rst time, measured the distance between two countries with their life and time and sped up the modernization of Chongqing.

With the port-opening of Chongqing in March, 1891, many countries had set up consulates and opened the

fi rms, companies and factories in this place. Hobson, an Englishman, established customs in Tangbang Administrative Office, Chaotianmen Port which was then removed to Shuncheng Street, Taipingmen Port. Chongqing Customs has left a detailed record of this city every year since 1891. Zhou Yong, Director of Chongqing Local History Seminar, introduced that “the customs report is almost an ‘encyclopedia’”. It even clearly recorded what happened to the government, how many schools have been built this year, how did the opium come in and even the liberation of footbinding for women. It could be said that Chongqing was the key for western countries to open up the west China in the 19th Century.

Zhou Yong considered, “From the perspective of historical development, the port-opening in Chongqing represents essentially that the western forces led by Britain opened the door to the west China”. But from the view of modern development, the port-opening in Chongqing enables this city to become the fi rst modern city in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It has a close relationship with Chongqing’s current economic leadership in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

The City Gate with Several Meters High Tells the History about the Port-opening in Chongqing

Article, Picture/ Journalist Xiong Yi