Nanjing | The Laomendong area this morning is like the rain alley in a poet's heart

Today's Laomendong, like the rain alley in a poet's heart, is a tourist attraction for visitors. But for me, there's no need for deliberate nostalgia; just walking into an alleyway fills me with childhood memories. It's as if I can hear my grandmother calling me home for dinner again. Rain is truly magical. It seems to use a gentle brushstroke to outline the ink painting of Laomendong's white walls, black tiles, and bluestone paths. All the noise is washed away by the rain, leaving only the sound of dripping. Does it remind you of the poet Dai Wangshu's 'Rain Alley'? 'With an oil-paper umbrella, alone I wander in the long, long and desolate rain alley...' Unfortunately, I did not encounter the girl with lilacs today. Laomendong at seven in the morning is peaceful and pleasant, as if isolated in another time and space. The rain washes away the dust of autumn, turning Laomendong into a poetic scroll of rain alleys. Here, it is no longer monotonous grey, but shows a profound and complex beauty. Wandering through the alleys is like walking in a dream, intoxicated and enthralled. In a few days, the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays will arrive, and Laomendong will present a different scene, bringing new stories. 📍Detailed address: No. 63-2, Jianzi Alley, Fuzimiao Street, Qinhuai District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province