文/楊艷 圖/唐安冰
從渝中區(qū)兩路口往鵝嶺公園方向緩坡上行一段,便是國際村社區(qū)。居民樓依山而建,石梯小巷蜿蜒曲折,就像城市的毛細血管逶迤伸展,周邊很多老建筑至今保存較好。其實,曾經(jīng)的國際村范圍比現(xiàn)在的國際村社區(qū)還大。抗戰(zhàn)時期以該地區(qū)為核心,李子壩、兩路口、佛圖關(guān)等地,進駐多國外交機構(gòu),往來無數(shù)外交人員及國際友人。
抗戰(zhàn)時期,重慶作為戰(zhàn)時首都,成為世界反法西斯國際統(tǒng)一戰(zhàn)線多方力量的聚集地。1937年至1946年,外國在重慶設(shè)有大使館18個、公使館5個、專員公署1個,法國、德國同時設(shè)大使館、總領(lǐng)事館。同時,大韓民國臨時政府也設(shè)于重慶。大量的外事機構(gòu)及外交人員、國際友人被分散安置于城市多地,其中主要集中于渝中半島和南岸黃山。
基于與渝中區(qū)上清寺政要樞機的毗鄰度,美國大使館、澳大利亞公使館、丹麥公使館、土耳其公使館在兩路口至佛圖關(guān)沿線先后進駐,隨之而來的還有使領(lǐng)館人員寓所(美國公使館記者宿舍樓)、娛樂設(shè)施,以及保護這些外交機構(gòu)的暗堡等軍事設(shè)施的建設(shè)。
抗戰(zhàn)時期,在東至兩路口,西至佛圖關(guān),北抵李子壩(嘉陵新村),南至王家坡,沿山脊分布有4處使領(lǐng)館,另有蔣介石宋美齡“鵝嶺飛閣”短期居所(后為英國駐華大使卡爾居所)、中央銀行印鈔廠(今渝中區(qū)鵝嶺二廠)、中央圖書館(羅斯福圖書館)等,成為承載抗戰(zhàn)外交、軍事、文化活動的重要聚集場所—國際村。
國際村經(jīng)由三層馬路穿越嘉陵新村,北接嘉陵江岸的李子壩正街,沿途分布有徐遠舉公館等多處政要官邸,以及金融、新聞機構(gòu),包括大公報及其印刷洞、交通銀行建筑群等。
關(guān)于此地的歷史沿革,重慶市規(guī)劃和自然資源局曾作過細致研究:隨著1946年政要機構(gòu)陸續(xù)撤離,除民國印鈔廠工人繼續(xù)留駐外,普通市民迅速搬遷入住。新中國成立后,1953年印鈔廠改為重慶印制二廠 ,其后于山林之間興建住宅,更多的工人定居國際村。如今的國際村已是渝中區(qū)兩路口街道辦事處下轄社區(qū)居委會的稱謂,西起佛圖關(guān)公園,東至兩路口市急救中心,規(guī)模為0.4平方公里。
如今,經(jīng)過修繕提檔升級后的國際村社區(qū)煥然一新,社區(qū)里的文化長廊以抗戰(zhàn)文化為主題布展了老照片,沿路設(shè)置的線路導(dǎo)示牌介紹有美國記者樓舊址、英國海軍俱樂部舊址,以及石碉堡和無線電臺舊址。
一路行至坡頂,一棟兩層樓的灰色小洋樓就是抗戰(zhàn)時期美國領(lǐng)事館的記者宿舍,也就是美國記者樓舊址,磚木結(jié)構(gòu)中西結(jié)合建筑,外墻為青磚,木質(zhì)樓板和回廊、梯道,還有小陽臺,建筑布局為“船”的形態(tài)。
附近還有一處陳舊的紅磚民房,是當(dāng)年的石碉堡。暗堡藏身地下,一共有3個掩體,連接一間不規(guī)則形狀的主屋,高約1.8米,墻面為燕窩泥。如今石碉堡外墻已粉刷,內(nèi)部布局呈八角形,可容兩三人。社科院專家考察后認為,當(dāng)時美國大使館等重要機關(guān)都處于此地,外國人出入頻繁,為了安全保衛(wèi),便修建了這座暗堡。據(jù)了解,這里是渝中的一處制高點,共有多個暗堡,布局呈梅花狀,人稱“梅花堡”。解放后,其他暗堡均被拆除,只剩下這一座。
除此之外,還有一座無線電臺舊址,抗戰(zhàn)時期進行對敵干擾和監(jiān)聽的工作?,F(xiàn)已在原址上完成復(fù)建。
漫步在曲折的街巷里,從墻上的老照片追尋歷史,今天的國際村雖然已看不到昔日的景象,但可以想象那時很“國際”的樣子。
An "International Village" in Chongqing
The International Village Community lies on the upward section of a gentle slope from Lianglukou in Yuzhong District to E'ling Park. Its residential buildings nestle snugly along the mountains, with stone steps and alleys meandering and stretching like capillaries of the city, and countless adjacent old architectures remaining intact till now. Actually, the "International Village" used to encompass a larger area than it does at present. During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, with the region at the core, multiple countries' diplomatic institutions settled at such places as Liziba, Lianglukou, and Fotuguan, etc., ushering in a myriad of diplomats and international friends.
During the same period of time, as the Wartime Capital, Chongqing emerged as the rendezvous of multipartite forces of the International Anti-Fascist United Front. From 1937 to 1946, 18 embassies, 5 legations and 1 Commissioner's Office were set up in Chongqing by foreign countries, including the French and German Consulates General at the same time. Meanwhile, Chongqing also served as the seat of the interim government of the Republic of Korea. Legions of foreign affairs institutions, diplomats and international friends were scattered and displaced in multiple places of the city, mainly in Yuzhong Peninsula and Huangshan Mountain in Nanan District.
Based on the proximity to Shangqing Temple, the politician hub in Yuzhong District, the US Embassy, Australian Legation, Danish Legation and Turkish Legation successively settled along the route from Lianglukou to Fotuguan, ensued by apartments of embassy and consular personnel (US Embassy journalist dormitory building), recreational amenities as well as the construction of military facilities such as bunkers protecting these diplomatic institutions.
During the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, with four embassies and consulates distributed along the mountain ridge covering from Lianglukou in the east to Fotuguan in the west, and from Liziba (Jialing New Village) in the north to Wangjiapo in the south, alongside "Feige Pavilion", the interim residence of Chiang Kai-shek and Soong May-ling (the later residence for Archibald Clark Kerr, British ambassador to China), Central Bank Banknote Printing Plant (Testbed 2 of Yuzhong District at present), Central Library (Roosevelt Library) and so on, the "International Village" became a key rendezvous for the diplomatic, military and cultural activities during the wartime, and its stories are still being told till now.
The "International Village" is connected with Liziba Street on the riverbank of the Jialing River that passes through "Jialing New Village" via three layers of roads. Along the way, there are many dignitary residences such as Xu Yuanju Residence, as well as financial and news agencies including Ta Kung Pao and its printing caves, building cluster of Bank of Communications, etc.
Chongqing Bureau of Urban Planning and Natural Resources used to conduct detailed researches on the history of this site: after the withdrawal of political institutions in 1946 in succession, except that the workers in Banknote Printing Plant of ROC stayed on their posts, common citizens flocked in and settled here rapidly. After the founding of New China, in 1953, the Banknote Printing Plant was changed to Chongqing No.2 Printing Plant, and as buildings were built amid mountains and forests subsequently, more workers settled in the "International Village". Today, the "International Village" has become the appellation of the community residents committee affiliated to Lianglukou Sub-district Office of Yuzhong District, covering an area of 0.4 square kilometres from Fotuguan Park in the west to Lianglukou Emergency Medical Center in the east and dovetailing with the aforementioned scope in the wartime.
The renovated and upgraded International Village Community has assumed a refreshed look nowadays. Themed upon the wartime culture, old photos are on display in the community cultural corridor. Moreover, the route signages set along the roads also indicate the former site of the US journalist building, former site of the British Navy Club, as well as the former sites of stone bunkers and radio stations.
All the way to the top of the slope, a two-storey gray Western-style building appears, which used to act as the journalist dormitory of the US Consulate during the wartime, i.e., the former site of the US journalist building. As a combination of Chinese- and Western-style architectures in the brick and wood structure, its architectural layout is in the form of “ship” with the exterior wall made of grey bricks, all wooden floors, corridors, and stairways, and small balconies equipped.
There is also a timeworn red brick house nearby, which was a stone bunker back then. The bunker was hidden underground with its three shelters connected by an irregular-shaped main building about 1.8m high, and its wall was covered by bird's nest mud. Nowadays, the exterior wall of the stone bunker has been coated with cement, and its octagonal internal layout can accommodate two to three persons inside. Experts from Chinese Academy of Social Sciences once concluded after a visit here that the US Embassy and other key organs were located here and visited by foreign people heavily at that time, so such bunker was built for security reasons. It is learnt that this place is called “the plum blossom bunker” as it is a commanding height in Yuzhong with several hidden bunkers in the shape of plum blossoms. After the liberation, all other hidden bunkers have been removed, leaving this one as the only bunker behind.
Besides, there is a former site of a radio station, which was a radio monitoring and interference station during the wartime for enemy interference and monitoring. And its reconstruction has been completed on the original site.
By strolling along the winding streets and alleys and tracing the history from the old photos on the wall, we can still envision the "International" hustle and bustle it assumed despite the long-gone scene in the International Village today.