Lalin: Once a big city, now a small town hides a big yamen

Lalin Manchu Town, located between Harbin and Wuchang, this town is sandwiched between two large urban areas, but it seems very lonely and lacks a sense of existence. However, the boundary river between Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces is called Lalin River, which shows that this small town must have some history. The history of Lalin can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty (1330). In the early years of Qianlong, idle flag people in the capital moved north, and many of them settled in Lalin. In the ninth year of Qianlong (1744), after the approval of the Ningguta General, a deputy capital yamen was set up here to manage the present Binxian, Acheng, Shangzhi, Yanshou, Shuangcheng, Lalin and other places, with a total area of about 30,000 kilometers, which was quite large. In 1769, Lalin's deputy capital was abolished and downgraded to a co-leader, under the jurisdiction of Alechuka's deputy capital. Where is Alechuka City? It is now Acheng, which was once the upper capital of the Jin Dynasty and is also an ancient city. The former deputy capital yamen is hidden in a small alley in this small town. Entering the gate, there is a circle of Chinese-style buildings, and the yard seems to have been planted with vegetables. I am very curious about what the courtyard was like in the past, what kind of paving and furnishings it had, and what kind of use it had. Because of the gathering of flag people here, Lalin's deputy capital yamen is also a museum of Beijing flag culture. I don't know if it's because it hasn't been around for a long time, but Lalin's deputy capital yamen is not very large in terms of its rules and regulations. It has a quadrangle layout, with 7 rooms in the main hall, 7 rooms in the east and west wing rooms, and 4 rooms in the east and west gate rooms, all of which are blue brick and blue tile buildings. It looks like there are many rooms, but in fact there are only three real big tile houses. When this yamen was established, it was probably located in the middle of some adobe houses, but at that time it should have been a standout. At its peak, the yamen had more than 600 soldiers and officials. However, looking at the size of the yamen, although there were soldiers' residences on both sides, not many people could live in them. The main force should have other garrison points. The deputy capital's chief officer was in charge of military and political affairs, flag people and local financial affairs, and his power was not small. How big is the deputy capital official? He is a military officer of the second rank, a big official who has a firm grip on military and political affairs. You should know that in 'The Deer and the Cauldron', Wei Xiaobao started as a small eunuch, went through life and death, experienced hardships, and was only made a deputy capital after helping Kangxi find his father. This position is already an absolute high-level leader. The main hall of the museum is filled with mannequins, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the time when they were in office. Other rooms show the scenes of the deputy capital's office life. The exhibition hall uses miniature clay sculptures to show the bustling scene outside the yamen when the deputy capital was in office. Perhaps there was a big market outside the door at that time. Because the museum is also a Beijing flag culture exhibition hall, there are also many contents of Beijing flag culture here. I don't know what kind of mood the descendants of the eight banners had when they returned to the 'land of dragon prosperity' from the capital. Even if he was a deputy capital, watching the snow flying in the courtyard in winter and the wind howling, he probably wanted to leave this place as soon as possible and leave the jurisdiction of the Ningguta General. Finally, let's talk about Lalin. The water in front of Lalin Railway Station has turned green, and the small town that used to be accessible by the Harbin-Wuchang Railway now seems very dilapidated. Departing from Harbin towards Wuchang and Jilin, Lalin is a must-pass place. However, this small town is just located between the two toll stations of Harbin-Wuchang Road. Whether going to Wuchang or Harbin, although the distance is not far, you have to pay a toll of 15 yuan. Although the location here is not biased, basically no one will visit here specifically for the high toll. There are not many characteristic small towns that can be reached from Harbin in an hour, and Lalin, as a Manchu town, should be able to make a difference in characteristic tourism.