Recently, the courtyard of the "Gourd Grandpa" in Shaoxing has gone viral.
Beside Tanhua Bridge in the Shusheng Guli area of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, seven green gourds hanging from a wooden trellis unexpectedly went viral, becoming a new photo spot in the old street and earning the nickname "Real-life Calabash Brothers" from netizens.
The seven gourds hanging from the vines bore a striking resemblance to the opening scene of the classic animation "Calabash Brothers," attracting a large number of tourists to take photos.
On the evening of September 5, the "Gourd Brother Grandpa" appeared once again on his riverside balcony within the scenic area. This time, instead of interacting with visitors from across the country across the river, he used long-handled scissors to cut the gourds from the vines.
In early September, the grandfather had mentioned that the gourds would remain hanging for over a month and be removed before Frost's Descent. However, with a continuous stream of visitors, peaking at interactions every 5-10 minutes, the elderly couple began to feel exhausted.
On September 2, the local community put up signs reading "Please do not shout loudly; Grandpa is resting." September 5 was a Saturday, and the surge in visitors caused the grandmother's dizziness condition to flare up by the end of the day.
According to the grid manager of the Shusheng Guli community, the gourds were removed because the old house is built by the water and the alleys are narrow. With so many people gathering, the elderly couple was concerned about tourist safety. Additionally, spending significant time and energy interacting with everyone each day left them feeling tired.
On the evening of September 5, the Shaoxing Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism posted a video of Chen Jin'ao removing the gourds on its WeChat Channels account, commenting: "This ancient city has much more beauty and charm waiting to be discovered. Let us return peace and quiet to the elderly couple, and wish them health and safety."
It is reported that the elderly couple, named Chen Jin'ao and Shen Hualing, are a childless pair who lost their only daughter 25 years ago and have no grandchildren. The grandmother stated, "We used to keep our doors closed and lived quite secluded lives, but netizens have opened our hearts."
The couple also posted two sentences at their doorstep: "No gifts accepted, no commercial advertisements allowed." On the evening of September 5, after removing the gourds, Grandpa Chen sang the song "Our Life Is Full of Sunshine" and waved goodbye to everyone.