In my eyes, the answer is yes. Since the port of Amsterdam became a busy dock at the end of the 14th century, Amsterdam has been associated with a lot of charm, and its charm not only comes from the gentle flow of the canal water, but also from the full of sexy erotic culture of the red light district (Red Light District).
All of my companions, except me, were married. They teased me, "I'm not afraid to learn the hard way if I'm young enough to go see this," they said. If I had enough knowledge at that time, then I could have dumbfounded them with one sentence, "Look, Amsterdam's sex industry has been around for six centuries, has Amsterdam learned the hard way?" Not only has Amsterdam not learned, it's still in full bloom. When I returned to Amsterdam in the winter, my exploration of the city began in the red light district that I remember from my youth.
But roaming around Amsterdam in winter is not a pleasure. Sunrise doesn't start until 9 a.m., and sunset is over by 4. For such short days, there isn't even a hint of sunshine; there are overcast skies, damp air and a body temperature much lower than the actual temperature. Since the parking fees for hotels in Amsterdam are ridiculously expensive, I booked my hotel in a small town on the edge of Amsterdam, which offered free parking and a big supermarket in the back, where I got my favorite Turkish yogurt. I was reminded of the wonderful time I spent alone in Turkey. From the hotel to Amsterdam's red light district, it's a 10-minute ride on the intercity train, which costs 4.1 euros each way. The train was empty in the early morning, and as far as I could see, I noticed a lady without a mask. At this point, I didn't realize that it was the first day of lockdown in the Netherlands.
When I arrived at the canal-side red light district, it was just the right time for the sun to rise on heaven and earth, brilliantly opening the morning sun, but the sun was already blocked by thick clouds, which made Europe's largest red light district look a little depressed. The windows on both sides of the canal, which only show Amsterdam's "erotic capital" at night, are separated by red curtains, and one can only rely on one's imagination to restore the glamor behind the curtains. I walked along the quiet canals, from this bank of the red light district, walked to the other bank, and asked myself why the red light district will be built in the center of Amsterdam's land? Why would civilized Amsterdam allow the legal existence of prostitutes? Because Amsterdam.
The outbreak of the Black Death in the 14th century attracted more and more people to Amsterdam, and the success of the pickled herring method made Amsterdam more and more affluent, and the port of Amsterdam became busier and busier, and the location of the red light district is Amsterdam's oldest dock. When the cargo ships coming in and out of Amsterdam docked in Amsterdam's harbor, sailors disembarked after weeks or months at sea to relax and have a good time. For men, the best way to have fun was with wine and women, and so these two businesses were born. By the end of the 14th century, brothels were legal in Amsterdam. When the 17th century Dutch **** and the country ushered in its own golden age, Amsterdam also became from the Baltic Sea, North Africa, America, Indonesia and Brazil, such as the adventurers of the backyard, the sex industry here also followed the boom. At that time there was no electric light, the women with red candles emitted a faint light, let their seduction in the night overflowing, and from then on, the name of the "red light district" began to spread. But the consequence of sexual openness was the ubiquity of sexually transmitted diseases, which Napoleon was able to control when he occupied the area. He let the girls regular medical checkups, no disease with a red card on duty, with a sick person with a white card to the hospital for medical treatment, and the rules are not before the cure can not receive customers.
By definition, such a "dirty" place should be full of violence and drugs, but the fact is that Amsterdam's red light district is very safe, the Netherlands sex crime rate is also far below the European average, the rate of unwed pregnancy of underage girls is the lowest in Europe. And here in addition to the red powder girl brightly licensed and pay taxes, they have their own associations and trade unions, the Dutch government is in the center of the red light district for a black prostitute erected a statue, which is engraved with: "to the world of sex workers to pay tribute to!"
I don't know if such an initiative would blow many people's minds, and if it did, it blew many more. It was the first country in Europe to allow legalized prostitution, and the first to allow marijuana smoking and gay marriage, all policies that have left the Netherlands with a taste of freedom and tolerance floating in the air. And this freedom and tolerance has been around for more than 400 years now, starting from the time when the Dutch **** and state were tolerant of religion. This freedom and tolerance, so that Amsterdam in the 17th century became the world's financial center, its masterpiece is the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
The Amsterdam Stock Exchange does not have the long history of the red light district, but it is the symbol of Amsterdam on top of the world. The world's first stock exchange allowed the first Dutch East India Company, the first publicly traded company, to gather the scattered wealth of the whole society and, with the support of the state, to turn this wealth into its own capital for foreign expansion by financing the society. The reason why the Dutch East India Company was able to raise huge capital was not only because of the government's participation, but also because of the credit that the Dutch had exchanged for their lives. Once a Dutch merchant ship was blown to an island by a gale in winter, in the absence of food and clothing, the Dutch merchants preferred to starve to death and die of disease, but did not use the food and medicine of their customers, until the spring came, the only few people left on the merchant ship returned to Amsterdam. Such good credit made the Dutch the creators of the modern commodity system, and they organically unified credit, banking, limited liability companies, and stock exchanges into an interlocking financial and commercial system.
But after Amsterdam surrendered its financial center to London, and after Napoleon took over the Netherlands, Amsterdam "pined" along with the Netherlands. But when Napoleon suffered a historic defeat in Russia, not only the international status of Russia has never been higher, but also the Netherlands also ushered in good luck, how is it? Because the Netherlands and Russia "brother and sister" has a long history.
From the 11th century AD, the Frisians were bombarded by the Romans to the north of the Netherlands began to trade with the Russians, as evidenced by the discovery of Frisian coins on the Caspian Sea coast. Around the time of the establishment of the Dutch **** and State, Dutch merchants opened up sea routes from Western Europe to Russia, and so trade with Russia became even closer. In the year before the establishment of the Dutch East India Company, Dutch merchants drew a map of Russian cities and coasts, the first systematic introduction of Russia to the Western European world, this time in the golden age of the Netherlands is the "big brother" behind Russia. When the Polish and Swedish armies attacked Russia, the Netherlands intervened on Russia's behalf, eventually leading to reconciliation. Two years before the end of the 30-year war in Europe, the Netherlands set up a permanent representative in Russia, opening the history of the relationship between the two countries to develop greatly.
Then, as we all know, Peter the Great personally led a diplomatic mission to the Netherlands in the late 17th century, and the Netherlands personally taught the Russian elite the full range of knowledge and techniques of navigation, gunnery, and shipbuilding. During this period, a large number of Dutch books were translated into Russian, and Russians took pride in learning Dutch. It can be said that Holland was the driving force behind Russia's progress towards modern civilization and the navigator of Russia's understanding of Western Europe. After Holland was occupied by Napoleon's army and became a vassal state of France, it was the Russian army that eventually marched to Amsterdam and other major cities and drove the French out of Holland. The Russian czar then married his sister to the second king of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consisted of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In other words, today the Dutch royal family has Russian blood in its veins. Is there a country in Western Europe that is closer to Russia than the Netherlands?
Definitely not. The "strong" Russia has become the umbrella of the Netherlands. It not only helped the Netherlands to solve the problem of separation of Belgium's independence, but also helped it to mediate in the dispute with the French colonies, and even put some of the country's gold reserves in Amsterdam, and invested heavily in Dutch industry, so that Amsterdam ushered in a second golden age at the end of the 19th century. In World War I, although the Netherlands declared its neutrality, it still raised money for wounded Russian soldiers and provided Russia with mobile hospital equipment. Prior to the Crimean War, the Netherlands was an important source of foreign investment for Russia, and was also long Russia's second largest market for crude oil. With more than 300 years of love for each other and more than 200 years of flesh and blood, Russia and the Netherlands are destined to be Russia's allies in Europe, which can't help but remind me of my daughter's Russian piano teacher. Her son did not get into the desired university in the U.S., but got a full prize at the best university in Holland, and Holland does love the Russians. In the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, it was the Netherlands that was the first to cut off flights to Ukraine. Holland, do you think no one recognizes you because you wear a "jacket"?
There are still people who recognize you, you are the US-Russia "megaphone" lurking underwater. In this U.S. and Russia sing a double act, the sword pointed to Germany in the Ukraine crisis, you live up to the expectations of the U.S. and Russia, fired the first shot. So why did the United States want to make the Ukrainian crisis? Because Germany "to drink, but not to eat punishment wine", trying to speculate in the United States to provide the world with a secure trade network, take advantage of all the benefits. Neither want to raise military spending, but also do not want to stand in line with the United States; both want to get a piece of the pie in the fight between China and the United States, but also want to "eye to eye" with Russia, resulting in the United States to reshape the global industrial chain of the united front can not be reached, the United States has been tolerating it to put up with it for a very long time. Then why Russia does not hesitate to issue the threat of using nuclear weapons, but also do not hesitate to top the "street rats, everyone shouting," the name of the United States to cooperate with the performance of the United States? Because of the huge interests. Russia's demand is by no means the independence of the two autonomous regions under the Ukrainian banner, nor is it just the interests of Central Asia, but should also include the Middle East. Does the US want to divide the entire Middle East, or the vast majority of the Middle East's interests, among Russia?
If so, the U.S. blood money can be big enough, not to let Germany "hemorrhage", the United States will never give up. From the German Chancellor said, "Germany's military spending from about 1.5% of GDP to more than 2%, and the establishment of a 100 billion euros earmarked to enhance the armament; the construction of two liquefied natural gas terminals for Germany to deliver more liquefied natural gas, as well as foreign policy will do a fundamental adjustment of the" official announcement, Germany is on the way of softening The U.S. has won again, but the biggest winner is Russia. Russia will bring the Middle East and Central Asia into its own sphere of influence, while the United States will kick out China and join hands with Europe to reshape the global industrial chain, as for the United States to sell oil and arms to Germany, the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, and let the dollar back to the United States, etc., are "grass to beat the rabbit". Who are the biggest losers in the Ukraine crisis? Germany and China. China is very unfortunate, was chosen by the United States as the number one enemy, although the heart wants to join forces with Russia, but unfortunately in the hands of the chips are not attractive enough; Germany is also very unfortunate, both want to be the European Union "boss", but also want to "ride the wall" to check the United States, but unfortunately in the hands of no iron fist.
The Chinese people often say "Xiangzhuang dance sword, intention in Pei Gong"; Chinese people also often say "openly repair the inn, secretly crossing the Chencang". The Ukraine crisis, the United States of America to the Chinese old saying used to the fullest, so that I am the United States of America colorful storytelling ability, the ability of the world to launch public opinion propaganda, the ability to accurately grasp the development of the crisis and the ability to grasp the pulse of the ability to play international politics in the palms of the ability to admiration, the world, any country wants to single-handedly pick on the United States or want to pull the gangs down is impossible, because the world's resources are in the hands of the United States. Most of the world's resources are in the hands of the United States. When Germany finally agrees to draw a line in the sand and part ways with China, the Ukrainian crisis comes to a close, the epidemic that has lasted for more than 2 years is nearing its end, and the world landscape will usher in a new era.
I don't know if my "conspiracy theory" is right, but I do know that it must be right that Amsterdam is "coming back to life" with the full support of Russia, because the stock and commodity exchange (Beurs van Berlage), which was built in Amsterdam at the end of the 19th century, has been a great success. The Beurs van Berlage, built in Amsterdam at the end of the 19th century, is evidence of this. Located just 400 meters from the red light district, this exchange building was designed and built by the famous Dutch architect Berlage, and is an important monument to modern Dutch architecture, whose innovative design influenced other architects, and in particular positively influenced the architectural style of the Amsterdam School. Instead of imitating the Gothic or Renaissance architecture of its contemporaries, the red-brick building establishes its own style, with a simple and austere exterior, the main adornment being a large clock on the tower, and three sculpted figures standing in the corners of the building, a legendary hero from literature, the founder of the Dutch East India Company, and a humanist of international influence. The interior of the bourse is also unique; the roof of the trading floor is made of double glazing, providing the hall with a lot of natural light, and famous artists of the time created three tile paintings representing the past, the present and the future, with frescoes on the walls representing industry and commerce.
However, I wasn't able to see the inside of the Exchange, which today has been converted into an exhibition and concert hall, because it was closed when I arrived. What I didn't get to see was the Royal Palace Amsterdam. The Royal Palace is also 400 meters from the exchange, where it is located Dam Square (Dam Square) is the birthplace of Amsterdam, a group of adventurers is in the Amsterdam River flowing through here after building a dam, only the prototype of Amsterdam, so this is the landmark of Amsterdam, known as Amsterdam, "navel " as it is called.
"Navel" must be the political and commercial center of the entire city, the Royal Palace built here is also a matter of course, however, this built in the Dutch Golden Age Palace was initially the City Hall and the Court, due to the rule of Napoleon in Holland, was crowned King of Holland King Louis Bonaparte lived here before being changed to the Royal Palace. It is called the 17th century architectural history of the miracle, the reason is that the builders first in the ground about 15 meters down more than 13,000 stakes, and then in the stakes with the stone foundation, and then built on the foundation of the house, so the palace is called "stakes on the palace". Miraculously, these stumps are still immovable, the Dutch are not really under the guidance of the gods? Today, the nearly 400-year-old palace is old, but the symmetry of the structure gives it a dignified beauty, the center of the triangular frieze carved with the image of Amsterdam is surrounded by Neptune and the Sea Spirit, above the frieze is a beautiful dome octagonal tower.
Unable to get into the Royal Palace, I had to wander around Dam Square. In addition to the Royal Palace, the square is surrounded by the Nationaal Monument, which commemorates the Nazi persecution of World War II, the Madame Tussauds, which was built during World War I and houses a diverse collection of music, sports, and film from the Dutch Golden Age, and the 600-year-old New Church (The Nieuwe Kerk), which has been converted into an exhibition hall. Nieuwe Kerk), but both are equally closed. Even if they were open, I don't think I'd go in; I'd enter the Rijksmuseum.
From the Royal Palace of Amsterdam to the Rijksmuseum, you have to cross five canals, five half-circular canals that wrap around the red light district, the stock exchange, and Dam Square in the center of the city, so that it is not afraid of the "wind and rain". At the same time, more than 1,000 bridges built in the canal to make the 5 canals "integrated", which was dug in the Dutch **** and the Golden Age of the country's Gentleman's Canal (Herengracht), the Prince's Canal (Prinsengracht) and the Emperor's Canal (Keizersgracht) composed of the Canal Belt (Grachtengordel), along the banks of which are quaint residential areas, while the Singel Canal (Singel), which was also dug in the golden age of the Dutch **** and the country and is close to the city center, is a moat, and the outermost Singel Canal (Singelgracht) is the external boundary of the city in the Dutch golden age. These canals laid down the urban pattern of Amsterdam today.
Unlike many old cities in Europe, which were built in a diffuse manner from the city center outwards, Amsterdam was built from west to east, up to the Ijen. From the outermost Singel Canal inwards, the longest of the canal belts, the Princes' Canal, the widest of the Emperor's Canals, and the Gentlemen's Canal with its golden turn, and the moated Singel Canal, where St. Francis Xavier's Church (De Krijtberg) stands beside the Gentlemen's Canal.
The dark brown exterior of this Catholic church, built shortly after the end of the Dutch-Spanish 80 Years' War, is sandwiched between homes, which makes it look a bit puny, but it was modeled after the imposing Cologne Cathedral in Germany. I've been to Cologne Cathedral, that was my first time to see the magnificent church in Europe, and I still remember it vividly, but St. Francis Xavier Church because of space constraints, the exterior can not be compared with the Cologne Cathedral, only the two Gothic twin towers that rise into the sky can be seen in the Cologne Cathedral a little bit of the shadow, but it is a unique interior brilliant colors.
Walking into the warm church, I felt my frozen blood flow again. In front of the church is the altar, behind the altar of the glass stained windows in the bright light shimmering colorful light, above the hanging in the air crucified Jesus, his crucifixion look I can not bear to look at, so I had to stare at the Twelve Apostles icon painting below him. The colors around the church look busy and messy at first glance, but a closer look reveals that the goose yellow is the base color and the blue, red, green, and gold are the matching colors, and the cross-use of these colors allows the breadth and variety of colors to be visually stretched out, making the church look simple and uncluttered at the same time. I sat down on a chair, watched the mass being held in the church, listened to the pleasant sound of the choir coming out of the organ, and couldn't help but drift back to the golden age of Holland.
The Dutch **** and the country's policy of religious tolerance so that Amsterdam and the Dutch **** and the country have ushered in the golden age, and the golden age is complemented by the scientific, cultural and artistic outbreaks, the air of freedom and economic prosperity has created a star-studded Dutch **** and the country. Levine Hooker invented the microscope and used the microscope to discover bacteria and microorganisms; Kobesch invented the telescope, the telescope became the "father of modern science" Galileo astronomical telescope's predecessor, and Huygens is the existence of the level of God. In astronomy, he not only discovered the largest of the satellites around Saturn, "Titan", but also discovered the Orion Nebula and Saturn's halo; in mathematics, he discovered probability, but also discovered the pendulum; in mechanics, he applied the "pendulum" to timers, opening a new era of human timepieces. In mechanics, he applied the "pendulum" to timepieces, ushering in a new era of timepieces for mankind, and designed and built the first pendulum clock in human history; in physics, he formulated Huygens' Principle in Theory of Light, and determined the boiling point and freezing point in the thermometer. How could Huygens, who made so many contributions in so many fields, not be blessed by the Great Spirit?
The fields of philosophy and the arts were also starry-eyed. Spinoza wrote his famous Ethics in the geometrical manner of Euclid, and his unique philosophical system not only provided a blueprint for the integration of science since then, but also influenced Marx; Hugo Grotius published The Laws of War and Peace, which became the progenitor of international law, and of course the most known to the world are the great Rembrandt and Vermeer, whose paintings, many of which are preserved in the Many of their paintings are kept in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. I know that appreciating masterpieces is my shortcoming, so I did my homework before the trip. I had high hopes for this museum on my trip to the Netherlands. When I confidently crossed the canal belt to find the master's "traces", in a canal, I was stopped by an old gentleman on a bicycle. He asked me if I knew English and I said yes. He said, "Look at me, I'm so old, I need help". I thought to myself, if you can ride a bicycle what help do you need from me, so I said back to him, "I'm sorry, it's the Dutch government's responsibility, not mine", and turned around and walked away.
The National Museum is located in the outermost part of Amsterdam, next to the Singel Canal. Leaving the canal belt of Amsterdam, has become a "passer-by", but built in the first year of the French occupation of the Netherlands, modeled on the Louvre and built the National Museum exterior still let me see. When I was excited to go in to enjoy the museum's treasures, Rembrandt's "Night Watch" and Vermeer's "Pouring Milk Maid" and other paintings, but how to find the ticket gate, had to ask a gentleman, he said that the Netherlands from this day onwards the whole country lockdown, all the restaurants and museums are closed. He said that all restaurants and museums are closed from this day onwards. I realized that no wonder the canals are so quiet and all the boats are quietly docked there, and I thought that it is not open for business.
I left the museum in a state of disappointment, and saw the schoolchildren singing, and asked them what they were doing. I continued on through the canal belt, looking at the Dutch canal specialty, the boathouse, and searching for the Floating Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt) by the Mint Square. I thought the Bloemenmarkt along the Singel Canal would be a great sight in the spring, but the cold winter months and the closure of the city made it seem listless, with only two houses open and no customers allowed inside, so I had to stand outside the fence and watch. The flower market is adjacent to Mint Square, which is home to one of Amsterdam's widest bridges, numbered 1, and the Mint Tower, once one of the three main medieval gates to the old city and named for the 17th-century mint.
I looked over at the clock on the mint tower and it was midday. Although I wasn't hungry, I needed to go to the restroom, but where to find it? I hoped there would be one in the old church (Oude Kerk) next to the red light district. This church has the largest medieval wooden roof in Europe and some of the best acoustics in Europe, so it's often the site of concerts, but it was closed. I was in a hurry and had to walk to the train station, which was not far away. As I walked out into the street, I suddenly spotted the neo-baroque and neo-renaissance Basilica of St. Nicholas (Basiliek van de Heilige Nicolaas). No photos were allowed inside the church, and I didn't want to take any, I just had to find a restroom. There really was one here, and it was still free, so I was happy. But all the restaurants were closed, so where was I going to fix my lunch? Go to the train station and take my chances.
This train station, built in the second golden age of the Netherlands, is beautiful, with Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles, and later became the architectural prototype of Tokyo Station in Japan. There are convenience stores in the train station which have very good simple bento, I eat one and take one with me. I charge my cell phone while enjoying the warmth of the convenience store, and by the time I exit the train station, dusk is coming on in Amsterdam, and it's only 4pm. I walked down the main street towards the stock exchange, then to Dam Square, then back to the canal strip until night fell completely. I went back to the red-light district, hoping for a different view, but it was dark, with no neon lights and only a few Chinese restaurants open.
The disappointment of the extreme I dragged the tired body to hit the road back home, this day, I almost put the golden age of Amsterdam to see all over. This city, once extremely tolerant of religion and now also extremely open, has become a windswept city in the hearts of countless people, with musicians from Britain, France, the Netherlands, Russia and Canada composing nearly 70 songs using its name alone, and a novel that won the Booker Prize for Literature in the UK with the same name, Amsterdam. Amsterdam, although I missed your beautiful flowers in spring, but your colorful history and openness and tolerance but let me into the flowers of the garden. I look back, spring has appeared.