"Slow Lake" Cihu: north of the ancient city and south of Qingshan
Zou Yutao
"Jincheng is surrounded by green peaks, and the mirror level divides the clear stream at the bottom." This is due north of the ancient county of Cicheng, Ningbo, Zhejiang, and the ancient Shangshi embankment in the middle of Cihu Lake A couplet from the pavilion.
Cihu, with its “ten hectares of blue waves”, faces Kan Peak in the north and the ancient Cixi County seat in the south. It was the feng shui lake and city protection water of Cixi County in the old days, and was also an important “water tank” of the Grand Canal (eastern Zhejiang section). ” (for storing water and floods).
In the cultural tourism circle of the Yangtze River Delta, Cicheng Ancient Town, where Cihu is located, is very popular. However, tourists often leave in a hurry after visiting the Cixi Ancient Government Office, Confucius Temple and other historic sites, and rarely experience the "quiet" soul, "slowness" and peace that truly nurture the temperament of Cicheng.
If a visitor can rest by the Cihu Lake listening to the waves, he will be surprised: not only is there an intoxicating display of lakes and mountains, but there is also a rich accumulation of cultural attractions. To the north of the ancient city and to the south of the green mountains, there is a pool of beautiful Cihu water that is neither deep nor shallow, nor large nor small, and contains many stories.
Cihu Lake is full of gorgeous flowers in spring. The pictures in this article are provided by Li Wei, Wang Qi, and Xu Xiaoxing
Famous lake in humanities: "The flowers are like brocade in front of Xiang Kan's gate, and the water under Yang Gong's temple is like a river. ”
Humankind’s poetic residence is always accompanied by lakes. For thousands of years, from the vast Taihu Lake Dongting to Walden surrounded by dense forests, and then to Lugu, Yunnan, which is so clear that it reflects the sky, the lake water is like a mirror when you look at the earth from a bird's eye, and it also reflects the literary mind of the people who live in the lake. The scenery of Cihu has attracted many culturally "minded people" to stay.
In the second year of Wu Chiwu (239), Kan Ze, a famous prime minister of the Three Kingdoms, donated the library he built along Cihu Lake and turned it into Puji Temple, which became a legend in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Kan's Puji Temple was rebuilt in the late Tang Dynasty and was once named after Kan Ze's character "Derun". The two existing Tang Dynasty scripture buildings in eastern Zhejiang are both from this temple.
When it comes to ancient scholarship in eastern Zhejiang, today’s people’s pursuit of Wang Yangming is at its peak. However, before Wang Yangming, Yang Jian, who established Cihu's "Xin Xue" as a link between the past and the future in Eastern Zhejiang scholarship, was only known to few people. Yang Jian, one of the "Four Chunxi Masters", retired to Cihu during the reign of Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty and opened Cihu Academy to teach. Yang Jian loved the Lianshui beside his house, so he changed the name of the lake to "Ci" based on the origin of the county name Cixi, taking the allusion of Dong An, the filial son who "drew water to serve his mother". Yang Jian also called himself "Mr. Cihu" and integrated his knowledge and cultivation with this landscape. When discussing the issue of the origin of matter, "Cihu Sui Shu", the essence of Yang Jian's philosophy, proposes that "the things that are different from the clear and the turbid are all things." This may be due to his integration of things and me with the Cihu landscape. Bar!
The east and west lakes of Cihu are divided by the embankment built in the middle of the lake in the Northern Song Dynasty. First built in the fifth year of Tiansheng of the Song Dynasty (1027), and later named "Shigu" in memory of Mr. Yang Jian, the hexagonal double-eaves pavilion is located in the middle of the lake embankment, connected to the arch bridge with carved stone lions. Sitting in the pavilion, you can have a panoramic view of the lake in all directions: when the weather is fine, you can watch the sunrise by facing the East Lake, and you can watch the sunset by gazing at the West Lake. It is truly one of the best scenery in Cihu.
The main building was Shigu Pavilion, which was built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty
The stone lions on the rainbow bridge in the middle of the lake
The beautiful scenery in the middle of Cihu Lake has attracted many famous people Literati praised Zhang Zhu, a poet of the Yuan Dynasty, who exclaimed after visiting Cihu that "the scenery can be vaguely painted". The sunset on Cihu that he saw from the pavilion made him linger the most, and he came up with the Zen concept of "the white-headed monk crossing the sunset boat". Thoughts. In the Ming Dynasty, Tang Xianzu, who wrote "The Peony Pavilion" and was known as the "Shakespeare of the East", once visited the middle embankment of Cihu Lake and wrote the poem "Looking at the bright moon on the embankment of Kan Lake".
Sunset in Cihu
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, temples and nunneries gathered on the north bank of Cihu. The relatively large Puji Temple once had a "flesh-bodied Bodhisattva". The continued prosperity of Buddhism has injected long-term vitality into the Cihu cultural context, and Cihu once became the most commonly used release pond for Buddhist temples on the lakeside. During the Republic of China, Cixi County Junior High School intended to expand its campus, but a certain nunnery that was supposed to be relocated refused to move, claiming that Chiang Kai-shek's mother often worshiped Buddha here, and enshrined a portrait of Chiang Kai-shek's mother in the nunnery as a threat.
The school was forced to inform its alumnus Chen Buile about the matter. After Chen reported it to Chiang Kai-shek, Chiang was furious and issued an order to quickly resolve the relocation issue. This episode has also become an interesting anecdote in the history of Cihu Buddhism.
In modern times, Cihu has continued the legacy of its ancestors, with endless string singing. In 1902, Cihu Middle School was founded on the former site of Cihu Academy on the shore of Hubei Province, oriented to the "New Western Learning". The school was later changed to Cixi County Junior High School, and today it is Ningbo Cihu Middle School.
Over the past century, Mrs. Qiao Shi Yu Wen, Chen Bui, the famous historian Chen Xunci who guarded Wenlan Pavilion's "Sikuquanshu" during the Anti-Japanese War, and Mr. Ying Changqi, the inventor of "Ying's Go Rules", all He once studied by the side of Cihu Lake.
Today's Cizhong adopts the "New Chinese" style and absorbs traditional regional architectural elements such as tile walls, which is in harmony with the natural scenery of Cihu Scenic Area. Cihu Middle School also has the "Cihu Cultural Museum". The school deliberately collected some ancient inscriptions scattered around Cihu, as well as old photos of Cihu. If you want to have a deeper understanding of Cihu's cultural customs, it is also a good choice to visit the "Cihu Cultural Museum".
Aerial photography of Cihu and the lakeside space
On the campus of Cihu Middle School, there are four lush, thousand-year-old ginkgo trees. It is said that they were planted by Yang Jian during the Southern Song Dynasty when he was giving lectures. Every autumn, golden ginkgo leaves hang all over the treetops, making it a beautiful sight from far and near.
In Chinese culture, the apricot altar is a symbol of education and cultural heritage. The ancient ginkgo trees in Cihu, together with the Cihu cultural context that they watch over, have gone through changes, but have remained unchanged for thousands of years.
Thousand-year-old ginkgo on the campus of Cihu Middle School
Natural "Slow Lake": "Deep Breath" in the four seasons of the waterfront leisure land
Cihu, a cultural and elegant place , is also a natural "slow lake". It is not as crowded as West Lake, but it has both "Western charm" and "Taihu spirit". Here, sit down with a cup of tea, take a deep breath, look at the green mountains, hear the flowing water, and find the long-lost tranquility.
Cihu summer morning (West Lake)
Cihu winter morning (East Lake)
Experience the "slow lake" life in Cihu, which pays attention to seasonality of effort.
In spring, there are clusters of wild flowers on the north shore of Cihu Lake. It is suitable to find flowers along the stone path along the lakeside.
When the sun is blazing in summer, you can drink tea by the water under the shade of trees on the south bank of the lake. In summer, the blue sky of Cihu Lake is intoxicating, and the reflection of the lake is blue. It is especially enjoyable to gaze at the lake.
After autumn, the metasequoia forest in Cihu West Lake gradually becomes richer in color, with red and yellow intertwined. At this time, walking on the wooden plank road, looking up at the towering fir trees in the refreshing earthy atmosphere of autumn, the dappled sunlight blending with the autumn leaves is so beautiful.
After the autumn rain, yellow leaves pave the road in Cihu Park
In Cihu in winter, it is suitable to take a nap in the pavilion in the middle of the lake in the afternoon. The precious winter sun warms your ears, and it is more comfortable to take a nap while listening to a tune. A few years ago, it snowed in Cihu, and the sky was full of goose feathers gently brushing the lake. How could the viewer not recall Zhang Dai's "Going to the Pavilion in the Heart of the Lake to Watch the Snow Alone" in the fifth year of Chongzhen's reign? Time is advancing rapidly, and it is indeed rare to be able to enjoy the pleasure of a lake with the ancients.
Proofreading: Zhang Liangliang