Tongqianguan prose
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In the hot summer of 2014 that just passed, people in Ankang, a small town in southern Shaanxi, were scorched by the hot sun and felt restless, which inevitably gave rise to a lot of uneasiness. Liu Bingjun, who was visiting relatives at the Chiyan Town Health Center in Xunyang, called us many times and sincerely invited us to spend the summer and visit the Tongqianguan-Chu Great Wall ruins. His enthusiasm made me yearn for it very much, but because the weather was too hot and I was too busy at work, I was unable to do so. Fortunately, the day before the end of summer, the weather finally turned cooler, so I made an appointment with Brother Dianjun and Diangen to go.
In the early morning, the light rain of "Shunqiu" continued to fall. The hot weather finally passed with the cool drizzle! We were originally worried that the heavy rain would delay our trip, but Liu Bingjun’s several phone calls early in the morning made us firmer in our determination to travel.
Because I had to wait for Wu Hong and the others, I made a short stop at Zhanghekou after leaving Shenhe Station.
The drizzle is falling, and the fresh rain is cool, clear, mood, and state of mind. At this moment, the drizzle turned into a breeze, blowing on my face and body, giving me a different kind of comfort. All the hustle and bustle accumulated in the summer disappeared with it. This is a kind of warmth and longing for autumn. At some point, thick clouds and mist slowly rose from the mountains after the rain along the way, misty and entwined among the green peaks of the mountains. Decorate a small and exquisite mountain village into a fairyland.
Chiyan Gorge Kou, where Chiyan Market Town is located, is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side. There is a very beautiful mountain fortress called "Gooseneck Bun", which sets off the small streets to form Chiyan Tai Chi Town, embellishing the scenery of Chiyan. Beautiful landscape.
The market town is small in size, with about a hundred households, basically two or three-story small buildings. Occasionally, there are one or two remaining old houses that carry the memories of the town's past.
I heard from the sisters-in-law at the farmer’s market that the meat, vegetable tofu, dried tofu, pumpkin and other seasonal vegetables they sell are all produced by local farmers. There are a wide range of commercial outlets and merchandise on the street, and villagers walking in twos and threes talking and laughing, all looking leisurely and happy.
A gurgling river passes through the town, and the water is warm and fresh. However, the littering of garbage and direct discharge of sewage on both sides of the strait makes people feel a little unhappy.
According to Liu Bingjun, Chiyan not only has many historical stories and ancient cultural sites, but also has unique natural scenery. In December 1932, Marshal He Long led more than 10,000 troops to fight in the Shaanxi and Hubei areas. They drove from Bahe in the south of the Han River to Hubei and passed through Chiyangou Pass. They fought with the enemy and left a legacy that will last forever; Thousand Buddha Cave, which was founded in the Ming Dynasty, Ancient cultural sites such as Wanfo Temple are nationally protected cultural relics and are rare in southern Shaanxi. Natural landscapes such as Lion Rock with dangerous terrain are charming and can be feasted on by tourists.
After a simple breakfast in a small restaurant, Liu Bingjun’s uncle guided us to the Tongqianguanchu city wall ruins. Mr. Liu, who is familiar with Taoist culture and Yin-Yang Yili, has an open-minded and forthright temperament. He has been working as a "Taoist" for many years and is an influential "capable person" in the town.
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Although the rural road leading to Tongqianguan is narrow, it is smooth. The journey was interrupted because the bridge was being built, but Mr. Liu quickly contacted the local village party secretary, who enthusiastically drove to greet us personally.
In August, Tongqianguan is full of greenery, stacked rocks, flowing springs, green bamboos and bamboos, full of vitality. In front of the stone houses along the way, you can see large tracts of rice fields that are rare in Xunyang. The ears of nearly mature grains are swaying heavily in the breeze, indicating the depth and seriousness of mature life. The gurgling stream seemed to be singing an ancient song in a low voice, welcoming our arrival. In front of a farmhouse, we were surprised by a pair of "door-stones" that are very rare nowadays. Green bamboos, trees, rice fields, slate houses... constitute a beautiful picture of a dreamlike mountain countryside.
Along the way, you can see the scenery of "small bridges, flowing water, people's houses, withered vines and old trees and dim crows" everywhere. The heaven and earth are still filled with the exotic fragrance of bamboo. Through the melodious and joyful chirping of birds, the sound of bamboo shoots jointing seems to be faintly heard in the purified ears.
It is reported that Tongqianguan Town is located at the southeastern end of Xunyang County, bordering Pingli County and Zhushan and Zhuxi Counties in Hubei Province. It is rich in resources, with a forest coverage rate of 88% and a bamboo area of 45,000 acres. , dotted with ravines and mountains, it is known as the "Bamboo Village of Southern Shaanxi". Mainly mangosteen and spotted bamboo are used, and suitable moso bamboo is also introduced. Bamboo is used for both shoots and timber. It not only beautifies the environment but also increases income, and has become the leading local industry.
As the saying goes: "The mountain depends on the mountain." In recent years, the local government has used bamboo as the leading industry to develop industries and create ecological gardens. It has held several bamboo shoot festivals in succession, making the mountains, water and sky bluer in this treasured land of Bashan. The cultural and natural landscapes such as Chu Great Wall Pass, Baibuti Waterfall, and Tietongzhai Primitive Forest within the territory are unforgettable.
Stop the car and look up at the gate tower of the Great Wall inlaid with the three characters "Tongqianguan". It is located on the site of a dangerous pass at the junction of Qin and Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It connects Tongqianguan Town in Xunyang, Shaanxi Province and Hubei Province. It was restored and rebuilt by the Communist Party of China in Zhuping Township, Zhushan County with an investment of more than one million yuan. The pass city wall is integrated with the mountain, which makes the mountain steep and precipitous, easy to defend and difficult to attack, recreating the majesty of the ancient Great Wall.
Looking carefully, there is an inscription on both sides of the city gate "Record of the Reconstruction of Tongqian Pass", so I copied it as follows:
One of them says: "Tongqian Pass is an ancient pass in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It is the fortress of the Qin-Chu Corridor and the gateway to the Central Plains. It connects to Xunyang in the Qin Dynasty in the west, crosses the Zhuping River in the Chu corner in the east, and runs through the Xiongguan River in the south. , five hundred hanging stacks; the dragon veins of Qinling Mountains, the backyard of Bashan; one man defends it, but ten thousand men can't open it. Emperors rise from generation to generation, and each has his own kingdom. After Tang and Yu returned, Chu and Qin were adjacent to each other, and they were in the south of the Han River. To the east of the tomb, the ancient country of Shangyong was unified. Looking up at the astronomy, looking down at the geography, the land was expanded, and the city was built and the bells were built. In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States, the feudal lords were fighting, and the Qin Dynasty was weak and weak. They all respected each other. This was a place where many wars were fought. The Chu people built the Great Wall to strengthen themselves, while the Qin people used their troops to defeat Liang Yi. , wolves and foxes mixed together. Although Zhushan and Xunyang both belong to the same county in Hanzhong, bandits and soldiers are incompatible with each other. Xiongguan may be the gateway controlled by the government, and the dangerous pass becomes the key to plundering by bandits. The city wall was destroyed by the war of the White Lotus Sect, the war, and the beginning of Tongzhi. In the year, Xiongguan was revived in the light of Chen Jiexiang. It was a matter of human affairs. It was a time of peace in the world and a harmonious society. The Great Wall of the South is a cultural heritage. The copper coin Xiongguan is a local attraction. The two counties of Xunzhu coincided with each other and worked together to restore the city, investing millions to rebuild the city gate. The people of the two places applauded, gathered at the pass, and wandered around the Qinling Mountains, singing and singing about friendship. Isn’t it wonderful to exchange materials, exchange culture, and make sincere friendships? It’s wonderful to play Qin opera and Chu rhyme, to support grand events, to create great achievements, and to build harmony. ” < /p>
The second one is: Two hundred miles west of Zhushan County, it borders the Qin border. There is an ancient monument on its boundary saying: Tongqian Pass. It is also the pass that the Gaili Dynasty was guarding! A mountain protrudes from the right side of the mountain. It is towering and towering, and the valley suddenly looks like a portal. It is commonly known as the West Gate. In the past, people built a stronghold here to ward off rogue bandits. They once saw tens of thousands of gates covered with ancient bronze coins from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, hence the name of the pass. Over the years, the stone walls have collapsed and only the ruins remain. In the first year of Tongzhi, religious bandits were rampant, and the remaining family members lived here. Seeing that the mountain is steep and steep, it is not only the strong city of a township, but also the protection of Xixiang, a county. After discussing and coordinating all efforts to rebuild it, I also thought that it would be difficult and difficult to think about it based on what people can see and see! Since he was in charge of his own business, he donated forty dan of grain and started the work without stopping, but everyone was happy to follow suit. Two east and south gates were built to determine the scale, and a small east gate and a small west gate were built at the back of the mountain to facilitate firewood collection. The city is one and a half feet high, with a circumference of one hundred and sixty feet and two hundred and thirty battlements. On the top of the steep hill, there is a high level of admiration, and a man is standing at the pass. Looking down at it, there is no enemy! When the Diyuan soldiers work together to clear out the atmosphere of thieves, if there are any remaining fox rats left panting deep in the mountains, they will look at them in fear and dare not approach them! It's for remembering. Inscription: "The fifth-grade Qing Dynasty top wearer Chen Jiexiang was engraved on the Juyue month of the third year of Tongzhi (September 1864 AD).
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, wars were frequent. The princes of various countries attacked and annexed in order to strengthen the country, and the people suffered The disaster of the war was for the people of Qin in the early dynasty and the slaves of Chu in the late dynasty. In order to defend themselves from the invasion of other countries, the Chu State built more than 500 miles of the Great Wall to protect itself.
Today, Tongqian Pass has been a knife-edge confrontation in history. , the land where Qin and Chu fought for hegemony, where blood flowed, has become beautiful, quiet and peaceful; the people of Qin and Chu live in harmony and have profound friendship. In recent years, the people of Shaanxi and Hubei provinces have made great efforts to inherit history, promote culture, and strengthen trade and friendly exchanges. Reviving the majesty of the ancient road, this city wall with historical and practical significance was restored and rebuilt on the site of the Chu Great Wall.
Standing on the top of the ancient city wall, "the majesty of the ancient road is still there, and the horses gallop thousands of miles." The poems came to mind. Whether the old ones are as old or the old ones are as new, the majestic Tongqian Pass stands again in the land of Qin and Hubei. It tells the tragic and desolate wars and the ups and downs of the past since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period; it shows the vicissitudes of life. It is not only a precious military heritage of our country, but also an important part of China's five thousand years of splendid culture and a shining pearl.
At home, we not only viewed the entire set of thread-bound "Kangxi Dictionary" he had collected, but also enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. In the excitement, Brother Dianjun splashed with ink and wrote four calligraphy works including "Tao Follows Nature" and "Heaven and Earth Harmony". As a souvenir.
During our trip to Tongqian Pass, we left with a feeling of longing and a feeling of excitement when we recalled the scene of that day. Yimu, the mountains and rivers of Tongqianguan, and the bamboo spirit of Tongqianguan people will always be imprinted in my mind.
I will definitely come back to Tongqianguan if I have the opportunity, not only to enjoy the scenery, but also to reminisce about the past.