It is said that fireworks descend on Yangzhou in March. Why was Yangzhou so popular in ancient times?
If you are asked which city is mentioned most in poetry, you must answer Yangzhou, and you will definitely blurt out the phrase "Fireworks fall in Yangzhou in March." In ancient times, Yangzhou was popular with people, not only the literati, but also emperors and businessmen who were happy to visit it. What is the reason for this? 01 Yangzhou had a high political status in ancient times
Yangzhou was once the capital of many countries. For example, it was the capital of the ancient Han State during the Western Zhou Dynasty, and it was the capital of the five major vassal states during the Han Dynasty. A place that can serve as a national capital and a political, economic, and cultural center must be very prosperous.
In particular, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal built by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty made Yangzhou an important hub city in connecting economic transportation between the north and the south, and its economy became more prosperous. According to records, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty visited Yangzhou three times for on-site work, improving Yangzhou's status time and time again, making it one of the three capitals. The city at the emperor's feet is naturally more famous and prosperous than other places.
It is precisely because of Yangzhou's wealth that it has been favored by emperors since ancient times, and batches of favored princes and princes were awarded to Yangzhou. The more the court pays attention to it, the more developed the place will be, with frequent economic activities and convenient transportation, which will be more conducive to economic and cultural exchanges with other places, forming a virtuous cycle of development, getting better and better.
The Tang Dynasty was the time when Yangzhou's historical status was the highest, its status even surpassed Chang'an and Luoyang. At that time, Yangzhou was the only city that never slept in the Tang Dynasty, and its prosperity can be imagined. Envoys sent to the Tang Dynasty from foreign countries often came and stayed in Yangzhou, and Yangzhou became the first international metropolis at that time. 02 In ancient times, Yangzhou was the place with the most prosperous economy and the most luxurious life in the south of the Yangtze River
"Taiping Guangji" records that Yangzhou during the Tang Dynasty was "a place full of shops, merchants, restaurants and pavilions." "; During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a large number of merchants gathered in the Lianghuai Salt Region, forming a merchant group dominated by merchants from Shaanxi, Shanxi and Huizhou. Because of the Grand Canal's status as a transportation hub, merchants gathered in Yangzhou, making Yangzhou a place where salt production was gathered and shipped in bulk. The Yin Dynasty was the richest in the world. From this we can see the prosperity of ancient Yangzhou’s commerce.
We can also get a glimpse of the prosperity of Yangzhou from "The Deer and the Cauldron". It is that place full of commercial atmosphere, with numerous brothels, red sleeves and rich makeup, which gave birth to the legend of cleverness and cleverness. Character Wei Xiaobao.
Du Mu has a poem that says: "I have dreamed of Yangzhou for ten years, and won the lucky reputation of a brothel." The ancients said that there is nothing more joyful in life than "riding a crane to Yangzhou with a hundred thousand guan in your waist." The poet of the Tang Dynasty has a real reason for being nostalgic for Yangzhou.
According to incomplete statistics, 150 poets in Tang poetry wrote more than 400 poems related to Yangzhou, such as the familiar poems such as "The old friend left the Yellow Crane Tower in the west, and the fireworks descended to Yangzhou in March", "Spring River The tide is even with the sea, and the bright moon on the sea is full of tides." "On a moonlit night on the twenty-fourth bridge, where can the beauties teach how to play the flute?" and so on. These famous Yangzhou poems are almost like special endorsements for ancient Yangzhou, which shows the popularity of ancient Yangzhou.
As a romantic place in ancient times, Yangzhou attracted countless great talents and poets from the Tang Dynasty. In Yangzhou, they could not only find a sense of belonging, but also linger in the fireworks and willow lanes, sending out the stagnant thoughts in their hearts. Not fast. Here, the most typical example is Du Mu, a great poet who was famous for his talent and romance. 03 Experience the charm of ancient Yangzhou from several of Du Mu's Yangzhou poems
According to historical records, Du Mu had a "wild and wild nature", which is a bit unbearable for a literati. A more elegant explanation is that Du Mu has an unfettered personality and is even a little savage. The word "debauchery" mostly matches the romantic nature. He received such an evaluation probably because he was too nostalgic for the beautiful scenery of Yangzhou and the beauties in the brothels there.
Let’s first look at Du Mu’s "A Letter to Judge Han Chuo of Yangzhou":
The green mountains are faintly covered by the water, and the grass in the south of the Yangtze River has not withered since autumn. ? Twenty-four bridges, on a moonlit night, where can a beautiful lady teach me how to play the flute?
This poem was written by Du Mu for Yangzhou. The first two lines of the poem describe the scenery, saying that Yangzhou is a city hidden in the green mountains and surrounded by green. Even in late autumn, the flowers, plants and trees in this place are still there. It will wither and decline, which describes the beauty of Yangzhou City. The "Twenty-Four Bridges" in the last two sentences are a grand scene in Yangzhou. It is said that when the bright moon shines on the Twenty-Four Bridges, he suddenly thought of the beauty who once taught him to play the flute. Through such a short poem, the poet expressed his nostalgia for the beauty and beauty of Yangzhou.
In addition, Du Fu wrote in "Two Farewell Songs Part 1":
Pingping has been curling up for more than thirteen years, and the cardamom leaves are in early February.
The spring breeze is ten miles away on Yangzhou Road, and it is not as good as rolling up the bead curtain.
This poem is about a girl who has just reached thirteen years of age. She has a graceful figure and generous manners. She is as delicate as a bud in spring. Even if I searched the ten-mile long streets of Yangzhou City and the beauties with rolled-up bead curtains, I couldn't compare with this girl. This poem by Du Mu describes the fact that Yangzhou was rich in beauties in the Tang Dynasty.
After Du Fu left Yangzhou, he composed a poem "Reminiscences" to recall his wasted years in Yangzhou ten years ago:
In the desolate world, he was carrying a wine shop, with a slender waist and a light palm. . After ten years, I dreamed of Yangzhou and won the reputation of a brothel.
In this poem, the poet said that when he was in a downturn in life, he drank alcohol every day to relieve his sorrows, and also put his arms around the slender waist of beautiful women while watching singing and dancing. During the ten years in Yangzhou, it seemed like he had done something It was a long dream, and he had emotional entanglements with many brothel girls, and in the end he only got the reputation of being a heartless and heartless person. Du Mu's song "Reminiscences" is a recollection of what he did in Yangzhou, and it also reflects a life phenomenon in Yangzhou at that time.
As mentioned above, Yangzhou in ancient times was the "famous capital of Huaizuo" and a place where literati and poets flocked to. There is a sentence in "Novel: People of Wu and Shu" written by Liang Yinyun of the Southern Dynasties: "With a hundred thousand guan in his waist, he rode a crane to Yangzhou." Imagine what a fascinating place Yangzhou must be?
It is precisely because of the royal preference, the gathering of businessmen, and the favor of literati that ancient Yangzhou took advantage of its political status, economic strength and cultural heritage. In addition, the literati recorded Yangzhou's history. Numerous famous works provide a basis for the beauty and prosperity of Yangzhou. This is enough to prove the fact that Yangzhou was deeply loved in ancient times.