The section of the Yellow River that bends east in The South Of The Qi River - the former "first danger" is now a scenic spot

Nantan Red Heart Square

On June 20, the fifth year of Qing Xianfeng (1855), the Yellow River broke through in Henan Tongwaxiang, and the yellow water instantly rushed down like a wild horse that was out of control, running recklessly, and the three provinces of Yu, Lu and Zhi were affected. After entering Lulu, the Yellow River immediately seized the Daqing River into the sea. However, as soon as the mighty Yellow River broke into Qihe County, it was in a place called Nantan, and it was "bumped" head-on, so it had to make a sharp turn of 90 degrees from south to east, and had no choice but to flow east in a whirlwind. This bend is the famous Nantan of the Qi section of the Yellow River.

The embankments on both sides of the east of Nantan are fast from small bends, known as the first danger of the Yellow River in Shandong

Nantan let the Yellow River eat a nest neck, and the next thing that makes the Yellow River more uncomfortable is the narrow and curved river channel of nearly 80 kilometers, especially the distance of more than 20 kilometers from Nantandong to the Dawang Temple, which is more famous for the small distance between the embankments on both sides and the sharp bends. Today's Beijing-Shanghai railway bridge is the narrowest on both sides, only 444 meters, such a narrow river channel makes the Yellow River that has always been free to run freely since entering the plain area "like a stem in the throat", which can withstand such constraints, and the narrow and curved twisting river channel is like a rope tied to the Yellow River, so as soon as the flood season comes, the Yellow River becomes violent, constantly struggling, roaring, and impacting, which also makes the yellow river center flow faster and the impact is greater. There are poems as evidence: "Roaring over the river and pouring down the mountain, mixing around the Qi City (Old Qi River City)" "The waves in the middle of the day are like electricity, and the sound in the middle of the night is like thunder." For more than a hundred years, it has come here to encounter floods and block water, and has become a flood-prone area of the Yellow River. It is recorded that this section of the river broke 27 times in less than a hundred years before 1949. It has truly become the most dangerous part of Shandong along the Yellow River, known as the "throat of the Yellow River" and "the first danger of the Yellow River in Shandong".

With years of flood control embankment, the Dam in the Nantan section has been continuously raised and reinforced, the highest point is nearly 40 meters above sea level, and the difference on its back is more than 10 meters is the location of the historical old Qi River City, for the QiHe people who have lived in the Yang river for generations, the Great Wall-like Nantan is the most reliable reliance of the Qi river people.

Nantan was historically the place where the Qihe people sacrificed heaven and earth to the Great River.

Nantan is located in the southwest corner outside the old city of Qihe. Tan, really an altar, with the evolution of history into Tan, in the northeast and northwest of the old city of Qihe, there are also north altars and west altars, with the passage of time, the north and west altars have disappeared. The reason why the name Nantan has not disappeared with the long river of history is because it carries the faith and worship of the Qihe people on the Yellow River. In the face of the great Yellow River, which has brought both disaster and endless well-being to mankind, the ancients, in addition to saving themselves with their own meager strength, had to turn to the gods they had never seen before. Because of its special location and strong defensive function, Nantan naturally became the first place for people to sacrifice. They built a temple here, known as the Great King's Temple, to pay homage to the god of the Yellow River, and set up an altar to worship the wind, thunder, rain, mountains and rivers, which is the name of today's Nantan. Officials and people of all generations, with their umbrellas draped and heavily dressed in ceremonies, faced the vast river, in the vast yellow sand and fierce winds, played drums and music, sang and danced, sincerely feared, and recited prayers. The highest ceremonial pilgrimage of feudal society was held in order to bless Nantan and protect Lan forever. Their belief in Nantan is also their belief in the Yellow River, and this belief is deeply engraved in people's bones and integrated into the blood.

The elderly who now live near Nantan still retain the habit of boiling water and never saying it opens, but saying that the water is ripe. This is a language habit formed over many years of fear of the Yellow River's "opening dams". I have experienced one thing first-hand, and it also shows people's dependence on and trust in the Nantan Yellow River. More than 30 years ago, my mother suffered from hypothyroidism, limited to the medical level at that time, and it has not been diagnosed in the local area, the situation has been very dangerous, at this time, the old people said: "This disease must be treated with the water of our Nantan." "This formula turned out to be a large carp of the Yellow River caught in Nantan wrapped in lotus leaves, and then steamed and eaten with the yellow river water of Nantan."

Rich in the spirit of struggle, the Nantan people fought against the Japanese and huangsha, composing a series of legendary stories

One side of the water and soil to support one person, one side of the water and soil to create one person. The Qihe people along the Yellow River in Nantan have a fearless spirit of struggle. More than 2,000 martyrs during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the War of Liberation and socialist construction were laid to rest on the banks of the Great River. The legendary stories of many heroes are popular and are still talked about today. Before liberation, there was a steel gun squad leader Guo Qingpi in shuangmiao village, 15 kilometers in Nantanxi, who led the steel gun squad to be active on both sides of the river, laying mines, fighting ambushes, haunting the enemy, and beating the enemy in fear, while he shot down the prestige of the two sparrows, spreading throughout the Nantan area for dozens of miles, making the enemy feel frightened. What is even more legendary is that in the early days of the founding of New China, during a road protection mission, the story of him alone and one lighter to scare off the evil wolf on a snowy night is even more heroic. Road protection refers to the protection of railway safety. In the early days of the founding of New China, state leaders often took trains to inspect all parts of the country, and in order to ensure safety, public security cadres and policemen secretly stood guard on both sides of the railway, and once caught up with heavy snow, Guo Qingpei, who was already a public security cadre and policeman, held out in the snow of the Jinpu railway line for two days and three nights. At the end of the mission, it was the late night when the wind was tight and the snow was heavy, the vast night, the snow fell on the ground "clumping" sound, he stepped on the kneeless snow deep one foot shallow rush, overheard a "whoosh" howl from behind, looking back, two evil wolves are not far away to follow, four green and gloomy eyes make people shudder, what to do? Shoot? That must have caused a misunderstanding, he must have a certain god, quickly calmed down, took out the lighter, turned around, facing the direction of the two evil wolves, calm and calm, not in a hurry, click -- click ——, hit the lighter at once, the wind roared, the sky was flying snow, the lighter could not hit at all, some were just a little spark that burst out of the flint friction, however, it was this spark of stars and his righteousness that actually frightened the two evil wolves, these two wolves did not dare to come forward, just like this, he retreated while hitting the lighter, the vast snow night, With a little spark and a heroic courage, one person returned home safely. Later, people asked him if he was afraid at that time, and he smiled: "What are the disciples and soldiers by the Yellow River afraid of?" ”

The heroic Qihe people are fearless in the face of difficulties. Xiaozhouzhuang, Zhu'a Town, where Nantan is located, was actually formed in people's struggle with the Yellow River. Xiao zhouzhuang was originally named Huang Zhouzhuang. More than a hundred years ago, a monstrous flood engulfed the entire village like a wild horse that had lost its reins, "yellow mud soup, irrigation everywhere, firewood hanging from the treetops, and flooding of property." "This is the historical record of the disaster at that time. After the yellow water, the people who had left their homes returned one after another. However, the fertile land has been buried deep into the ground by the yellow river sediment, and the surface is thick with yellow sand. When the wind blows, the sand and dust are all over the sky, and people jokingly say that "two or two soils enter the mouth in one day, and it is not enough to make up for it during the day and at night." However, the masses of the people who have the courage to struggle are indomitable and determined to overturn the soil and crush the sand, improve the soil, and rebuild their homeland! People ploughed the land deeply, hammering and turning over the good soil under the sand. From the ground to the good soil layer, it is almost necessary to dig nine hammers (about nine feet deep), in order to ensure the depth of the soil layer, people have to dig a sand ditch nearly one inch deep, turn the good soil at the bottom of the ditch to the ground one by one, and then bury the yellow sand. This work must be fast, otherwise, the deep ditch will soon be filled with flying sand and the previous achievements will be abandoned. In addition, digging a sand trench a mile deep is also dangerous to split the trench. Splitting trenches is in the process of turning over the soil, turning over the ditch above the quicksand and soil flowing down, burying people in the sand, which is a very dangerous thing, and other villages have such accidents. In this way, the ancestors risked their lives, with a pair of industrious hands, with the spirit of perseverance and struggle, turned over one ditch after another, and finally turned the good soil out, pressed the yellow sand under the soil, and planted crops. Since then, Huang Zhouzhuang has been renamed Xiao Zhouzhuang.

Developed the "Red Heart No. 1" suction boat, opening the era of mechanical silt-backed embankment

Time lives up to the heroic strivers. In the struggle against the Yellow River, in the treatment of the Yellow River and the development and utilization of the Yellow River, the people of Qihe have given full play to their wisdom and talents, constantly innovated, and won a double victory in governance and development.

In October 1952, Chairman Mao issued a message that "we must do a good job in handling the Affairs of the Yellow River!" " call. The people along the Yellow River took active action, implemented a variety of ways and methods to control the Yellow River, and inspired by the rainbow to attract yellow irrigation and sedimentation, the people of Qihe decided to develop a mud suction boat. They overcame the difficulties of no data and no equipment, with the determination of "one red heart, two hands, self-reliance and everything", gave full play to their wisdom and wisdom, pooled their wisdom and efforts, and relied only on a welding machine, two oxygen cylinders and several sledgehammers, and in July 1970, they successfully developed the country's first Yellow River suction boat. The birth of the "Red Heart No. 1" suction boat has produced huge economic and social benefits. This technological achievement blew up and down the river like a spring wind, and set off a boom in the land of Luyu with the momentum of burning the plains, opening up a new era of mechanical silt consolidation of the embankment and the river governance, which was promoted by the Ministry of Water and Power at that time and won the "National Science Conference Award" in 1978. In order to commemorate this great initiative, people built the "Red Heart Square" in Nantan to commemorate, the main body of the sculpture in the center of the square is made of stainless steel, which means "Yellow River Star", and the abstract Red Heart No. 1 suction boat shape is displayed as a silver dragon with the cursive "Tian" character, which means that the Nine-Curved Yellow River comes from the sky, the giant wheel and the white dragon soar into the sky, although the sculpture volume is not large, but, under the sun, the silver light shines, looking up at him, can't help but let people stand up, a firm, upward excitement rushes up.

Entering a new era, the people of Qihe have actively practiced the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's instruction that "protecting the Yellow River is a thousand-year plan related to the great rejuvenation and sustainable development of the Chinese nation", and unswervingly take the road of modernization of ecological priority and green development. Relying on the Yellow River South Tan Hazard Workers to build the Yellow River Water Conservancy Scenic Area, the scenic area of the Nantan Dam is majestic and magnificent, the "secondary hanging river" meanders and twists, the Yellow River Bridge is long and practicing, the wide and flat tourist highway is accessible in all directions, the winding paths are quiet, the grass is green, the birds in the reed bushes are flocked, and the Yellow River sunset, thousands of miles of ice and the wonders of the Open River are famous. Tourists from the south and the north of the sky are singing and laughing here, resting and entertaining, a peaceful and happy scene.

Standing on the Nantan Causeway and looking south at the Yellow River, this great river that has endowed the qihe people with fireworks and passion has been rolling forward like a hundred years; looking back at the land of the Qihe River, the qihe people are continuing to write the glory of tomorrow day and night while inheriting the splendid Yellow River civilization; looking up at the Red Heart No. 1 sculpture, shining in the sun, this original heart is not the inexhaustible source of the Qihe people's spirit of struggle to always maintain "self-improvement and perseverance"! □ Guo Feng