According to the Beijing Chronicle · The "Cultural Relics Chronicle" records that Tiananmen Was founded in the fifteenth year of Ming Yongle, and when Ming Chengzu Zhu Di was preparing to move the capital to Beijing, he sent famous craftsmen to divide labor and be responsible for the design and construction of the palace complex... Because when it was built, it completely imitated the Chengtian Gate in Nanjing, indicating that the emperor "inherited the heavenly fortune and was ordered by the heavens", so the name was used, called "Chengtianmen".
After a strong earthquake, Tiananmen Was Overhauled
More than forty years ago, Tiananmen Was Overhauled. The direct cause was caused by a strong earthquake of magnitude 6 to 7.5 in the Xingtai area of Hebei Province in 1969.
The earthquake caused the Tiananmen Tower to be damaged and deformed quite severely. Of course, this is not entirely because of the Xingtai earthquake, but more deeply because Tiananmen is too old. The Tiananmen Tower was originally built in 1417 AD, originally named Chengtianmen, and was renamed Tiananmen after a large-scale reconstruction in the eighth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, that is, in 1651 AD.
After the Xingtai earthquake that year, at the end of that year, the State Council decided to completely demolish the Tiananmen Tower and rebuild the Tiananmen Tower on the original site, according to the original specifications and the original architectural form.
The reconstruction of the Tiananmen Tower began on December 15, 1969, and was not completed until March 7, 1970, with a total construction period of 112 days.
This project alone produced nearly 100 specifications and more than 100,000 pieces of glazed tiles. A layer of brick was also laid on the base wall, and 50 cm of cement was applied to the outer wall.
According to Master Yao Laiquan, a witness who participated in this project, "The old Tiananmen Square, we measured the entire 33 meters and 87 meters, and the new Tiananmen Gate, 34 meters 70 long, 81 centimeters high (should be 83 centimeters), higher than the original one." ”
Because Tiananmen has sunk for many years, according to historical records, Tiananmen has recovered its original height. After the reconstruction, the Tiananmen Tower completely retains its original shape, size and structural layout, and is fortified according to the seismic resistance of 9 levels.
Tiananmen discovered a strange treasure box, and the rare treasure alarmed experts
During the reconstruction of Tiananmen Square, craftsmen accidentally found a treasure box in the middle of the ridge tile, which was hidden in the yellow glazed tile on the roof of the building.
Master Yao Laiquan personally smashed it with a crowbar and a crowbar belt, and the tile shattered to reveal a wooden box of 30 cm square golden silk nan wood. Although the wooden box looked very old, it was clearly carved with a pair of exquisite two dragon play beads.
The wood of the box had decayed, and with a gentle poke with a crowbar, the box was immediately crisp. Inside the box, 4 items were found, three of which were treasures: gold dollars, rubies, cinnabar, and multicolored grain.
Gold yuanbao foreign meaning is equivalent to gold coins, refers to the ancient circulation of gold made of precious gold, in the history of Chinese currency, officially called gold and silver "yuanbao", began in the Yuan Dynasty.
In the "Biography of Yuan Shi Yang Xiang", it is said that in the third year of the Yuan Dynasty, "the money exchanged by all roads with the xiangxiang is lifted, and the banknote method is cheap, which is said: 'There is a disadvantage of stealing and abusing the use of white gold in and out of the treasury for the leveling line, please use fifty taels as ingots, and the text is used as a yuan treasure', which is convenient. This is the word "Yuanbao", which appears in the original records of the silver ingots.
However, as early as the early Tang Dynasty, when Kaiyuan Tongbao was born, the folk read it as "Kaiyuan Tongbao". In the Yuan Dynasty, gold and silver money was called "Yuanbao", which means the treasure of the Yuan Dynasty.
The meaning of placing the gold yuanbao in the middle of the roof should be "recruiting wealth into treasure".
In addition, cinnabar has a calming and hypnotic effect, and is said to have a detoxifying and antiseptic effect, and external use can inhibit or kill skin bacteria and parasites. In traditional Chinese culture, the general meaning of this thing is to ward off evil spirits.
Colorful grains are five colors of grain: soybeans, red sorghum, black beans, millet and corn. The meaning of these grains may be "grain abundance". What the meaning of the other rubies is is not known for the time being.
Place new treasures and become "Treasures of the Town Tower"
After the treasure was removed, a new "treasure" was placed in the place where the original "treasure box" was placed.
The treasure placed this time is Han white jade, which is a fine-grained Dali rock with a white color, which is hard and is a superior architectural and carving material. On the white jade, there is also a vertical inscription: "Reconstruction from January to March 1970".
Sticking with gold leaf can be described as dazzling. The font on the white jade is inserted south into 1/3 of the concrete.
This piece of white jade hidden in the roof ridge has become the new "treasure of the town building" in Tiananmen! At the same time, it has also become a historical witness to the reconstruction of the Tiananmen Tower in New China!
brief summary
The craftsmen worked hard for more than 110 days, they worked hard, history will not be forgotten, they in another way, eternal and golden towers, eternal and Chinese dignity.
And the treasure box found in That Tiananmen Gate, I believe that it is the wish of the predecessors, and now, Tiananmen Has reproduced the scenery of the past, as before, new treasures have been placed in Tiananmen, and I believe that the future of the motherland can be more beautiful!
Reference: Beijing Chronicle · Chronicle of Cultural Relics" and "Biography of Yuan Shi Yang Xiang"
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