At the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, everyone held glowing willows in their hands and slowly entered, quiet and elegant "weeping willow figures", telling the feelings of cherishing and cherishing others. Folding willow is a unique Chinese cultural charm of the "way of farewell", in the ancient literati inker pen, the willow tree was given many images such as parting, homesickness, mourning, qinggao, and femininity. In Chinese culture, what long-standing and indissoluble relationships did the ancients and the messengers of spring ——— willow trees form?
"A Weeping Willow Ancient Love"
China has a long history, and traditional culture has formed some unique social etiquette in the long process of development. When the ancients parted, there was a custom of folding willow branches to give each other, and the word "folding willow" implied the meaning of cherishing farewell and nostalgia.
In ancient times, the willow tree was also known as the small poplar or willow, because the "willow" and "stay" were harmonized, indicating the meaning of retention. When it comes to willow trees, it is inseparable from Yangzhou. The willow tree is also the city tree of Yangzhou, and the style of Yangzhou lies in the willow tree, and the color comes from the fringed willow. Wang Yuyang of the early Qing Dynasty, when he was a push official (an ancient official name) in Yangzhou, especially admired the weeping willow. He said that Yangzhou willow planting is "a kind of weeping willow eternal love", which is particularly rich in historical value. In fact, Yangzhou's interest in planting willows probably began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, more than 1,000 years since the Qing Dynasty. Eternal, it is nothing but a literary language.
Cao Pi went to Guangling and wrote a poem on the horse. He chanted the water stream, the spear, the yin xingnong, and the yinzhu room, without mentioning the willow. Bao Mingyuan wrote "Wucheng Fu", writing about yesterday's streets full of green trees, writing about the decaying grass and hazelnuts of the day. There may be willows in the bishu, but there is no specific mention of willows. It is conceivable that the willow in the green poplar city is also an artistic beauty created by later generations, which is by no means a natural beauty that has been formed since ancient times, which is different from Yunsong to Huangshan.
The Sui Dynasty planted willows, and the Song novel "Kaihe Ji" said that it was the initiative of the Sui Emperor. First, willows were planted by the newly built canal, and the emperor took the lead in planting one, and later planted all the way to Yangzhou. At that time, the environmental awareness of the ancients was not bad, planting willows by the river, one for the berm, then for shade, and one for beautification. At that time, yangzhou city had many bridges and many waters, and three factors played a role in the city and outside the city.
After the death of the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty people found that the beauty of Yangzhou willow planting and local customs were very harmonious, and they did not take the word "Yang" as a suspicion, but planted willows everywhere in Yangzhou. Du Mu said that "the street is weeping with willows, and the xia is reflected in the two heavy cities"; there are willows in the tongqu; Bao Rong said that "the willow pond smokes up the sun and the west, and the bamboo pu wind returns to the goose to make the sand"; there is willow in the pond; Luo Yin says "Enter the Guo Deng Bridge and get out of the Guo boat, and the red chamber is full of willows every year"; There are willows in Tai xie; Zheng Gu says "Yangzi River head Willow Spring, Yang Flowers kill the people crossing the river", there are willows on the riverside; Li Shangyin said that "there is no firework in the rotten grass today, and there are twilight crows in the ancient weeping Yang", and there are willows everywhere in the wilderness. Yangzhou became the kingdom of Liu, the world of Liu.
Ouyang Xiu planting willow "degree spring wind"
During the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, Yangzhou was still full of willows. Song Dynasty Li Haogu Yong: "Qinghuai north, a thousand miles Yangzhou Road." Passing through the willow trees in Guazhou, there are countless smoke and water. "The wind of willow planting not only pervaded a city, but also extended to a road, a vast area.
There have been a large number of poems in these generations that have linked Yangzhou and Yangliu. Regarding Yangzhou Liu, there are two people who deserve to be remembered for a long time. One is Ouyang Xiu, who is honored by the aether shou as "weeping willow in front of the hand planting hall", leaving a good story in Yangzhou.
During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, Han Qi, together with Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, and Ouyang Xiu, jointly implemented the "New Deal", and was later relegated to the central government together, and transferred to Yangzhou in the eighth year of the Qing calendar (1048). The life of the detractor who turned to migration could not help himself, and Yangzhou was also a famous city in Jianghuai, so he wrote the poem "Don't Chu" that reads, "I am also drunk as usual, and the Mo Sect is in charge of the sound". In Yangzhou, like Chuzhou, in addition to devoting himself to local governance, he is sending love to the landscape and wandering with his eyes.
During Ouyang Xiu's tenure in Yangzhou, his friend and poet Mei Yaochen and his newlywed wife returned to xuancheng's hometown to pass through Yangzhou, and for many years their friends met by chance, and they were very happy, and they talked all night in a place called "JinDaotang" in Yangzhou. Mei Yaochen once had a poem "Yong Uncle Entering the Daotang Night Talk", which recorded the scene of this all-night narration. A few months later, Mei Yaochen passed through Yangzhou on his way from Xuanzhou to Chenzhou, visited the Daming Temple in Shugang with Ouyang Xiu, and asked friends to write wine and poetry on the rainy night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Ouyang Xiu left Yangzhou in the first year of the Emperor's reign (1049) and has always been nostalgic for Pingshan Hall. In the first year of Jiayou (1056), Liu Shu became the governor of Yangzhou, and Ouyang Xiu sent the words "Chaozhongcuo Pingshantang", which was written about willow trees. Word cloud: "The flat mountain sill leans on the clear sky, and the mountain color is in the middle." Weeping willows in front of the hand planting hall, don't come to a few degrees of spring breeze? The article is too conservative, waving a million words, drinking a thousand bells. Xingle Zhi must be young, and he looks at the decaying man in front of him. Ouyang Xiu dug soil in Yangzhou to plant willows, and formed an indissoluble relationship with willows, and the willow trees he planted were also known as "Ougong willows".
"Peach between willows" is a unique landscape of the West Lake Bai causeway
"Yangzhou Yiyang" contrasts with each other
Before talking about the second person about Yangzhou willow, let's mention an analysis record of Yangzhou willow. The Song dynasty Shen Kuo said "Yangzhou Yiyang" in the "Mengxi Pen Talk", mainly referring to the geographical environment of Yangzhou. Yangzhou has a mild climate, flat terrain, sufficient water sources, and many rivers, which is suitable for planting willows. This is equivalent to Jingzhou Yijing, Jizhou Yi Ji.
In fact, this "appropriate" word should also include customs and customs and architectural patterns. As far as human feelings are concerned, it has been said throughout the ages that Yangzhou is clever, skillful, and agglomerate; in terms of architecture, Yangzhou's loutai pavilion belongs to the Jiangnan style and is partial to beauty. The willows are planted in this place, reflecting each other and showing a harmonious beauty.
However, there are also opposition to planting willows in Yangzhou, but they have not gained power, because the word "Yi" in Yangzhou Yiyang is too convincing. In the Qing Dynasty, Wang Yuyang creatively summarized from an aesthetic point of view, and the famous sentence "Green Yangcheng Guo is Yangzhou" came out, and everyone was rumored. According to this famous sentence, the lyrics and paintings have been sung until today, and the paintings have been painted to this day.
Wang Yuyang was elected as the Governor of Yangzhou in 1659. During his time in Yangzhou, he "did business during the day and received words at night" and presided over the elegance. In the spring of the first year of the Kangxi Dynasty (1662), he and his famous scholars in Yangzhou repaired the Red Bridge. Cultivation is a custom handed down from ancient times, which was originally bathed in scented herbs at the water's edge on the first day of the third month of the lunar calendar every year to cleanse away the ominous. Later, the event was held in March, and the content was gradually changed to a spring feast.
Wang Yuyang missed his life as a push official in Yangzhou, and 40 years later, in the poem "SendIng Zhang Qiyuan to the Guangling Tomb for The Edict", he still said with great thought: "The sunset tower on Zhuyi Bay, visiting the old tour from time to time in my dreams." The inscription poem of the lesser day is no harm, and the green poplar city Guo is Yangzhou. "It's really true.
Wicker is the messenger of spring
The profound cultural conception will be passed on forever
Seeing willows in Yangzhou, of course, is "fireworks in March under Yangzhou" as well, but it is not limited to spring. Spring to see the poplar flowers, summer to see the shade, morning and dusk to see the reflection, winter to see the branches, all kinds of seasons can be seen, all have a different taste and beauty.
According to the experience of many people, it is best to see willows in light rain. The light rain is like smoke and fog, and the distant scenery is looming, with a hazy and confused atmosphere. People with a more romantic temperament like to stand under the willow in the light rain and lick the water droplets on the willow leaves, which is said to have a faint sweetness. Only when you can lick out the sweetness can you truly appreciate Yangzhou.
There are many literati in the past who loved willow, and in addition to chanting willows, they often gave themselves a name or nickname related to willow. For example, in the Spring and Autumn Period, Liu Xia Hui, originally he was not surnamed Liu, because he especially loved Liu before he changed his surname, and his descendants were all surnamed Liu. Tao Yuanming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty also loved willow trees very much, and he deliberately planted 5 willow trees in front of his church and called himself "Mr. Five Willows". Pu Songling, who was in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, planted willows at the spring near his residence and called himself a "liuquan resident".
In the Song Dynasty, Yuanming Dynasty, Yangzhou was still planted with willows everywhere. After the Ming and Qing dynasties, willow scenery can often be seen in Yangzhou gardens. In particular, the "Spring Willow of the Long Causeway", one of the Twenty-Four Scenic Spots of Yangzhou, was replanted after the founding of New China, and basically reproduced the grand situation of "flowers and willows on both sides of the strait relying on water" during the Qianlong period. After the willow tree was designated as the tree of Yangzhou City, the poetic meaning of "Green Poplar City" was fully displayed from it.
Many people say that Yang Liu and the Gentle and Generous National Character of the Chinese Nation are consistent. The scene of "folding willows and sending them away" at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics will remain in the hearts of the people of all countries for a long time. China's profound cultural conception has continued to be discovered, intoxicated and inherited.
(The picture is a view of the willow bank of Daming Lake in Jinan.) Photo source: Xinhua News Agency)