Source: Xinhua News Agency
Tokyo, April 8 (Xinhua) -- During the Qingming Dynasty, the famous bamboo forests of Arashiyama in Kyoto, Japan, are verdant and full of cherry blossoms; the Dayan River is rippling with blue waves, and the tourists on the Crossing Moon Bridge are weaving... Follow the west bank of the river for about 1 kilometer, pick up the steps, pass through the mountain gate, and arrive at the Senko-ji Temple of Great Compassion, located on the mountainside of Arashiyama. Ascend to the far horizon and see the Kyoto market in the distance.
The scenery seen along the way can't help but remind people of the poem "Arashiyama After the Rain" written by Premier Zhou Enlai when he traveled to Arashiyama in his youth - "A clump of cherry blossoms in the midst of all greenery, pale red and delicate, intoxicating... Ascending high and looking into the distance, the green mountains are faint, and the white clouds that are obscured are like belts; a dozen electric lights shoot out of the vast and dark city. ”
Add a new monument
In September 1917, the 19-year-old Zhou Enlai crossed to Japan to explore the road to save the country and save the people, and wrote a famous poem before leaving: "The song of the great river turns to the east, and the dense crowd is poor." Ten years of wall-facing figures break the wall, and it is difficult to reward the heroes of the sea. This poem is magnificent and shows the heroic spirit of the young Zhou Enlai who was willing to give everything to save China. During his stay in Japan, Zhou Enlai hoped to seek a plan to save the country through personal inspection and study.
On the eve of the May Fourth Movement in 1919, Zhou Enlai decided to "return to China and try to rejuvenate", and before his trip, he passed through Lanshan and wrote two poems, "Arashiyama in the Rain" and "Arashiyama After the Rain", in which his lofty political ambitions were hidden.
On April 28, 2021, in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan, a tourist admires the "Monument to The Monument to Premier Zhou Enlai". Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Du Xiaoyi
In April 1979, in order to celebrate the conclusion of the treaty of peace and friendship between China and Japan, the "Arashiyama in the Rain" poem monument built by the Japanese friendship group in Arashiyama Kameyama Park was unveiled. For more than 40 years, the people of China and Japan have been in an endless stream. Surrounded by green pines and cherry trees, the prime minister's poetry monument has long become a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship.
In April this year, Arashiyama added another monument to the prime minister's poem. More than 30 Chinese and Japanese people of insight recently came from all over Japan to gather at the Senko-ji Temple, which is only one river away from Kameyama Park, to witness the unveiling of the poem "Arashiyama After the Rain".
The monument is 112 cm high and 54.5 cm wide and rests on a pedestal inscribed with the words "World Peace". The upper part of the front of the stele is engraved with excerpts from "Arashiyama After the Rain", and the lower part is designed as an open book with the original inscription on it.
This is a poem "Arashiyama After the Rain", which was filmed on April 5 at Senko-ji Temple in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jiang Qiaomei
According to Wang Min, director of the Zhou Enlai Peace Research Institute and honorary professor of Hosei University in Japan, in order to more fully reflect Zhou Enlai's harvest and wisdom of studying in Japan, she germinated the idea of establishing the poem "Arashiyama After the Rain", which is not only a remembrance of her ancestors, but also a spur to future generations not to forget their original intentions.
The relatives of Premier Zhou Enlai sent a written speech for the unveiling ceremony, saying that the completion of the poem "Arashiyama After the Rain" witnessed the common process of safeguarding and deepening peaceful development of the people of the two countries. It is hoped that the cause of peace and friendship between China and Japan will continue to develop in the past and in the future.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said in a written speech that his father, Takeo Fukuda, admired Premier Zhou and hoped that the unveiling of the poem would revive Zhou Enlai's spirit and promote the smooth development of friendly relations between the two countries.
Looking forward to development
Two poems, one expectation. The poem "Arashiyama After the Rain" has become another memorial place for inheriting and carrying forward Premier Zhou's "legacy of peace", and also provides a rare opportunity for people from the two countries to talk about friendship and look forward to the prospects for the development of bilateral relations.
Yoichi Yotsumiya, vice chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Association of Kyoto Prefecture, said in an interview with a Xinhua reporter: "When Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations were normalized, I was a sophomore, and I still clearly remember seeing on TV the picture of Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and Premier Zhou Enlai shaking hands. Today, 50 years later, although the situation between the two countries has changed a lot, I think it is a good time to return to the original point and think about how to further promote the development of Japan-China relations in the future. ”
On the evening of April 5, Xue Jian, Chinese Consul General in Osaka, and Daisaku Motokawa, Mayor of Kyoto, were invited to participate in the commemoration of the inauguration of the poem. Xue Jian said in his speech: We must not forget the political determination of the leaders of the older generation of the two countries to uphold Sino-Japanese friendship, the political courage to overcome all difficulties, and the political wisdom of seeking common ground while reserving differences; we must also bear in mind the important commitments made by Premier Zhou and Prime Minister Tanaka on upholding faith and abiding by righteousness when Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations were normalized, and we should consistently handle bilateral relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect and mutual trust and consistency in words and deeds.
He said: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations, which is an important opportunity for both sides to review history and look forward to the future.
Daisaku Menkawa said that Kyoto will cherish this fate at the local and non-governmental levels, inherit and carry forward the great spirit of Premier Zhou, build a bridge of friendly exchanges between the two countries, and make greater contributions to the development of the two countries and world peace. (Reporter: Jiang Qiaomei; Editor: Shen Haoyang; Editor: Lu Yu, Jin Zheng, Ma Xiaoyan)
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform