Trace the history of Song Yun

【Author said】

Mr. Deng Guangming, an expert in Song history, said: "The culture of the Song Dynasty, during the historical period of China's feudal society, up to the period of Western learning and eastern learning at the time of the Ming and Qing dynasties, it can be said that it has reached the height of its peak. "As an important historical period in the evolution of Chinese civilization, the Song Dynasty has always attracted wide attention. The Song Yun culture of diversity and tolerance, competition in a hundred works, the pursuit of excellence, and elegance and refinement, is known as the historical peak of China's classical civilization with thousands of meteorological conditions.

Whether it is to explore the depth of the hook from the dense and profound ancient rhyme, or to open up a new and far-reaching depiction of contemporary paintings, and to obtain an overall understanding of Song Yun culture, it is a beneficial thing for cultural construction. The author's guided work "Brief Reading of Song Yun Culture" written for the "Song Yun Culture Inheritance Project" may provide some ideas for the interpretation and construction of Song Yun culture.

The connotation of rhyme

What is "Song Yun"?

Regarding "Song Yun", in the current research or speech, some of them take the meaning of "rhyme" as "meaning", "flavor" and "taste", preferring material feelings. For example, incense burning, tea fighting, flower arrangement, from the aesthetic level of life to enjoy the exquisite life of the Song people. Some take the meaning of "rhyme", "rhyme", "rhyme" and "charm" of the word "rhyme", and prefer artistic feelings. For example, poetry, calligraphy and painting, piano and chess, etc., from the artistic aesthetic level, lament the elegance of the Song people's art and literature.

It can be seen that life and art are an organic part of Song Yun's culture. The aesthetics and artistic elegance of the Song people's life also really give Song Yun a unique temperament.

However, if it is necessary to understand the spiritual characteristics of an era and systematically refine its excellent cultural elements, there should also be a more comprehensive and profound understanding of Song Yun culture. Neither can it be limited to a narrow literal understanding of the word "rhyme", nor can it be compared without discernment and selectively equating it with the all-encompassing and well-to-do two Song cultures. To understand and understand Song Yun culture, it is necessary to uphold the attitude of seeking truth from facts and rational and objective understanding, in order to see the essence through the phenomenon, accurately grasp the historical "chassis" of an era, and enhance the tone and quality of Song Yun culture.

For example, regarding the Song Dynasty's yayun, some articles take the record of "burning incense and ordering tea, hanging paintings and arranging flowers, four idle things, and not suitable for tired families" in the "Mengliang Record", and regard incense, tea, paintings, and flowers as the essence of Song people's life, which is highly appreciated. However, looking at the two Song Dynasty incense affairs, in addition to "elegance", there are various disadvantages, such as the circulation of spices does not produce value, the imperial court through the practice of buying and banning spices, raising the price of domestic spices, sitting on their profits, in fact, is a disguised plunder of the national wealth; with the extravagant consumption of spices to stimulate the economy, but the luxury of life destroys the healthy development of the economy; the use of the wealth earned from exporting silk and porcelain to buy a large number of spices as luxury goods, to a certain extent, is a waste of national strength.

For another example, regarding the literary atmosphere of the Song Dynasty, some articles believe that the basic national policy of the Song court to "revere literature and suppress martial arts" and the civil official system of "sharing the world with scholars" made the literati of the Song Dynasty have extremely high treatment, and the two Song Dynasties became the "best era" for the literati. The two Song Dynasties did have the "rule of Jiayou" during the Reign of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, with the emergence of cultural celebrities such as Su Shi, Su Rui, Zeng Gong, Cheng Hao, and Zhang Zai, and the relatively relaxed political and cultural ecology of the Southern Song Dynasty and Song Xiaozong, which produced groups of academic masters such as Zhu Xi, Lu Jiuyuan, Lü Zuqian, Chen Liang, and Ye Shi. However, the Song Dynasty also had no shortage of harsh literary prohibitions such as the Wutai poetry case, the Yuanyou Party case, the Yuanyou Xue Ban, and the Qingyuan Party Ban, as well as Cai Jing, Qin Jun, Han Nongxin, Shi Miyuan, Jia Xiangdao, and other authoritarian regimes, so that morale was low.

It can be seen from this that only by comprehensively understanding, objectively analyzing, rationally evaluating, discarding its dross and taking its essence can we get a glimpse of the whole picture of "Song Yun".

The Song Yun culture as understood by the author refers specifically to the excellent civilization elements, intrinsic spirit and cultural values of the two Song cultures, which are embodied in many aspects of the social life of the two Song Dynasties. For example, the rhyme of material interest in the field of daily life, the rhyme of ingenuity in the field of production technology, the rhyme of order in the field of social operation, the rhyme of intellectual knowledge in the field of discovery and invention, the rhyme of speculation in the field of academic thought, the aesthetic rhyme in the field of literature and art, etc., are presented as the forms of sophisticated economic production, the peak of science and technology in the era of one-step, the open and inclusive social outlook, the academic schools with various meanings, the literary spirit of rationality and introversion, the artistic aesthetics of simplicity and elegance, the deep and magnificent feelings of home and country, and the philosophy of life of exploring the mysterious and subtle. They are not only the overall rhythm of the Chinese civilization process from an era, but also the concrete manifestation of the classical tradition's super handsomeness, with long and far-reaching roots, huge geographical network, and well-ordered historical logic, and their civilization achievements with cultural creation value and historical progress significance converge into a unique rhyme and echo in historical time and space.

In addition to a comprehensive, objective and rational view of "Song Yun", it should be noted that the formation of an era scene is also inextricably linked to its social matrix.

Even the poetry and paintings of the Song Dynasty, which are regarded as the most "elegant" characteristics, do not exist independently of society. In its plot, story, line, color and other art forms, it contains deep concern for the times, profound social thinking and deep thought crystallization, full of serious themes such as the society of Jiangshan and the continuation of civilization, and it is even heavier because of the times of the Southern Song Dynasty. Lu You, Xin Shuyi, Wen Tianxiang and other poets and lyricists gathered all their thoughts on the hatred of the country and the family, the sorrow and indignation, and the fierce ambition, expressing concern for the current situation of the homeland and embodying a strong patriotic spirit. The literature and art of the Two Song Dynasties not only have the leisure and elegance of the literati, but also have a broad world of life and life. Taking the paintings of the Southern Song Dynasty as an example, many painters have created works that reflect the lives of ordinary people, such as farming and weaving, cattle herding, cargo langs, and baby plays. It is difficult to replace the deep and serious historical sighs and deep and extensive humanistic concerns, and only regard the wind and flowers and snow moon as a one-sided cognition of Song Yun culture, which not only gives people a sense of "not knowing the hatred of the country", but also disrespectful to the contempt of objective history.

The spirit of rhyme

In the various colors of Song Yun's culture, the spiritual genealogy that embodies its inherent characteristics is the most fundamental core that constitutes Song Yun. The author believes that "Song Yun" really has the following spirit.

The national spirit with the consciousness of the Chinese national community as the core. Throughout the various periods of Chinese history, the identification with "One China" has always been in the same vein. Although there was political and military confrontation during the two Song Dynasties, the exchanges between various ethnic groups lasted for a long time and the degree of integration was profound, and all adhered to the cultural identity consciousness of the unity of China, jointly realized the integration of the northern frontier and the Central Plains, enriched and deepened the connotation of the pattern of pluralism and integration, laid the foundation for the final maturity of the unified multi-ethnic state in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and spread the influence of Chinese civilization such as ideas, systems, culture and education, etiquette, and classics to neighboring regions such as East Asia. Song Yun culture is inseparable from the frequent ties between the two Song dynasties and ethnic minority regimes, which to a large extent stems from the historical dilemmas they face and the new ideas, new spaces and new efforts to cope with the difficulties.

Patriotic spirit full of family and country feelings and traditional virtues. Patriotism is the great banner that unites the Chinese nation. Historically, in the face of the threat of external force, the society and people of the two Song Dynasties embodied the patriotic spirit of defending sovereignty and safeguarding reunification. Patriotism is also greatly manifested in the sense of responsibility of worrying about the country and the people and caring about internal affairs, for example, the literati constantly put forward the idea of saving the world by reforming internal affairs and maladministing, punishing corrupt officials and corrupt officials, rewarding nongsang industries, and curing local chaos. The patriotic spirit is also the embodiment of the traditional virtues and personal qualities of the sons and daughters of China, showing care and loyalty to the country, sympathy and sympathy for the people's living conditions, and the awe-inspiring integrity of shouldering the ideal and righteousness for morality and righteousness, and daring to sacrifice.

Rooted in the open spirit of overseas trade and foreign exchanges. The history of the two Song Dynasties obtaining economic benefits through overseas trade is also a process in which foreign exchanges nurture the spirit of openness and produce a huge historical promotion effect. Externally, the Song Dynasty stepped onto the world economic stage, integrated into the world trading system and played an important role, forming an open market closely linked to domestic and foreign markets, and began to transform from a landlocked country to a sea and land country. While continuously expanding to the outside world, the internal environment has undergone changes, the merchant class and handicraft groups have continued to grow, urban space and citizen classes have risen, ideological concepts have been liberated, identity backgrounds have been relatively diluted, civilian and secular elements have emerged in large quantities, the value of "people" has been paid attention to, civic culture has flourished, and the spirit of openness has become the norm.

Nurtured in the creative spirit of a pluralistic and inclusive social environment. The special circumstances of the times during the Two Song Dynasties brought huge development difficulties and also stimulated creativity that was different from the norm. Since its establishment, the Northern Song Dynasty has practiced the policy of "Yanwu Xiuwen" and adopted a "culturally inclusive policy that is completely passively implemented by objective environmental relations" (Deng Guangming's "Preface to the Treatise on the Cultural History of the Northern Song Dynasty") in the face of many internal and external troubles. Compared with other historical periods, the emperors of the Song Dynasty were generally kind to the literati, the policy environment and social atmosphere were relatively relaxed and inclusive, and together with economic development, book dissemination, and the attention paid to the imperial examination, they played a protective and promoting role in ideological emancipation and cultural innovation, and the creative spirit and its role were brought into play and obtained rich fertile soil of the times.

The scientific spirit of courage to explore, seek knowledge and truth. Scientific spirit and scientific and technological achievements are important driving forces for the progress of civilization. Looking at the evolution of the world's major civilizations, especially at key nodes, advanced scientific and technological productivity is the dazzling light of civilization. The culture of the Song Dynasty sank, education was popularized, and a knowledge society atmosphere of delving and exploring and the scientific spirit of seeking knowledge and truth were formed, and scientific and technological achievements were remarkable. The three major inventions of gunpowder, compass and printing have a world impact, such astronomy, calendar, mathematics and other basic science achievements are remarkable, agricultural science and technology, metallurgical technology, silk porcelain technology, navigation technology, medicine and other applied technologies promote social development, and the military confrontation during the two Song Dynasties was fiercely weapon manufactured.

Deeply cherish the humanistic spirit of social concern and fulfill social responsibilities. The two Song dynasty scholars broke through the narrow academic confinement, adhered to the Confucian concept of cultivating Qi Zhiping, deeply cherished the sense of distress, cared about the destiny and future of the country, did not shy away from authority, learned from innovation, and resolved to "establish a life for the people" and "open up peace for all the worlds". They pay attention to the secularization and life of Confucianism, and actively devote themselves to social construction such as moral cultivation, people's education, grass-roots governance, social welfare, and rules of exchange, and have become an important force in building the norms of daily life order and strengthening the cohesion and stability of grass-roots society.

The value of rhyme

The purpose of studying Song Yun culture is to provide historical perspectives and enlightenment for the cultural construction of the new era. The author believes that the transformation and dissemination of the millennium Song Rhyme is still valuable at present.

The 5,000 years of Chinese civilization have jointly developed the splendid rivers and mountains of the motherland by various ethnic groups, and jointly created a long History of China and a splendid Chinese culture. Song, Liao, Xia and Jin have enriched and deepened the connotation of the pattern of pluralism and integration. Inheriting the Song Yun culture today is conducive to strengthening the chinese cultural identity, safeguarding national unity and national unity, and carrying forward the spirit of patriotism.

During the two Song Dynasties, inheriting the spirit of Cosmopolitanism of the Han and Tang Dynasties, supporting the spontaneous and smooth flow of foreign exchanges with the rational cognition of economic development, relying on overseas trade to build an open network, integrating into the outside world, absorbing the excellent elements of other civilizations, promoting the development of the country, nation, society and civilization, and achieving a prosperous and enterprising pattern of Chinese culture. Inheriting this spirit is conducive to cultivating a diverse, inclusive, open and enterprising cultural mentality and world vision.

Scientific and technological innovation, represented by gunpowder, compass, and printing, was an important force in promoting the social development of the Song Dynasty, and it was also a remarkable and proud achievement of civilization in the two Song Dynasties. Science and technology is the primary productive force, scientific and technological strength determines the changes in the balance of political and economic forces in the world, and scientific and technological innovation is the strategic support for improving social productivity and comprehensive national strength, and determines the future and destiny of the country and the nation. Carrying forward the spirit of scientific and technological innovation is conducive to our respect for professional knowledge and the confidence and courage to climb the peak of science.

Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, or Song Studies, made important contributions to the ideological shaping, social development and cultural innovation of the two Song Dynasties. The American scholar Villiam Theodore de Bary, commenting on Song Confucianism, dismissed it as "disdainful of ancient forms of Confucianism—that is, of classical studies whose chief nature is linguistic and historical; of encyclopedic erudition, i.e., of inclusiveness without any criterion of evaluation; of articles that do not convey any moral purpose or message" and of "solid", "true" or "practical". Judging from the trend of the times, Scholars of the Song Dynasty paid attention to the social function of scholarship and actively participated in social transformation. Inheriting this spirit is conducive to encouraging humanistic scholars to participate in social construction and promoting ideological and cultural innovation.

The special circumstances of the times during the Two Song Dynasties brought huge development difficulties and also stimulated creativity that was different from the norm. For example, the dissolution of the clan and the prevention and suppression of armed forces have given rise to the emphasis on the scholar class; the situation of internal and external difficulties has given birth to a relaxed cultural policy; the lesson of the insufficient financial mobilization capacity of the Tang Dynasty prefecture and county systems has given birth to institutional innovations such as the establishment of transit departments; and the land siege of ethnic minority regimes in the north has given birth to southern sea transportation, maritime trade, and the development of the southwest region. It follows from this that the objective environment is not a decisive factor in development. Inheriting this spirit of hard work and progress is conducive to stimulating the awareness and action of creating with the situation and advancing with the times.

The capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, Hangzhou, under the shroud of the word "emperor", life and fashion have become extraordinary, the historical situation has become deep, the literary art and aesthetic taste have been developed accordingly, and the quality of life has been improved. To this day, the legacy of the Southern Song Dynasty can still be felt in the life of Zhejiang. Zhejiang people have the responsibility and obligation to creatively transform and innovatively develop Song Yun culture.

We deeply hope that whether it is Song Yun culture or all kinds of contemporary cultural construction with excellent traditional culture as resources, we can comprehensively, objectively and accurately refine the characteristics, spirit and value of historical resources with a higher historical position, a longer-distance observation horizon, a broader ideological pattern, a deeper rational quest, and a more open cultural temperament, so that the cultural rhyme that has been immersed in time can integrate the creative vitality of today's culture and obtain eternal cultural life.

(Author: Chen Ye, Vice President and Researcher of Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences)