Gu Xuan said history
Edit | Gu Xuan said history
In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, who had just completed the reunification of the country, faced severe social challenges, and the war caused the population of the country to plummet, especially in Shandong, Hebei and other places, due to the displacement and massacres caused by the war, many places almost became no man's land. [Come on]
Not only that, due to the serious damage caused by the war, the agricultural economy is almost paralyzed, and the people's livelihood is in dire straits, and it is urgent to recover and develop.
In order to solve this thorny problem, the Ming government developed a series of countermeasures, including a large-scale immigration policy.
01
The story under the big locust tree
The large locust tree in Hongdong County became a symbol of the Ming government's immigration policy. It is recorded that millions of immigrants gathered here in Dahuashu alone, and then dispersed to more than 500 counties in 18 provinces across the country. Most of these immigrants came from Han families in the Central Plains, with a variety of surnames, such as Zhao Qian, Sun Li, etc.
In order to ensure the smooth progress of the migration, the Ming government took some tough measures, such as leaving marks on the migrants' little toenails and even tying their hands and feet to prevent them from fleeing.
Although these measures were cruel, they also showed that they were helpless in the historical context of the time.
The locust tree immigrants did not leave their homeland voluntarily, so their attachment to their hometown was particularly deep, and during the long migration process, they constantly looked back at the big locust tree and regarded it as a spiritual sustenance.
In order to keep the roots of future generations in mind, some old people will point to the big locust tree and say, "If one day you forget where you came from, you will find this big locust tree, and finding the big locust tree is equivalent to finding your home." ”
This kind of persistent feeling for the hometown has spread all over the country with the footsteps of immigrants.
With the passage of time, the immigrants gradually integrated into the new living environment, they worked hard in the new land, multiplied, and created a brilliant civilization with their wisdom and sweat.
No matter how far they go, the big locust tree is always their spiritual home and a root that they can never forget in their hearts.
Nowadays, the big locust tree has become a common place for Chinese sons and daughters to find their roots, and every year on important festivals such as the Qingming Festival, thousands of Chinese at home and abroad will come to the big locust tree to hold a grand ancestor worship activity.
They are here to remember their ancestors, feel the inheritance of blood, and take this opportunity to enhance their friendship with each other and witness the prosperity of the Chinese nation together.
02
The turmoil of the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasty
The reign of the Yuan Dynasty began in 1271, but the Mongol empire did not last long. Although the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty introduced some reform measures after the conquest of the Central Plains, the Yuan Dynasty was never able to win the support of the people due to its backward governance philosophy and oppression of the Han Chinese.
The rule of the Yuan dynasty gradually exposed various problems, such as corruption, infighting, and heavy taxes, which led to growing discontent among the people, which eventually led to the peasant uprisings in the late Yuan Dynasty.
The peasant uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty was a large-scale social movement that involved many parts of the country. In this movement, many heroic leaders of the peasant rebel army emerged, such as Zhu Yuanzhang, Liu Futong and others.
The rebel army they led fought fiercely against the Yuan army and eventually overthrew the Yuan dynasty, and the war also brought great destruction to civil society, with many cities destroyed, farmland barren, and people displaced.
Natural disasters such as floods, droughts and locust plagues were also frequent during this period, which exacerbated social unrest and made life more difficult for the people.
In this context, the establishment of the Ming Dynasty brought new hope to the people, and in order to rebuild their homeland, the Ming government adopted a series of measures, including large-scale population migration.
The Ming government set up a settlement center under the locust tree to encourage people affected by war and natural disasters to migrate to other areas. These immigrants started a new life in a new land, they reclaimed wasteland, rebuilt their homes, and made an important contribution to the development of the country.
03
Locust Tree Love: Tracing the footprints of the migration of ancestors
Shanxi has a complex topography and is surrounded by mountains, known as "mountains and rivers in the surface". The terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack has spared it in previous wars and has not experienced the looting of war.
The contrast with the surrounding barren scene makes this land a "paradise" in the eyes of many refugees. They have taken refuge and settled here, making Shanxi one of the most densely populated regions in China.
The new dynasty established in the early Ming Dynasty was in dire need of population to support economic development, so its attention soon fell to the rich and populous Shanxi.
During the Hongwu to Yongle periods, the Ming court organized a number of large-scale migrations, mainly targeting Shanxi, which covered most of China and involved tens of thousands of people.
Among the counties in Shanxi, the Jinnan region is the most densely populated, and among the counties in the southern part of Shanxi, Hongdong County has the largest population.
The Ming court decided that the first large-scale settlement would be located here as the starting point for this event. On the west side of Jia Village in the north of Hongdong County, there is an ancient temple Guangji Temple where incense is flourishing.
There is a huge acacia tree in the temple, the canopy covers the sky, the limbs are dense, and it is still upright after thousands of years. The Ming court decided to set up an immigration registration point under this big locust tree to handle the formalities in a centralized manner.
From the beach of the Fen River not far away, flocks of old storks fly here to nest in this tree, willow trees sway in the wind on the riverside, and immigrants rush in and leave in a hurry, which has become an unforgettable scene for them.
Therefore, this big locust tree and the old stork's nest became the first elements that emerged when they looked back at their homeland. The monotonous and unremarkable scenery adds to the magic and legend because it carries their homesickness.
Tens of thousands of migrants left their homes from under the locust tree, most of them involuntarily, but forcibly at the behest of the Ming court.
At that time, it was rumored that in order to prevent migrants from escaping on the road, officers and soldiers would cut a knife on each of their little toes to split the armor in half.
Nowadays, many people look at the cracks on their toes and say that it is the mark of the migration of their ancestors, although this rumor may not be true, it has become a consensus and a kind of cognition in everyone's hearts.
Many of the descendants who moved out of this place are now scattered around the world, like paper kites scattered in the wind. But no matter how high and far they fly, this locust tree is still the thread that connects everyone.
Even if you travel thousands of miles through mountains and rivers, you must return to this land of roots, find the original take-off point, stroke the rough bark of the locust tree, find the breath of the ancestors, and have a dialogue with the unreachable homeland.
04
Ask your ancestors
The ancients had a habit that even if they were thousands of miles away, they should return to their hometowns to find their roots and ask their ancestors.
This is often thought to be influenced by the culture of filial piety, gratitude to ancestors, or clan attitudes, but a few examples of root-seeking and ancestral roots show that the real motives of ancient people returning to their hometowns were often more practical.
For example, the Zeng family of Huguang Zhongxiang in the Ming Dynasty was originally from Pengze, Jiangxi, and in 1363, Zeng Yongsi followed Chang Yuchun to the south, and later stayed in Zhongxiang'an Luwei.
More than 100 years later, Zhong Xiang Zeng came to Pengze to seek his roots, but was denied by the local clansmen and burned their ancestral tablets. Because according to the system, Zhong Xiang Zeng's military expenses should be borne by the Pengze people, and the Pengze people do not agree with the sect, so they can save expenses. Driven by interests, the clansmen ignored their ancestors.
Specifically, the reasons why Chinese like to seek their roots and ask their ancestors can be explained in the following aspects:
China has a long history and cultural traditions, in which family culture and ancestor worship are important components, in ancient China, the family is the basic unit of society, and ancestors are regarded as the founders and protectors of the family.
Respecting and worshipping ancestors has become a belief and habit, and asking for one's ancestors can be seen as a continuation and expression of this belief and habit.
Respect and worship of ancestors is considered a moral act and a manifestation of social values. Asking for one's ancestors is not only an expression of respect and respect for one's ancestors, but also a recognition and pursuit of one's own family and social values.
Seeking one's roots and ancestors can also be seen as the pursuit of one's own identity and sense of belonging, which is determined by one's family background and ancestors, and one's own ancestors and family background can be seen as the pursuit of one's own identity and sense of belonging, as well as recognition and respect for one's ancestors and family background.
The development of modern society has also had a certain impact on the behavior of Chinese people in seeking their roots and asking their ancestors, and with the development of society and the acceleration of urbanization, many Chinese have left their hometowns and the places where their ancestors lived.
In this case, searching for one's ancestors can be seen as nostalgia and remembrance of one's hometown and ancestors, as well as the pursuit of one's own identity and sense of belonging.
There are many reasons why Chinese like to seek their roots and ask their ancestors, including the influence of historical and cultural traditions, the embodiment of social values, the pursuit of personal identity and a sense of belonging, and the influence of modern society.
Whatever the reason, the search for one's ancestors is a cultural tradition and social phenomenon of profound significance.