Yao Ximeng, a scholar of the Ming Dynasty, once said in the article "Plum Blossom Miscellaneous Songs": "The prosperity of plum blossoms has to push Wuzhong, and it will be the most blessed mountains." In the thirty-fifth year of the Kangxi Dynasty (1696), the minister of the Kangxi Dynasty, Song Jie, traveled to Deng WeiShan Yaxingfa and inscribed three big characters on the cliff, "Xiangxue Sea", after which "Xiangxue Sea" became famous in the sea. The Kangxi Emperor went to Guangfu three times to smell the plum fragrance, and the Qianlong Emperor visited the plum sea in Guangfu six times. The two emperors wrote a total of 19 poems in Guangfu, of which 13 were plum blossom poems, which have now been inscribed into monuments, becoming another scenery with plum blossoms in the Xiangxue Garden. The history of Guangfu's plum breeding can be traced back to the late Qin and early Han dynasties, with a history of more than 2,000 years. The plum blossoms of Xiangxuehai are called the four major plum hunting resorts in China, along with Hangzhou Chaoshan Mountain, Nanjing Plum Blossom Mountain and Wuxi Plum Garden.
Guangfu, half nestled in the foothills of Deng Wei Mountain, half entangled in Taihu Lake, not only has the lake and mountain color of Taihu Lake, but also has the Dongtianfudi of Suzhou. Guangfu landscape is picturesque, flowers and fruits are everywhere, the Southern Dynasty Liang Dynasty during the same year jiuzhen Taishou house as a temple, taking its "Guangfu" two words, since then the temple name town. It is different from the small bridge flowing water in the traditional ancient town of Jiangnan, and because of its location in the hills, it has more grandeur and toughness. Guangfu, not only has 10,000 acres of plum sea, 1,000 acres of osmanthus flowers, 100 acres of wood lotus, but also 10,000 acres of flowers and trees nursery, so it has the reputation of "the hometown of Chinese flowers and trees". Guangfu is not only one of the birthplaces of Su embroidery, but also exquisitely carved nuclear carvings, jade carvings and Buddha carvings, so it is also a famous carving town in China. Guangfu, or the light length of Baili Lake, or the fragrance of ten miles of osmanthus flowers, or the exquisite Su embroidery, exquisite nuclear carving, there will always be a reason to lead you and approach it.
Once Guangfu, relying on the lake to eat the lake, fishing for a living, so fishing culture is an important part of Guangfu culture. At present, the fishing port village of Guangfu Town is like a living fossil of the ancient Guangfu fishery life, and the identity of the fishermen has never changed. They fish with the largest ancient fishing boats, sacrifice in the oldest way, maintain the original taste of seafood with the fewest condiments, and greet guests with the freshest "Taihu Sanbai". Walking into the fishing port village, you can see all the elements of fishing culture, fishermen, fishing nets, fishing boats, fishing feasts, you can go out to sea with the fishing boats and hit a net yourself. You can dine on board and eat the freshest and most original seafood, of course, you can also find a fishing house and eat the most complete seafood feast. Fishing Port Village, as the largest inland fishing port in China, is as far as you can imagine about all fishing culture.
As a fisherman who makes a living from fishing, I probably will not forget one person, that is, Dayu. As the god of water control in China, he also ruled Taihu Lake, he made the water of Taihu Lake change from a man-eating beast to a docile lamb, so that people had the opportunity to salvage everything from the water to maintain their livelihood, so Dayu was revered by the local fishermen as "Waterway Bodhisattva" and "Yuwang Bodhisattva". In the middle of the Taihu Lake, there is a "Yuwang Temple" built on the platform mountain, built a big opera stage, the annual fishing festival, or the important activities of the fishermen, they must be assembled on the platform mountain, or with traditional sacrifices, or with traditional opera, to give the Yu King the highest courtesy, looking forward to the Yu King's protection of generations of fishing port people, fish and rice, generations of happiness.
Named after the temple, Guangfu certainly cannot miss the Buddhist culture of Guangfu.
Guangfu Temple, located at the southern foot of Guishan Mountain, was founded in the Liang Dynasty and flourished in the Tang Dynasty, dating back 1500 years. In the temple, there was once a bronze Kannon statue, also known as the Copper Kannon Temple. It has the Guanyin Bridge in front of it and the Guangfu Pagoda in the back, which are the best witnesses to the ancients, and the Guangfu Pagoda is the landmark of Guangfu Town.
Situ Temple, located in the southeast of JianLang Village in the west of Guangfu Town, is the ancestral temple of Deng Yu, the great situ of the Guangwu Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Inside the temple, there are four 2,000-year-old cypress trees, which are said to have been planted by Deng Yu himself. The shape is unique, the posture is different, like a natural bonsai, which can be called the world's unique, and was given "Qing", "Qi", "Ancient" and "Strange" by the Qianlong Emperor.
Sheng'en Temple, located in the southeast of Xuan Tomb Mountain, facing Taihu Lake, was built in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties. There is a "Dafang Guangfo Huayan Sutra" in the temple, which is a blood sutra written by a monk called "Breaking Bones for Pens and Thorns blood for Ink", which has been written for half a lifetime and cast a lifetime of cultivation, which may be the reason for the strong incense of Sheng'en Temple! Moreover, Sheng'en Temple is also the prototype of the Xuanyu Panxiang Temple in "Dream of the Red Chamber".
In the history of Guangfuku, in addition to the important fishing culture, there is also a developed handicraft culture, where many ancient handicrafts and hereditary families are gathered.
Su embroidery, as one of the four famous embroideries in China alongside Xiang embroidery, Cantonese embroidery and Shu embroidery, is the most important handicraft in the history of Suzhou, while Wuzhong District is the most important birthplace, in the Qing Dynasty, Su embroidery entered its heyday.
Guangfu Xiangshan Gang, is the design and builder of the Ming Forbidden City, The construction group founded by Qu Xiang, most of the private gardens in Suzhou, almost all of them are their works, leaving posterity with a delicate and tasteful Suzhou garden.
Carving, nuclear carving, jade carving, mahogany carving and Buddha carving, has been known as the four major carvings of Guangfu, as the birthplace of modern carving, Guangfu carving is known for its "fine, fine and elegant". Nuclear sculpture, mainly based on black olive core material, a small core, or become a nuclear boat, or become a thousand States Buddha face, are unique ingenuity.
Guangfu, an ancient town with a history of more than 2,000 years, has never slept, was once the elite of the fishing industry, and later became the leader of the handicraft industry. Especially during the Kangqian period, this place was blessed by two emperors again and again, the plum blossoms were like the sea, the osmanthus flowers were fragrant, the Buddha prayed lightly, the lake light was deeply drunk, and it was not only the generations of emperors who were fascinated. The garden is embroidered, the carving is picturesque, the three whites are fresh, the white fruit is fragrant, and the drunk is not only a traveler. Guangfu, you go, there must be no regrets, you don't go, definitely regret. What awaits you is not just a mouthful, but a pleasure for both body and mind.