Huizhou Ancient Bridges

Author: Bian Li
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-09-01
Features: This is a magical land, the land of Cheng and Zhu, the hometown of etiquette; it has produced famous officials from Huizhou who held high status for hundreds of years, nurtured the dazzling Huizhou opera troupes that performed in the capital, and added magnificent gems to Chinese culture; it has created splendid and diverse frozen notes of history. It is precisely because of these past glories and brilliance that the unique and awe-inspiring Huizhou cultural history has been admired and praised by the world. Every time one enters Huizhou, a sense of reverence and wonder fills one’s heart. It is no wonder that the famous Ming Dynasty dramatist Tang Xianzu emotionally sighed, “In this world, there is no place as enchanting as Huizhou in my dreams.” Huizhou holds countless places that leave one lingering and captivated. Strolling under the ancient and mysterious cultural sky of Huizhou, one is sometimes left in thought, sometimes amazed, sometimes expressing their feelings, and sometimes filled with nostalgia for the past. Walking through Huizhou brings joy to one’s heart, and as one continues to observe, a profound sense of inspiration and awe arises.
In the villages, the traditional Ming and Qing Dynasty residential buildings with white walls and dark tiles fill one with a clear sense of the atmosphere of Huizhou’s cultural history. The ancient bridges crisscrossing the Xin’an water system seem to show the path once walked by countless Huizhou merchants, leading to the world. The majestic memorial arches stand as if telling the tales of historical changes, with traces of glory as well as tears. The solemn ancestral halls and preserve the power of the ruling families who migrated from southern Jin. On the mountains and hills, academies and colleges stand, allowing people to hear the sound of reading, as Huizhou was known as the “capital of culture,” “the Zhongyuan of the southeast,” and “a village of ten households where learning never ceases.”
Stepping into Huizhou, one enters the grand scroll of Huizhou’s cultural history, where scenes and pictures flash vividly in one’s mind: In the autumn wind, a young red-capped merchant, Hu Xuyuan, carries his suitcase and umbrella, striding forward with determination, leaving the mountains to create miracles. Inside the stern and solemn Qingyi Hall, young and middle-aged women, indifferent or hopeful, or composed, turn their black hair to white and their youth to old age. At the entrances of Tangyue, Xiongcun, Choushu, and Zhengcun, along the ancient paths and streets, the memorial arches, ranging from the Yuan to the Qing dynasties, stand tall—some magnificent, some unique, some stained with blood, some shocking. For hundreds of years, they have been telling their joys and sorrows, enacting scenes of both sorrow and joy. Strolling through the academies of Ziyang, Zhushan, and Nanhu, one imagines Zhu Xi lecturing on Confucian classics and promoting his doctrine of “Li.” It was during such a flourishing time of literary culture that the Huizhou officials realized their dream of protecting and safeguarding their merchant families through positions in the imperial court.
Wandering through the residential areas of Xidi, Hongcun, and Tangmo, the Chengzhi Hall, Dafu Diao, and Lifu Diao, as well as the small West Lake, show the former glory, wealth, and prosperity. The architectural layouts and styles of Shuikou, Niuxing, and the “Four Waters Gathering in the Hall” demonstrate the wisdom of the ancient Huizhou people. The carvings on the beams, painted beams, and the three-dimension techniques of wood, brick, and stone—like a symphony of folk variation—ring through the forests and alleys.
This series of books will use the style of cultural essays to conduct a panoramic cultural scan of ancient villages (including ancient residential buildings), ancient memorial arches, ancient bridges, ancient academies, and ancient ancestral halls in Huizhou’s cultural history. Accompanied by panoramic, individual, or partial views, the goal is to be approachable, elegant in writing, and enjoyable for both the learned and the masses.