The Realm of Excellence: Book House and Go in Goryo

Author: Wang Zhaoyi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: The development of human history is full of dialectics. On one hand, new things always emerge, challenging the established social structure and culture. Tradition pushes history forward; at the same time, this process is not always filled with a warm melody, often accompanied by the slaughter of life, the fragmentation of kindness, and the destruction of beauty. However, the sacrifice of goodness and beauty in exchange for higher-level unity of truth, goodness, and beauty. Looking at the history of China's feudal society over thousands of years, on the whole, it advanced slowly with its super-stable structure, but in certain stages and aspects, it underwent intense struggles, repeated fluctuations, or subtle waves like stagnant water. The external and internal factors causing partial, phased, and limited changes in China's feudal society are mainly three: first, ethnic conflicts; second, internal divisions of rulers; and third, resistance from the common people. The impact of these three factors varied in intensity and frequency, lasting endlessly. Indeed, those cries filled with blood and fire eventually faded into the silent flow of history. Even the massive upheaval in the external structure of society brought by the change of dynasties quickly returned to order due to the strong assimilating force of the traditional culture of the Han nationality, failing to bring about a fresh transformation in Chinese history. However, upon closer examination, the intense fluctuations in the social structure left a powerful distortion and suppression on certain strata of society or individual destinies, a profound shock to the hearts of living people, and the transformation inspired by this shock enriched the connotation of history. Moreover, the pursuit and creation of a renewed life inspired by this spiritual transformation undoubtedly added a rich diversity to the development of external history. The "Jiankang Chaos" in the period between the Western Jin and Eastern Jin dynasties, the "Anshi Rebellion" during the Tang Dynasty, the great uprising led by Huang Chao, and the "Jingkang Chaos" between the Southern and Northern Song dynasties, among others, shook the historical order while delivering heavy blows to the aristocratic families living in the Central Plains for generations. Over hundreds of years, tens of thousands of Central Plains scholars fled south to escape the war. At that time, the predicament of the powerful nobles under the system was imaginable. They had to abandon their official status, wealth, and grand mansions, hastily rolling up some fine belongings, genealogies, and books, and flee from their ancestral homeland in the direction of the cold, howling northwest wind, south, south, across the Yellow River, over the Yangtze River, and after traveling hundreds of miles, they finally found a mountainous and picturesque place shielded by high mountains and surrounded by lush forests, far from the flames of war, where they could rest and recuperate—this was Huizhou. A continuous stream of Central Plains scholars scattered like countless pearls in these lush green mountains. Huizhou was originally a wild and rugged land, full of natural vitality but weak in cultural atmosphere. After the Central Plains scholars experienced the cool breeze and the clear water, they had to face reality and reconsider building their new homes for survival and spirit. Painful reflection was undoubtedly the main theme of their thoughts: Why did they lose the happy land of their ancestors? How could they restore the lost glory and dreams? Most of the scholars came from noble families, lived in luxury, and were well-versed in literature. From the sound of bells and bronze pots, they fell into a state of chaos, leaving their hometowns, experiencing great suffering but also great enlightenment. They quickly adapted to the reality and found solutions: First, they lived together in clans, building villages. Survival was the top priority, and they had to live in close-knit clans, choosing ideal Feng Shui sites that combined the harmony of nature and humanity—such as "sleeping against mountains, encircled by water, and backed by screens"—to build villages. This not only solved concerns about food and clothing but also protected them from dangers in foreign lands while blessing their descendants. Thus, the Hu family built villages in Longchuan and Xidi, the Wang family chose a site for Hongcun, the Wu family settled in Changxi, the Luo family established themselves in Chengkan, the Cao family stood firm in Xongcun, the Shi family settled in Shijia, the Ni family took root in Zukou, and the Jiang family gathered in Jiangcun. All the sites they chose were surrounded by spiritual mountains and beautiful waters, suitable for both farming and living. Second, they rebuilt the traditional clan culture. No matter how great the suffering, these well-read scholars could not shake their reverence for Confucianism and must preserve and promote the hierarchical clan ethical culture tradition in an unbroken line. "Only filial piety and loyalty, listening to the teachings of ancestors, working hard and being frugal, understanding the hardships of farming," "Dealing with others without deceit, loving them with virtue, accepting one's role and living in poverty, is to respect ancestors and honor clans; maintaining oneself without help, accomplishing tasks with diligence, understanding ethics and emphasizing principles, is to be a filial son and virtuous descendant." They honored ancestors, compiled genealogies, built clan temples, repaired ancestral graves, and helped each other within the clan. As a result, each village had imposing clan temples, where the images and tablets of ancestors were enshrined, along with complete clan genealogies; comprehensive sacrificial rituals; and strict clan rules to and unite the people. Third, they strengthened the moral motivation of valuing education and glorifying ancestors. Survival is the foundation, systems are the guarantee, and development is the goal. As the saying goes, "To cultivate oneself, govern one's family, rule the state, and bring peace to the world," each descendant must not only excel for the family but also bring honor and imperial favor. To achieve this, "If one does not read books, how can one cultivate oneself? How can one govern one's family and rule the state?" "Reading is for the sake of sages," "A man of ambition must study the Six Classics diligently at his window," "The poor become rich through books, and the rich become noble through books. The ignorant become wise through books, and the wise become beneficial through books," and they always remembered, "To be a farmer in the morning and an emperor in the evening." Villages either built grand academies or used simple classrooms, inviting learned scholars to teach earnestly. The clans supported "either family schools or financial aid to support education. Cultivating one or two good people as models was not only the hope of the clan but also the glory of the ancestors, a matter of great significance." Thus, year after year, generation after generation, on this land of Huizhou, "villages were formed by clans everywhere, and the order of hierarchy showed pure customs," and it was "prosperous in culture," with "no village of ten households without reading." The gentle smoke of cooking, the devout incense, and the rhythmic sound of reading drifted together with the mist in the blue sky of Huizhou, rising and soaring. It was the tenacious and enterprising spirit, deeply rooted in the lives of ancestors who had experienced great setbacks and suffering, that inspired them to transform themselves. After centuries of gradual nurturing, accumulation, and reinforcement, the brilliance of the Huizhou descendants bloomed like the flowers in the mountains, year after year and season after season—First, many achieved success in entering the civil service. From the Song Dynasty imperial examinations to the Ming and Qing dynasties and even the Republic of China, countless Huizhou scholars rose to the upper class through fair competition. They were known for achievements such as "two top-scoring candidates from the same prefecture in one examination," "nine brothers becoming scholars and four ministers," "nineteen scholars in one list," "three consecutive palace secretaries in a row, with four Hanlin academicians in ten miles," "father and son as ministers," and "four generations of first-rank officials." Huizhou produced 28 top-scoring candidates and 17 prime ministers, accounting for one twenty-fourth of the national total, truly a place of "countless outstanding officials." Second, many contributed to the world through culture. Figures like Zhu Xi, Dai Zhen, and Hu Shih can be considered giants in the history of Chinese academic thought. They excelled in politics, philosophy, economy, literature, art, medicine, science and technology, cuisine, calligraphy, carving, architecture, and garden design, with countless renowned scholars. Third, many succeeded in business. Countless Huizhou descendants, who emerged from the mountains and followed the Xian'an River and other waterways across the country and even to Japan and Southeast Asia, dominated the trade in salt, timber, tea, silk, medicine, pawnbroking, and other industries for centuries during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Phrases like "Yangzhou as a colony of Huizhou," "No Huizhou, no town," and "Huizhou people are everywhere" reveal the strength of Huizhou merchants. One by one, scholars, high officials, and wealthy merchants left Huizhou, but their roots remained in their hometowns, in the villages that had nurtured them. The water mouths, white-walled black-tiled houses, streets, ancient trees, clan temples, courtyards, birdsong, cicadas, childhood companions, and the hopeful faces of all clan members were vividly imprinted in their minds. Thus, they dedicated their favor and glory to their hometowns, donated their wealth to their hometowns, and entrusted their hopes and aspirations to their same clans. This breathed infinite vitality into the seemingly outdated and dilapidated villages: towering stone tablets such as "Worldly Scholars," "Four Generations of First-Rank Officials," "Scholars," "Secretaries," "Chaste Women," and "Imperial Honor" stood proudly in front of the villages; Hongcun's vast "Ox-shaped Village" architectural system, Shijia's magnificent "Chessboard" layout, Chengkan's intricate "Bagua"-shaped streets and alleys—all were thoroughly restored; Zukou built the magnificent "One Prefecture and Six Counties," with buildings like the Jing'ai Hall, Pu Gong Temple, Zhiben Hall, and Dongshu Temple rising like mushrooms, or expanded and decorated to perfection; academies like Guizhi Academy, Ziyang Academy, and Zhushan Academy were magnificent; gardens like Feiyuan, Guoyuan, Xiyuan, Dongyuan, and Taoliyuan attracted crowds of visitors, with famous scholars and gentlemen wandering and singing like orioles and butterflies; and the exquisite and profound stone carvings, brick carvings, wood carvings, as well as the heartfelt inscriptions, couplets, and maxims, created a rich cultural atmosphere, allowing later scholars to study in places like "Wenquan Study Hall" and "Fengyou Mountain Study Hall," where they could "see the fan (goodness) when looking up" and "climb the moon to pick the plum," soaring with "auspicious clouds." Thus, these villages, carrying the heavy expectations of history, became vivid and lively as their descendants achieved success in the real world, like adding the dragon's head to a dragon painting. In the long wait, ancestors had meticulously crafted the soul of the villages with their "reverence for the heavenly way," "accumulating virtue," and "diligence and frugality." Now, their descendants did not disappoint their hopes, not only preserving the soul of the villages but also enriching it with the spirit of the times through their filial piety, making it even more vibrant! To say that the villages are a microcosm of Huizhou society, that they are the soul of the Huizhou people, or that they are a museum of Huizhou culture, and so on, is entirely justified. Essentially, over the millennia of turbulent history, the villages have been the stage for the brilliant display of Huizhou civilization, and to some extent, also a stage for the demonstration of elite culture in China's feudal society. All that remains are the "ancient villages" of the past, with the directors now gone, the lively dramas transformed into "heritage," and the original appearances of the platforms already lost to sight. It is a joy to see that the authors of the "Huizhou Ancient Village Culture Series" have provided us with ten illustrated manuscripts, allowing us to enter the sleeping villages and touch the pulse of Huizhou ancestors through the remaining relics, sorting out the threads of Huizhou culture. Moreover, it is a pleasant surprise that most of the explorers grew up immersed in Huizhou culture, sharing a natural affinity with it while maintaining a modern perspective. Modern thinking enables them to both delve deeply into the culture and step back for a broader view, while their rich knowledge ensures that each book's narrative is both accessible and engaging. Ten books, ten villages, ten aspects of Huizhou culture: Jiangcun focuses on the performance of clan culture, Longchuan on the origins of renowned families, Hongcun on the Feng Shui choices of living together in clans, Xidi on the spiritual world of Huizhou merchants, Chengkan on analyzing rural community structures, Changxi on exploring the complementarity of Confucian and commercial cultures, Xongcun on highlighting academy and garden culture, Xixi Nan on the evolution of literary and artistic traditions, especially calligraphy, painting, and seal carving, Zukou on excavating the cultural essence of settlements, and Shijia on the ingenuity of village construction. The only slight drawback is that each book is comprehensive, but I believe there is much more to explore in other aspects of Huizhou culture. I hope we can continue to deepen and expand our efforts to fully showcase the formation, development, and transformation of Huizhou culture.