Ten-house village does not abandon reading aloud (Ancient College in Huizhou)

Author: Chen Rui, Fang Ying
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-09-01
Features: This is a magical land, the homeland of Confucianism and rites; it has produced illustrious Huizhou officials who held sway for hundreds of years, nurtured the dazzling Huizhou opera troupes that shone like jewels, and contributed splendidly to Chinese culture. It has created magnificent, of art. It is precisely because of these past glories and brilliance that Huizhou's historical culture has become renowned and unique in the world, leaving people in awe and amazement. Every time one enters Huizhou, a sense of reverence and wonder fills the heart. It is no wonder that the famous Ming Dynasty dramatist Tang Xianzu moved to compose emotionally: "In my life, the most blissful place, no dreams take me there but to Huizhou." There are countless "blissful" places in Huizhou that leave one lingering and yearning. Strolling under the ancient and mysterious cultural sky of Huizhou, one is sometimes struck with contemplation, sometimes amazed, sometimes moved to expression, and sometimes filled with nostalgia for the past. Walking through Huizhou brings waves of joy to the heart, and as one goes along, a profound sense of reflection and admiration fills the soul.
In the villages, the rows of Ming and Qing Dynasty residences with white walls and black tiles clearly convey the essence of Huizhou's historical culture. The ancient bridges crisscrossing the Xin'an water system seem to show the path that countless Huizhou merchants walked, leading to the world. The majestic memorial arches stand tall, telling tales of historical changes—there is glory, but also traces of blood and tears. The solemn ancestral halls and branch halls preserve the authority of the noble families who moved south from Jin since ancient times. On and around the mountains, academies and book houses stand, allowing people to hear the sound of reading as the "cultural capital," "the Shandong of the Southeast," and "where even in a village of ten households, reading is never abandoned."
Entering Huizhou means stepping into the grand scroll of Huizhou's historical culture. Scene after scene, image after image flash vividly in people's minds: ancient bridges, ancient roads, and in the autumn wind, the young red-capped merchant Hu Xuyuan, carrying his suitcase and umbrella, strides forward with the determination of a brave man, leaving the mountains to create miracles. In the stern, isolated, and solemn Qingyi Hall, generations of young and middle-aged women, with faces devoid of expression or full of hope, or with hearts as still as water, turn from black hair to white, from youth to old age. At the entrances, ancient roads, and streets of Tangyue, Xiongcun, Choushu, and Zhengcun, the memorial arches—some magnificent and prominent, some uniquely charming, some soaked in blood and tears, and some shocking—have stood for centuries, telling their joys and sorrows, performing tragedies and comedies. Strolling through the academies of Ziyang, Zhushan, and Nanhu, one imagines Zhu Xi teaching Confucian classics and promoting the philosophy he advocated. It was during this flourishing of literary culture that the Huizhou officials realized their dream of "father and son as ministers" and "brothers as Hanlin academicians," protecting and safeguarding commerce.
Wandering through the villages of Xidi, Hongcun, and Tangmo, the Chengzhi Hall, Dafu Hall, and Lufu Hall, as well as the Little West Lake, show the past glory, wealth, and splendor. The architectural layouts and styles of Shuikou, Niuxing, and the "Four Waters Returning to the Hall" reveal the wisdom of the ancient Huizhou people. The carved beams, painted rafters, and the "three-carved" techniques of wood, brick, and stone—like a folk symphony—resound in the forests and lanes.
This series of books will use the style of cultural essays to conduct a panoramic cultural scan of ancient villages (including ancient residences), ancient memorial arches, ancient bridges, ancient academies, and ancient ancestral halls in Huizhou's historical culture. Accompanied by panoramic, individual, or partial views, the goal is to achieve a sense of familiarity, elegant writing, and enjoyment for both the refined and the popular.