The Past and Present of Famous People and Famous Cities: Lu Xun. Shaoxing

Author: Han Mo Lin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: The great painter Gu Kaizhi of the Jin Dynasty highly praised the landscapes of Kuaiji Mountain: "A thousand peaks vie in beauty, ten thousand gorges compete in flow, with lush vegetation covering them, as if clouds and rosy mists rise." The renowned calligrapher Wang Xianzhi said: "Walking along the mountain path, the rivers and streams reflect each other, leaving one overwhelmed by the scenery." The scenic beauty lingers, but what truly touches the heart is the culture left by thousands of years of history. Four thousand years ago, Yu the Great, who tamed the waters, passed through here; two thousand years ago, the King of Yue established his capital, competing with Wu, turning the land into a battlefield; during the Southern Song Dynasty, it was once a temporary capital. Over millennia, the majestic Yu the Great Tomb stands at the foot of Kuaiji Mountain, the vigorous Yue King Terrace on the foot of Longshan, the Kuye Creek where Goujian smelted metal and forged swords, the Qinwang Mountain where Qin Shi Huanggazed at the sea, and the Qiu Jin Memorial Hall in the south of the city. In the city center lies the Baishiding, the ancestral home of Zhou Enlai. Scenic beauty, with the magic of the brush, becomes a story of mountains and waters. What makes Shaoxing charming is not just the merciless landscape. Wang Xizhi's villa, Jiezhu Temple, the Fanshi Bridge where he inscribed on fans for selling old women, the Liquanqushi where the Orchid Pavilion gathering took place, Shen Garden's pools and terraces where Lu You mourned "Hairpin Wind," Xu Wei's Qingteng Study, and Lu Xun's Baicao Garden. Thinking of the romantic tales of the predecessors, even ordinary courtyards seem deeply emotional.