Quanzhou set foot on the land is in a late February afternoon. I remember the ocean is the department store opposite the station, a transport hub and commercial center, creating an effect amplified steady stream, I face this strange busy, a full few seconds of the fixed grid. Chill of early spring morning, in Beijing, suddenly standing on the streets of southern warm air of people smoked, it was found - wrapped in a leather itself, and around how much was out of tune.
I have a sojourn in Quanzhou, thus began.
Fujian area of the veranda, she had been a long time, so in Quanzhou to walk away a lot. From West to East, from mountain to the coating of the street, all the way in the past, has been modified straighten Guo Jie Liangbian arcades, a case of the orange-red brick walls, Ming-yan very. This architectural style and tone, and Southeast Asia, a certain extent, because of the constant traveling abroad and overseas Chinese, from the outside, it "brought" the. I am from afar, but also can be "descendants enjoy the shade", this stroll, to touch the city.
Turn a couple of days and found little in Quanzhou, coastal cities, a bunch of children, it is probably considered in terms of size lightweight. Ordinarily such a city is to the people tranquil and quiet impression, however, Quanzhou is different, not only catch on during the day, and at night one or two points, markets are still coming and going, taking a little messy at the moment lively effort, I think this is the so-called energy bar. Quanzhou, nightlife seems to necessarily experience.
A friend took me to the first place is an old house Tea House. Was a quite year in their old Zhaizi (hence Minnan dialect called "old house"), a few into the courtyard, retention is very complete. Seated in a patio door, friends said, while the book nicely. See, however, inside the door facing the courtyard and the house is a Legislative screen, a letter to "talk the ancient" word screen before a book case, one should have, we wait until something came Mr. storyteller. Bubble of Oolong tea, sat a moment, an old man debut, and black silk gown, the hands of a folding fan, is enacted, the case before, "snapped," soon as Gavel, lecture. Unfortunately, I do not understand the Minnan language, just listen to the first sentence of "the emperor are people too, to marry his wife ... ..." followed by only the envy of the surrounding patrons in envy, and see if they could hear tasty, will carefully laugh. However, in the night Yinyun, the tea small courtyard to listen to the book, was very pleasant I have experienced.
Another was to listen to southern music, friends, very proud, when filed, lost my appetite enough. Palace of Culture said that over there every night that he would touch the past. A good place to find, on the road to take a small xintaizi the crowd support of a shed, several rows of chairs. That there has been played, four musicians plus a Chang Qu, and we took turns playing, and the rest in the following Xie Zhao, make some tea, feeling like quite a professional fancier groups. Sat down and listened a few songs, singing with the Minnan dialect, but both sides of the subtitles, pour unknowingly very difficult. I thought the local operas in the South Sound and found that wrong but that it mostly single singing, melody lingering euphemism, much like Tang and Song Ci, Yuan Sanqu a pulse down. Is try to figure out it is also involved in the recent performances of an elderly gentleman sitting talking consulted some sidelines: The original southern sound origins can be traced back to the Tang dynasty court music, which retains a lot of ancient classical; also used by ancient musical instruments, in order to Xiao , pipa, Erxian, Tan Ban, etc., in which the sound of the pipa is Hengbao south playing, modeling classes at the Dunhuang murals on the fly, and so on. One seat listening, I am speechless.
Finally one night arrangement - pick a weekend to go clubbing champion Street. In short, many people lively, Live Flesh does not lose the Beijing-Shanghai. Beer bar selling real estate "crystal bottles", taste good, excessive drinking, as I naturally drink a half intoxicated. Ears of music in the sound of eyes is a shadow of the fashionable men and women shaking, almost lost in the thought of a few blocks outside, another group of people is being heard at the moment the book, or singing Southern sound, suddenly felt a bit mean Quanzhou this place the one hand, to embrace in the evolution of the material on the one hand dedicated to retain the link with the past - as it is here dialects, many of the ancient tones directly at the Central Plains.
If the root of the problem, the more popular view is that the chaos of Yongjia Jin, People's Idea Central Plains attire namtu, part of Fujian to, and to the country named after them into this river - Jinjiang, in its mouth next to the slowly forming now Quanzhou.
However, hat and clothes namtu is just a preamble, the glory of Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. I live in those few days, local media are the "Maritime Silk Road" as the theme to string together a number of monuments. Namely, Maritime Silk Road Maritime Silk Road, Song and Yuan Dynasties, Quanzhou when the world's largest port, marine traffic boomed, "10 streets and marketplaces Island people" Fun Da come, of course, also brought different beliefs and cultures. These historical relics are now in the hands of Quanzhou has become a card, everyone wanted to play it out, apply for world cultural heritage.
Maritime Silk Road city with almost all the place I saw, indeed more than a hand count, to - Kaiyuan Temple, Qing Jingsi, Tin Hau Temple, Confucian Temple ... ... Finally, there is overseas transportation history museum. Everywhere are a lot of things to watch, can do a separate article, but look for it again later, my greatest desire is that the clock back and return to the city's past to make a trip. States would like to go back and look forward to the ship's Harbor Park; look at some foreign shipped pepper, spices; look Persian, Arab, Mediterranean businessmen here in daily living and religious activities; to see local residents how to coexist with them , communication, trade, intermarriage; maybe, perhaps in a street, but also, and pass by a guy named Marco Polo ... ...
I was tortured my imagination has been reversed, but this did not affect I have noticed two details.
Overseas transportation history museum, displaying a Christian tombstones unearthed in Quanzhou. Many interesting patterns on the tombstone: The following is common in Buddhism, the lotus seat, above the angels look like, or a cross. How would there be that Chinese and Western traditions is that? Quite something worth exploring. China is a country rife with Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity came from the sea, would like to be in Quanzhou is a great spread of resistance; For a foothold in it would need to "packaging", to borrow a Buddhist elements such as Lotus, was better than the acceptance of natural . A small tombstone, recording people's life and death, also recorded the collision of culture and compromise.
Besides Tu Gate Street Qingjing Si - China's oldest mosque. It is something both sides, walked over, and the Confucian Temple were temple distance is so close, do a little bit, "a varied and King." Temple holds a stone wall on the Ming Dynasty stone "Chik encyclical," is awarded Zhi Yongle Emperor to protect the monastery. Yuan and Ming Dynasties, social unrest, when the Mongol forces are gradually receded, at the bottom of the social hierarchy of "Penan", presumably the Arab, Persian and other superior Semu vent off resentment. Quanzhou for all ethnic groups in mixed areas, is not a lot of conflicts have occurred, so that the Ming emperors need to specially awarded purpose and appease the "petition" of Muslims do? This may exist. Yongle Emperor is a generous, which is next generation of marine most interested in imperial, his decision, I would like to be understood as is the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Quanzhou sure that busy.
Walk the day before, I spent most of the time in the Chengtian Si inside. It is where I live a few steps away from the road, Naozhongqujing, fresh visitors to. There Huang Yuan temple with a pond, the water a lot of Letting Them Go turtle. Quanzhou in February, is already blooming season, and find a bench to sit down, and the turtle with the sun is really good. The garden was left from the Five Dynasties and Qingyuan Army Jiedushi efficient garden, come here, is to pay tribute about. During his administration, Quanzhou, coral planted around the city, this tree blooming red one, truly beautiful. Later, Quanzhou Arabs thus called the "Erythrina City", this name from renowned overseas. Chinese people always say, "getting results willow shade," so adults Jiedushi hand strokes, sow some seeds, not a want to create the city lived on card.
However, the boom-bust is always inevitable, Ming after the pirates, however, is a long seafaring prohibition, which rely on overseas trade for the survival of Quanzhou, a significant influence. The local density of population, it is not surprising that people have go abroad to earn a living, and this with their ancestors migrated to the south from the Central Plains, as are all forced by the situation. After the Opium War to modern times, was turned into a trading port of Xiamen, Quanzhou and no longer for the East Palembang, so far is like a small town in carry on.
Reminded of a French writer Gide's autobiography, called "If the seeds die." Here I would also carry forward what "brought" the spirit of the text it has done in this subject. When I was living in this city, and watched it during the day or night, because the rush of Eat Drink Man Woman and the state is in a very full, I know that, in its thin body, the buried some seeds. Unfortunately, my clumsy words give us a clear expression of not only that it should be very populace, and contains many levels of tolerance and acceptance of past external to the ... ... This is a great capacity.
In fact, the application for World Heritage success, I would like to Quanzhou is not the most important, if the seeds of death, and that would be great expectations.
April 22, 2004 in Shanghai
Author: eric_cj
