Among the treasures of our country, there is an iron lion named "Zhenhai Roar", which weighs 32 tons and stands firm after thousands of years of wind and frost. However, because of an accident, I fell into the hands of experts, which made me very sad.
▲ Recent photo of Cangzhou Iron Lion
It is generally believed that this iron lion came from Kaiyuan Temple in Cangzhou City that year, and it is the most complete and oldest bronze ware in contemporary times. It can be verified that the earliest casting age should be the late Zhou Dynasty, that is, 593 AD.
The reason why this iron lion can be preserved so well is more due to its bronze structure. Among them, the most shocking thing is its weight of up to 32 tons and its innate majestic momentum. If you look closely at this iron lion, you will be surprised to find that the word "Lion King" is engraved under its neck and there is a lotus throne on its back.
▲ Old photos of Cangzhou Iron Lion
Of course, apart from the study of the iron lion itself, people are more curious about how to place such a mighty and magnificent behemoth. Because in ancient times, technology was not as developed as it is now, it takes a lot of effort to move such a behemoth.
It is said that the ancients used a very clever block casting method, and all the parts were assembled after completion. This complete iron lion is made up of many small iron blocks with different lengths and widths, and then nested on its surface layer by layer. After numerous complicated processes, this magnificent behemoth is finally formed.
▲ blacksmith
Before the beginning of the19th century, this iron lion once stood unscathed in a corner of Cangzhou City. Even after years of wind and rain erosion, the iron lion's appearance is still slightly rusty, and the interior is still as new. It is not surprising that the craftsmen's manufacturing technology at that time also benefited from the local people's protection and sincere awe of the iron lion.
There are unexpected events in the sky. 1803 there was a rainstorm in Cangzhou, and something happened to this iron lion that stood for thousands of years. It is unimaginable that the iron lion was blown to the ground after the storm, but because it took a lot of manpower and financial resources to get it up, in desperation, the officials of that year chose to let it go.
▲ Old photos and stamps of Cangzhou Iron Lion.
So the iron lion was eroded for many years in this situation, and was not righted until 1893. Due to years of erosion, the iron lion's abdomen was seriously corroded, which is a great pity. The only gratifying thing is that the Iron Lion can still continue to shock Cangzhou City with its honest capital.
Zhen Xuan Hou suffered a certain degree of corrosion after the disaster in Qing Dynasty. A blessing in disguise won the protection and attention of experts and officials for Zhenhai Hou, but the iron lion could not escape the fate of being destroyed.
▲ Cangzhou Gymnasium
After the founding of New China, many local departments attached great importance to the cultural relics they protected, especially those that can symbolize the unique local culture and historical value. Among them, this statue of Zhenhai roar was listed as a key protection object by Cangzhou City at that time.
However, due to the lack of understanding and awareness of cultural relics protection by the government at that time, it was necessary to invite Soviet experts to achieve the purpose of protection. At that time, Soviet experts believed that iron lions could not be eroded by rain if they were to be preserved for a long time.
▲ At this time, the Cangzhou Iron Lion has been scarred.
Therefore, the local cultural relics bureau listened to the advice of Soviet experts and built a pavilion for Zhenhai. But it is precisely because of this move that the iron lion was destroyed. Although the pavilion can prevent the iron lion from being eroded by rain, this semi-closed environment indirectly makes it difficult for the water on Zhenhai Hou to evaporate in time. If the humidity of local air rises, it will accelerate its erosion.
Fortunately, the local government learned the truth in time and ordered the gazebo to be demolished as soon as possible. 1984, the relevant personnel placed the iron lion on the pedestal, and not only that, but also poured some cement into the leg of the iron lion. Its original intention is to hope that cement can make the iron lion stronger, but cement has caused indelible damage to the iron lion and indirectly accelerated its demise.
▲ Cangzhou Iron Lion is ready to recast.
Because there is no water and cement, the iron lion's leg gradually cracks, and the once complete "Zhenhai roar" is destroyed. In order to remedy the fault, the relevant personnel tried their best to repair it manually, and finally supported it with steel pipes. However, under the action of steel pipe support, the damage of iron lion is increasing day by day. Today's "good" is scarred, and the original appearance has long since disappeared.
Although the original intention of these experts was to keep the iron lion in the world forever, they did not proceed from reality, but took it for granted, which eventually led to such a tragedy. Therefore, this incident warns us to think twice before acting, just as Xunzi said in the article "Gou Zi Persuades Learning": "If you don't accumulate steps, you will have a thousand miles; If you don't accumulate small streams, you can't become rivers and seas. " We should proceed from reality and seek truth from facts.
References:
Chunjiang moonlit night
Jueju
Gouzi advised to study.
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