The plant culture of jujube

The legend of Jishan Banzao

Speaking of Jishan, people will think of Jishan Banzao, which is famous at home and abroad. “Jishan jujube has big jujubes and small cores. Sweet, crispy and chewy. "Why is Jishan Banzao so delicious? There is also a legend behind it.

I don’t know when in the past, there was a village in Jishan County called Lucun, located at the foot of Luliang Mountain. There is an honest and honest young man named Ban'er in the village. His parents died young and his family is very poor. He relies on collecting firewood from the mountains to make a living.

One day, Baner went up the mountain to chop firewood with a rope, pole, and ax. When he climbed to the top of the mountain, he saw two people sitting on a large bluestone playing chess. These two people are the mountain gods of Luliang Mountain, one is Lu Daxian and the other is Liang Daxian. They live in the stone mountain under the main peak on the right side of Huanghuayukou at the southernmost tip of Luliang Mountain. Of course these Ban'er will not know this. He collects firewood alone in the mountains all year round and feels lonely. Today, it was rare for two people to play chess on the top of the mountain, so he threw the rope and ax aside and sat on the big rock. It looks like a game of chess is coming.

During this game of chess, the two mountain gods ate three jujubes and spit the date cores on the ground behind them. Ban'er picked them up from the ground, put them in his mouth and swallowed them. These three date cores. When the two mountain gods packed up their chess pieces and were about to leave, Ban'er remembered that he hadn't laid down the wood yet. When he turned around to get the rope pole and axe, he discovered that his rope and pole had already rotted, the ax handle had also rotted, and the ax head had turned into a pile of rust. Ban'er panicked and didn't know what to do. The two mountain gods looked at Ban'er's puzzled look and felt funny in their hearts. They told him that they had played a game of chess for three years. They ate three Banzao in three years, and Ban'er swallowed three Banzao. The core will be infinitely powerful. If all the trees on Luliang Mountain are tied into a bundle and it's not enough for one person to carry, you don't have to worry about life anymore. Ban'er suddenly realized this. The two mountain gods also gave Ban'er a book before leaving, and told him that it would be useful to read it in the most difficult times, but he should not just read it casually in normal times. Ban'er got the fairy book and returned home overjoyed.

"The home has been uninhabited for three years and is already in dilapidated condition." Ban'er didn't care about cleaning the house, and sat under the lamp with curiosity, flipping through the book. He had just recited the words "Heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals..." in a low voice. Suddenly, heavenly soldiers and generals with red faces, fangs, armor, guns and swords stood everywhere in the house, courtyard, and on the house. He shouted loudly: "What do you want me to do?" It turned out that this was a heavenly book for dispatching heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals. Ban'er was surprised and puzzled. He quickly took a breath and said: "Pluck jujube trees on Luliang Mountain." The heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals roared again; "Where should you pull it out and plant it?" Ban'er replied: "Taoliang Yao Village Ganquan Village." In an instant, the heavenly soldiers and generals disappeared.

The next day, people found that all the big and small jujube trees in Luliang Mountain were gone. The fields in Taocun, Yao, Ganquan, and Hujiazhuang villages were covered with jujube trees, and they produced plump fruits. Big red dates.

From then on, people were very grateful to Ban'er and called Jishan Zao "Ban Zao".

The legend of the General Tree in Qingyun County

It is said that when King Yan of the Ming Dynasty was sweeping the north, many local people took shelter under the jujube tree. Suddenly a heavy fog filled the air, and everyone was able to escape. , so the local people also call Tang Zao tree a sacred tree. In 1989, the Qingyun County Party Committee and County Government erected a monument for Tang Zao. The two characters "Tang Zao" on the monument were written by the famous calligrapher Mr. Jiang Weisong. The seal script is graceful, elegant, and powerful. The inscription is engraved on the underside of the stele, written by Mr. Zong Weicheng, a 76-year-old professor at the Shandong Art Institute at the time. The regular script of more than 300 words is written with thoughtfulness and uprightness.

Although this general tree has gone through wind and rain for more than 1,600 years, it is still luxuriant and leafy. It is the oldest existing jujube tree in China and has been included in the "Dictionary of Chinese Scenic Spots". Although the Tang jujube tree has gone through many vicissitudes and suffered many wars, it still has strong roots and luxuriant leaves. Its trunk is like a carved dragon or a phoenix. It is vigorous and elegant. The trunk is hollow and can accommodate people.

More than 100 kilograms of jujubes can be harvested every autumn harvest. There are many ancient jujube trees around 500 years old in the general tree. Therefore, the Tang Zao Ecological Sightseeing Park was built. In 2008, the tourist park was rated as a provincial ecological sightseeing and agricultural tourism demonstration. Now, it is protected by the government. Tourists who come to Qingyun linger under the general tree, and many people take photos with the general tree.

The legend of Hami jujube in Xinjiang

Hami jujube is famous. There is a record in the Qing Dynasty that "Jujube is a mysterious species". Now it is even more famous in China as a "famous and excellent jujube". , special” flagship product. It is known as one of the "Four Famous Jujubes" together with the golden jujube from Leling, Shandong, the seedless jujube from Cangxian, Hebei, and the ringing jujube from Yiwu, Zhejiang. Hami jujube has the highest yield and the best quality in Wubao Township. Even King Mu of Zhou was full of praise after tasting it. Jujube is native to China. It has been cultivated in China for a long time, and jujube has been eaten for a long time. "The Book of Songs" has recorded "peeling dates in August". "Book of Rites" says "Jujube sweetened with sweet honey"; it is also used in making dishes. "Warring States Policy" has "the benefits of jujubes in the north... enough to feed the people", pointing out the important role of jujubes in northern China. "Han Feizi" also records the use of jujube to save the people during the famine in Qin. Therefore, the people have always regarded jujube as one of the "hardcore crops" and "woody foods". Jujube has been used as medicine for a long time. It has been recorded in "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" and has been recorded in medicinal books of all dynasties. The understanding of its health care and treatment of diseases has been deepened. So far, dates are regarded as important tonics. There is a saying that "eating three dates a day will keep you from looking old for a lifetime." To this day, dates are still one of the main dried fruit ingredients in Chinese cooking.

Chinese dates were introduced to the Mediterranean coast and Western Europe via Syria in the 1st century AD, and were introduced to North America from Europe in the 19th century. Jujube has been recorded in Chinese literature for more than 3,000 years. The oldest writing about jujube probably appears in the Book of Songs. In "Shi·Binfeng·July", it is said that "Jujubes are peeled in August and rice is harvested in October." "Wei Feng" has "There are thorns in the garden. In fact, there are thorns in the garden." There is a saying in "Xiaoya" that "the blue flies stop at the thorns." "The yellow birds stop at the thorns" in "Qin Feng", which refers to the jujube tree. The Confucian classics describe jujube in more detail. "The Rites of Zhou·Tianguan·Jiangren" says that "the bamboo shoots used as food are actually jujube, stewed, peach, and hazelnut." "Yili·Bride Gift" says that jujube, Li was also a gift brought to the officials in charge of the pilgrimage when the ancient princes borrowed roads to greet each other. They used two covered square bamboo guis with a capacity of one bucket or two liters each. One was filled with dates and the other was filled with chestnuts. Offer. "Etiquette·Jixi Li" says that on the night of the last mourning before burial, the sacrifice types should include jujube and preserved chestnuts. According to "Etiquette: Special Animal Feeding Ceremony" and "Etiquette: Yousi", the princes and the officials below them - scholars, sacrificed to the temple on the first day of every month. In addition to the prescribed livestock, the types of sacrifices included dates and chestnuts, and Whoever places the jujubes is particular about it. Later, "Warring States Policy·Yan Policy One" records: When Su Qin was lobbying the six countries, he said to Marquis Wen of Yan, "There are Jieshi and Yanmen in the south, and there are jujubes in the north. Although the people do not work in the fields, the jujubes are good." , which is the so-called Tianfu." This shows that jujube was the economic lifeblood of the northern Yan State at that time, and was one of the basis for the emperor to consider the national security policy. As for the planting and cultivation of jujube trees, "Guangwu Bozhi" records: "During the reign of King Wen of Zhou Dynasty, there were jujubes with weak branches that were very beautiful. It was forbidden for people to take them and placed them in the tree garden." The records in "Qi Min Yao Shu" are more detailed. : "Choose jujubes with good taste, keep them and plant them, and move them when the jujube leaves begin to grow." "Jujubes are strong in nature and should not be plundered by seedlings." "Erya Shimu" is China's first record and explanation of jujube varieties. The book records eleven varieties of jujubes in the Zhou Dynasty, including pot jujube, Yao jujube, white jujube, wild jujube, Qi jujube, sheep jujube, big jujube, stuffed jujube, bitter jujube, and no real jujube. By the Yuan Dynasty, there were as many as 72 types of jujube varieties recorded in the "Da Zao Pu". By the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the number of jujube varieties recorded in the "Illustrated Research on Plant Names and Facts" reached 87.

Jujube has been written into poems and songs by poets of all dynasties, and there are many poems praising the jujube tree. Through these poems, we have traveled through the tunnel of time and space, and can fully appreciate the scenery of Zao Township in the past, feel the vicissitudes of history, and recall the love of Zao dates from our ancestors and the contemporary people.

Li Qi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, sang, "The south wind in April brings yellow barley, and the late date blossoms fall in the shade of tung trees." Liu Changqing, another famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote: "Walking through mountains and hills, the roofs and floors of the house are red." Song Dynasty poet Zhang Lei It was written that "the jujube paths and melon fields have been cooled by the rain, and they are dressed like wild men in white shirts and black hats." Guishan, the magistrate of Qingyun County in the Qing Dynasty, recited that "it is the time of sunshine and harmony, when jujube buds are beginning to grow and wheat is becoming fat." Other poets also wrote "The jungle is blooming with red clouds, and thousands of homes are covered with red clouds." Contemporary poets even praised "In the long autumn wind and sunset, a tree is dancing with thousands of red pearls." The leisurely and harmonious pastoral scenery is vividly displayed on the page.

Su Shi, the great poet of the Song Dynasty, happily wrote the lyrics "Huanxisha" when he was the prefect of Xuzhou. "The rustling clothes and scarves are falling with jujube flowers, the winding wheels are ringing in the south of the village and the north of the village, and the old willows selling cucumbers are selling cucumbers." The joy of a new scene in the countryside. Cui Xu, a poet of the Qing Dynasty, wrote, "On the August day in the autumn forest on the river, red beads pressed down on the branches of the garden; a long-waisted and strong woman carried a basket and hit a jujube pole with twenty fists." Another poet wrote, "The spring breeze has passed. At the autumnal equinox, the sound of beating jujubes can be heard from across the mountain; there are hundreds of thousands of trees in the houses of three or two people, and the clouds are red on the rooftops of the fields." The scene of the abundant jujube harvest in the golden autumn is like hearing the sound and watching the scenery. In the Qing Dynasty, Li Lu described the charming scenery of the Zaoyuan Garden in his poem "The road to the Zaoyuan Forest is divergent, and the pedestrian path is the old Xixi River. The red silk carriage rides slowly on the pear blossoms, and the wind is warm and the sand is soft and sinks into the horse's hooves." During the Anti-Japanese War, Commander Xiao Hua sang with great enthusiasm in his "Shandong-Hebei Border March": "We are not afraid of the enemy's crazy raids on 200 strongholds. Let them follow the highway network and camp three or five miles away from the enemy. We are not afraid of food." The leaves and jujube bran will always stand at our posts. The more difficult the environment, the more glorious it is for us; comrades, we must fight to the end, and we must win!" This expresses the strong will and proletarian spirit of the soldiers of our military region to fight to the end. The spirit of class revolutionary optimism. When Wang Shuli, deputy director of the Shandong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, took office as the secretary of the Qingyun County Party Committee, he happily wrote "Ode to Tang Zao" and "Poetry in Ode to Zao", and issued the following slogans: "Life should be like this, we should strive for self-improvement" and "I want to pray for immortality" The heartfelt sentiments of "Don't say goodbye to being a Qingyun native" express the infinite admiration and love of all Zaoxiang people for the jujube tree.