Chen Dawen: Chang'an Temple's Youzhai
Eight Banners poet Chen Dawen is also a wanderer who is passionate about the temples and landscapes in his hometown. According to the practice at that time, this Han army bannerman was incorporated into the Eight Banners and became a Manchurian citizen. Therefore, Tiebao also included the works of these poets in "Xi Chao Ya Song Collection", and in Volume 83, he selected sixteen poems from his poetry collection "Tingpao Xuan Poems Collection".
Chen Dawen, whose courtesy name is Zhangfu, also known as Hecun, was appointed magistrate during the Gengchen reign of Qianlong and became the magistrate of Dayi County in Sichuan. His poems about Shenyang include "Revisiting Bao'an Temple and Composing Songs of the Covered Pines", "The Story of a Quiet Zhai in Chang'an Temple" and "Passing the Hu's Shack" and "Crossing the Liuhe Ditch", which describe the rural scenery of Xinmin people. His poem "The Happiness of the Quiet Room in Chang'an Temple" goes like this:
At midnight and in the morning, the secluded studio is refreshing and clear.
The snow and frost are as clear as me, and the porridge and rice are as light as those of monks.
Lin Ji is noisy and chattering, and the window is clear and the inkstone ice is disappearing.
There are many books piled up in several pavilions, and satirical chants are frequent.
Chang'an Temple is called the earliest existing temple in Shenyang by historians. There is also a proverb that has been circulating among the people: "First there was Chang'an Temple, and then there was Shenyang City." According to research, Chang'an Temple was recorded in the "Shenyang County Chronicles" and "Fengtian Tongzhi" as being built in the Tang Dynasty, and it was recorded that the temple was built to protect the country forever. In the Tang Dynasty, "the country's fortunes were prosperous and its peace and stability were long-term," hence the legend that it was named Chang'an Temple.
Nowadays, Chang'an Temple is located in the northeast corner of the old city of Shenyang. It faces south and has three entrances to the courtyard. The mountain gate, Tianwang Hall, and Bell and Drum Tower are the first entrance; the main hall, worship hall, side stage, and east and west side halls are the second entrance. ; The apse and the abbot's room are three entrances. In the second courtyard, there are six stone monuments from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The earliest one was erected in the 22nd year of Chenghua (1486) in the Ming Dynasty. The seal script on the forehead of the stele reads "Inscription of Chang'an Zen Temple", and the regular script on the body of the stele reads "Inscription of the reconstruction of Chang'an Zen Temple" in regular script. The inscription says: "It was first known as the old temple due to the construction of the city during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty." This shows that in the 21st year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1388), when Chang'an Temple was rebuilt as a brick city based on the earth city of the Yuan Dynasty, it had This ancient temple, therefore, there is no doubt that the construction of Chang'an Temple preceded the construction of the Brick City. If calculated based on the beginning of the construction of Tucheng, it started from the sixth year of Liao Shence (922) when Shenzhou was built, which is equivalent to the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms in the late Tang Dynasty. The historical records say "built in the Tang Dynasty", so it is very likely that Shenzhou Tucheng was built. city ??time. It can be seen that the legend that "there was Chang'an Temple first, and then Shenyang City" has a certain historical basis.
The architectural history of Chang'an Temple can be seen from the inscriptions. It was during the construction of Zhongwei City in Shenyang during the Hongwu Dynasty in the Ming Dynasty that the ruins of its "flat foundation, high, wide and clear" were discovered. Only then did we know that this was once a temple. Ancient Zen temple. In the seventh year of Yongle (1409), the commander Fang Sheng rebuilt the temple according to the original site. In the third year of Xuande (1428), when the back hall was built, more than 80 stone Arhats were unearthed from the ground. From then on, the incense became more prosperous and became famous far and near. After that, successive dynasties continued to build and expand the palace, making the gates, halls and pavilions majestic and magnificent, "as bright as a big orchid". During the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, the buildings in the temple were in decay and decay, so Sun Hong and Ye Guang were ordered to donate funds to rebuild it. The "Inscription Notes" in regular script on the back of the stele records the titles and surnames of the leading officials. There are thirty-nine people including Liu Gong, the censor of the capital, Wei Ming, the eunuch of the imperial envoy, and Feng Qian, the chief military officer. The rest are many monks. Chang'an Temple has a long history. Even though it was rebuilt in the seventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, it is still more than 600 years ago.
The existing "Stele for the Reconstruction of Chang'an Temple in Shenyang" is an extremely precious cultural relic. The inscription not only records the history of the rebuilding of Chang'an Temple in the Ming Dynasty, but also serves as a reference for Cao Xueqin, the author of "A Dream of Red Mansions", who lived in Shenyang for generations. ” provides important evidence. On the positive side of the stele, it is mentioned that in the second year of Tomorrow Shun (1458), the commander Cao Fu donated money to build the Tianwang Hall; in the "Inscription Notes" on the back of the stele, the list of those who funded the construction of the temple during the Chenghua period includes the name of Cao Ming, the commander of Shenyang Zhongwei. According to Cao's hereditary position as commander of the Shenyang Central Guards infers that Cao Fu and Cao Ming are both Cao Xueqin's distant ancestors. Therefore, the "Reconstruction of Chang'an Zen Temple Stele" has become an extremely important material for studying Cao Xueqin's family background and Cao Xueqin's residence in Shenyang.
The Main Hall of Chang'an Temple and the plaque inscribed by Zhao Puchu
In the early Qing Dynasty, Chang'an Temple was renovated again.
In the second year of Shunzhi (1645), the monks in the temple raised funds for charity and received gifts from the court and alms from the princes. They renovated the holy statue, the front and back halls, and the worship hall to make it more complete than in Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty. complete. Later, in the twelfth year of Shunzhi (1655) and the second year of Qianlong (1738), many reconstructions and expansions were carried out, and it became a place of frequent worship. It was during this period that Chen Dawen went to Chang'an Temple and wrote this poem.
It is unknown how long Chen Dawen lived in Youzhai of Chang'an Temple, but his love for Youzhai is revealed in the poem. Whether it's before going to bed at night or taking a stroll in the quiet room early in the morning, the fresh air is very refreshing. The white snow and clear frost inside and outside the house made the poet feel like he was in a state of mind. The filth in the world made him want to seek peace and quiet. Even his porridge and rice wanted to be lighter than those of the monks. The environment of Chang'an Temple is also good. When the snow in the forest becomes clearer, the birds sing incessantly. When the sun shines in from the bright window of Youzhai, the thin ice on the inkstone melts quickly. What's even more gratifying is that the monks piled up several cabinets of books in Youzhai. In this environment, the poet often wrote satirical works, which made him feel particularly happy. The whole poem is fresh and smooth, and the description of scenery, narrative, and lyricism are naturally integrated together. The jaw and neck couplets seem to be picked up casually, but the workmanship is stable and colorful. Especially the last couplet, which ends with "Satire on Frequent Yong", can be said to be the finishing touch, showing the reader the inner world of the poet who is dissatisfied with many things in real life and seeks a quiet environment. If there is injustice, cry! He wanted to put this into writing. It can be said that through the short poem "The Matter of the Seclusion of Chang'an Temple", we heard the inner monologue of a "seven-grade sesame official" who was dissatisfied with the current situation three hundred years ago.
Chen Dawen: Living in the Hu Family Shack
Perhaps because he was dissatisfied with the filth in the officialdom, Chen Dawen longed for the peaceful pastoral life of his hometown farm family. He returned to "Living in the Hu Family" written by Xinmin "Shack" and "Crossing the Willow River Gorge" both give people a refreshing and bright feeling. His poem "Passing the Hu Family's Shack" says:
The ridges are plowed and mulberry and hemp are planted, and the scenery remains the same as that of Taikoo's family.
What's the matter? Fangsun and vines bloom all over the mountain with purple orchids.
A few words outline a picture of farming in the countryside. In Chen Dawen’s eyes, the countryside in his hometown of Shenyang is still the same as before, with farmers plowing fields and growing mulberry, maintaining the original farming and lifestyle (that is, in the poem "Taikoo Family"). He asked: I wonder why flowers and herbs still grow together with vines in the fields? ("Sun": fragrant grass) And when he looked at the "purple orchids" blooming all over the mountains in the distance, everything seemed to be relieved. ——Everything in my hometown is friendly.
Chen Dawen: Crossing Liuhegou
Liuhegou is a village under the jurisdiction of Xinmin. Chen Dawen visited here when he was young and has a deep memory of it. Now that I have returned from working as an official, I feel a sense of emotion in my heart when I return to my hometown again. His poem "Crossing the Liuhe Gorge" goes like this:
The Pinghu area spans the long embankment, and the green water and green cattails make you look into the distance.
I remember that spring passed by, and the new moon illuminated the stream in front of the Willow Bridge.
Chen Dawen, who returned from being the magistrate of Dayi County, Sichuan, came to the very familiar Liuhegou. It was developed earlier and has beautiful scenery. During the Qianlong period, due to the recovery and development of the rural economy, Liuhegou, a place far away from the prosperous The Xinmin rural scenery in Beijing is also quite charming. In the poem, he wrote that a silver belt stretched across the embankments on both sides of Pinghu Lake, reflecting the lush green water. It reminded him of passing by here when he was young, and a new moon shining on the Liuhe Bridge across the embankment. And the clear stream under the bridge. A little smoke from the hometown also makes people feel sweet. After returning home after a long absence, the river in the hometown, the wooden bridge on the river, and the new moonlight make the returning wanderers feel inexplicably warm. This pastoral poem will still evoke people's nostalgia for their hometown. Love, yearning for a peaceful and indifferent pastoral life.
Collection of Songs of Xi Chao Ya compiled by Tie Bao
When I am about to finish writing this chapter, I can’t help but say a tribute to Tie Bao, a Manchu poet more than 200 years ago. gratitude.
Tiebao, also known as Yeting, also known as Mei'an, Meiweng, Zhitie, etc., his surname was Jueluo in the old family name, but later changed to E family. He claimed to be a descendant of Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, and a native of Shenyang. Tiebao entered school at the age of ten and became a Jinshi at the age of twenty-one. After becoming an official, he was appreciated by Agui, the bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, and recommended him to Emperor Qianlong. Emperor Qianlong asked him to compose a five-character rhyme poem, and he was able to do the job well.
Three days later, Qianlong took the examination of poems and poems from officials who were born in Kejia. As a result, Tiebao came out on top and was appointed first by the emperor. He was immediately appointed as a bachelor of the cabinet and minister of the Ministry of Rites. Later, he served as an examiner for the township and general examinations nine times, and selected many talented people who later became famous in the political and literary circles.
In the fourth year of Jiaqing (1799), Tiebao returned to his hometown of Shengjing and served as a local official. He served as the Minister of the Ministry of War in Shengjing and the Yin of Fengtian Prefecture, supervising the affairs of Jiubian. After taking office, he found that every time the mintuns were bullied by the banners, he issued an order that "the bannermen and the people are one, but right and wrong, not strong and weak. Anyone who dares to bully the mins in the banners will be severely punished." He also aimed at Weiyuan Baobianmen's bad habit of arbitrarily extorting businessmen and people, and ordered that anyone who violates the prohibition and asks for property again will be severely punished. Because he was determined to eliminate shortcomings, he had considerable political achievements. He was promoted to important positions such as Governor of Water Transport, Governor of Shandong, and Governor of Liangjiang.
However, Tiebao was deposed repeatedly in the second half of his life, as many as five times, and each time he was punished more severely. He was once exiled to Urumqi and Jilin. Prince Li Zhaozhen, who was an official at the same time as him, said in "Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records" that he "was quite dissatisfied with the officialdom, so he created many rumors and spread them to the public."
During the Qianjia period, Tiebao could be regarded as a talented man of his generation. He is good at poetry and writing, and is good at both calligraphy and painting. His calligraphy is powerful, and he is known as one of the "Four Great Calligraphers of Qianjia and Qianjia" together with Liu Yong, Weng Fanggang and Prince Cheng Yongxuan. His poems are also characterized by writing about frontier fortresses, and most of them are included in "The Complete Works of Wei Qingzhai". His greatest achievement in literature was in the ninth year of Jiaqing (1804) when he compiled the "Xichao Yasong Collection", which contains 134 volumes of poems. It is the most complete collection of Eight Banners poems and provides A rich collection of literature on the Eight Banners has been left to future generations. The poems about Shenyang by Qing Dynasty clan and Manchu poets selected in this chapter are selected from the Collection of Ya Songs of Xi Chao.