(China Water Conservancy and Hydropower Publishing House, China Popular Science Writers Association)
Tell a few stories about water in the form of scientific sketches to illustrate the vital role and dramatic history of water in Beijing, which generally involves environmental, sightseeing, water supply, shipping, drainage, fire protection and other majors. For communication and reference.
Song of the long river
Figure 1 Busy long river cruise ship
Changhe River, a very old and young river in Beijing, starts from Yixiu Bridge (Nanluoguo Bridge) at the southernmost tip of Kunming Lake in the Summer Palace in the north and ends at the high beam bridge outside Xizhimen, with a total length of 10.8km (Figure 1). To say that it is ancient refers to its lower section, which has a history of more than 3 thousand years. A natural river was once a section of Yongding River (also known as Sanggan River, Lugou River and Wuding River in ancient times). Later, when the sediment washed away and the river course changed, it was "abandoned" by Yongding River and became an old road, named Gaoliang River. Its source is a collection of small springs. To say that it is young refers to the upper part of it, because "sorghum is passive" (a proverb quoted by Li Daoyuan in Notes on Water Classics), the situation changed around 1205, and the Jin Dynasty dug a 3-kilometer-long artificial canal to divert water from Kunming Lake (then called Wengshanpo) to help the sorghum River.
The water-rich sorghum river system includes the following Haizi, such as Shichahai and Zhongnanhai. The water environment is good, and the Jin Dynasty once built a palace on Qionghua Island with beautiful scenery. Later, Kublai Khan of Yuan Shizu also took a fancy to this geomantic treasure-house, and immediately set the center of the new capital here, replacing the dilapidated Jinzhongdu in Guang 'anmen today, laying the foundation for future generations to build Beijing. It is not difficult to see that it is this short young waterway on the long river that has opened up the glory of the new capital for 800 years. As for the name of Changhe River, it was formed after the reconstruction and expansion of Kunming Lake in the 14th and 15th years of Qingganlong (1749 ~ 1750).
Since the Yuan Dynasty, the long river has become a waterway link between the imperial palace in the city and the royal gardens in the northwest suburb. Palaces, docks, temples and Taoist temples have been built around. The formation of Imperial Road on the water has promoted the civil construction and landscaping projects on both sides of the strait. According to records, when Yuan Wenzong was sailing against the current, it was spectacular to use 300 lean guards to pull the fibers on both sides. In the Ming Dynasty, people believed in the theory of "Feng Shui", so dozens of religious buildings sprang up in the "Feng Shui Treasure Land" along the long river. Frequent royal grand Buddhist activities often attract tens of thousands of people to watch, so the area along the river is unprecedentedly prosperous. Green grass weeping willows, winding rivers, clear streams, and countless fish, ladies in Beijing all choose this place as their first choice for sightseeing and rest. It is said that the scenery around the high beam bridge at that time was comparable to that on the riverside at Qingming Festival.
The heyday of the long river was in the Qing Dynasty. At that time, Yuanmingyuan and Qingyi Garden (now the Summer Palace) were built in the upper reaches, where the royal family spent most of their summers. Gan Long's mother lived in Changchun Garden (east of Qingyi Garden) all the year round. Gan Long often visited her mother and traveled between the long rivers, leaving many poems praising the scenery along the way. The History of the Long River in Gyeonggi and the Collection of Manju published by Rong Baozhai Publishing House record 28 poems written during the ten years (1745) to thirty-nine years (1774) of Qianlong. The only imperial system, Song of the Long River, has left many beautiful and precious memories of water environment for people today, which is amazing. During the Guangxu period, Empress Dowager Cixi lived in the Summer Palace and liked to go by water. She also asked for greening (first of all, for her own happiness): two poplars were planted every two feet on both sides of the long river, and peach trees were planted in the middle.
More than 65,438+000 years have passed. Now, the long river after transformation has realized the expectation of "clear water, smooth water, green shore and navigation" The green belts, sidewalks and communication lines on the shore are strewn at random, just like a long staff table, which plays a glorious song of the long river of the new era with many "notes" of modern architecture (Figure 2).
Figure 2 Today's exhibition hall on the bank of the Changhe River.
Qin Yuxia after the Western Empress Dowager
There are countless scenic spots of mountains and rivers in Beijing, many of which are named after gorges, valleys, valleys and streams, and are famous far and near, such as Longqing Gorge, Qinglong Gorge, Yunmeng Gorge, Liangqing Valley, Shentang Valley and Longmen Creek. But when it comes to Qinyu Gorge, I'm afraid most people are unfamiliar (Figure 3), although many people have even been to "I don't know the true face of Lushan Mountain". Yes, Qin Yu Canyon is too small for humanitarians. The canyon is not long, only 60 ~ 70 meters away; The stream is not large, and the water flow is at most equivalent to the flow of the last canal (Mao canal) of the farmland irrigation canal system. However, the gurgling sound of spring water in this canyon deeply touched the "Lafayette" of Empress Dowager Cixi. She gave full play to her artistic imagination and felt that "the sound of spring outside the bamboo beckons cranes" seemed to come from the strings, which was caused by the impact of water on jade, so she happily wrote the title of "Qinyu Gorge" on paper and stamped her own seal to prevent counterfeiting. Mo Bao's Xerox, Empress Dowager Cixi, is now conspicuously installed on the west side of the canyon exit. There are other stone carvings of Empress Dowager Cixi's testimonials, such as "Flowing Spring", "Loose Wind", "Falling Moon" and "Fairy Island", most of which are painstakingly marked with anti-counterfeiting. It can be seen that the queen mother is deeply concerned about this gorge and loves it deeply.
Figure 3 Lonely Qin Yu Canyon
When Emperor Kangxi visited the south, he loved Huishan Garden in Wuxi, Jiangsu. He inscribed the size of the garden and named it Jichang Garden. Gan Long's biological mother also likes this garden. When Gan Long became emperor, she asked her son to "clone" one in Beijing. Therefore, according to the drawings of Jichang Garden, Qianlong built an exquisite garden with Jiangnan charm in the northeast corner of the Summer Palace, and even named it Huishan Garden. After the successful completion of the gardening project, Qianlong once called himself "Little Qi Yi" ... "One Pavilion, One Path, Happy" in Huishan's eight scenic poems. It shows that the simulation is in place and gives a perfect score. Since then, I have happily written many poems. In particular, the Zhiyu Bridge (Figure 4), which is 5 feet wide and 7-8 feet long, not only contains the allusions about the debate between Zhuangzi and Keiko during the Warring States Period, but also adopts the philosophical attitude that "it is better to watch on the bridge and pay for everything". The scale of this bridge, relative to the size of ponds and gardens, should be called "bridge". It is made of white stone and stands out among evergreen trees, but it suddenly turns a "dead corner" in the gardening project in the southeast of the pond into an attractive landscape. It is no wonder that the "whole body" of the Shipai Building at the bridgehead is engraved with the poems of Qianlong, and that kind of pride is beyond words. More than 200 years have passed, and it is precisely because this building is calm and kind, not afraid of thieves, fire and water, and it is not moth-eaten. It is difficult to rot for thousands of years, and it has become the only authentic work in the whole park, which is precious.
Fig. 4 Zhifu Xianren Bridge.
During the Jiaqing period, after the overhaul, the halls and pavilions were renamed one after another, and the gardens were also renamed as humorous gardens. Although the garden is small, it is full of scenery, and there was once a saying of eight scenery. If it used to be a literary villa during the Qianlong period, it is somewhat true. For example, the East is the study, and the spirit of Tao Kan and Sima Qian inspires him all the time; The stone carvings of "Continued Sanxi Hall Fa Tie" in the north are listed in the open gallery, which is a place to learn calligraphy, brew poetry and inspire; In the south, the big pavilion protruding from the center of the pool is a good place to listen to the sound of water and enjoy water better than silk and bamboo. In the west, the north building is as high as a mountain road, "common clouds are born in the building", and in the south, "the lake is full of water", which is the best location for the whole garden to have a panoramic view.
After the Western Empress Dowager became the owner of the garden, almost all the plaques and couplets were rewritten and handed down. In the face of these mottled calligraphy works, regardless of artistic conception for the time being, as a China native, her Chinese writing is worthy of her ancestors only from the current fashion that Chinese people are addicted to mobile phones and ignore calligraphy.
What makes people secretly happy is that this truly elegant and exquisite garden is located in the Summer Palace, a "world cultural heritage", but there is no extra charge. However, if the water source from Suzhou Street Houhu Lake is lost because of Qinyu Gorge, the sluice and trough of the intake canal will be useless; Watering the bamboo forest was replaced by artificial rainfall at the call of the moment, and the squeaky water spray was replaced by the natural sound of running water playing the jade piano-the past scenery is gone: that's really embarrassing!
Take water from the fire
In the past, buildings caught fire, so it was difficult to put them out with well water. You see, you have to shake the winch and lift the water from the well with a bucket (or bucket). When a bucket is full of waterwheels, it will be transported to the fire, sprayed on the flame with a pump, or passed to the ladder climber with a pot. Needless to say, in the process of transporting water back and forth between cars, the ruthless flame may have swallowed up and burned everything. Beijing was like this in the early years. The fire caused great losses to this city with more than 1200 wells.
Therefore, one day in September of 1907 (August of the thirty-third year of Guangxu reign in Qing dynasty), Empress Dowager Cixi asked Yuan Shikai, "What is the good governance of fire prevention?" Yuan replied: "Use tap water." Previously, some people of insight and businessmen in Beijing had repeatedly suggested the construction of Shi Jing Waterworks. So, taking this opportunity, six months later,1April, 908 (March 18th, the thirty-fourth year of Guangxu reign of Qing Dynasty), the three ministers of agriculture, industry and commerce jointly wrote to the empress dowager and the emperor, on the grounds that "the tap water in the capital pays more attention to sanitation and fire prevention" (and also runs a textile factory) (Figure 5). Less than 10 days, it was awarded by Cixi.
Figure 5 Please commemorate the tap water (fragment)
Today, it seems that a very specific project, such as Beijing tap water, must be signed directly by three ministerial-level cadres to the Queen Mother and the Emperor. This matter is really serious and makes a mountain out of a molehill. At the same time, the top leader can give a reply in about 1 working day, which is very efficient.
Later, it took a lot of trouble to select Wenyu River in the suburbs of Beijing as the water source, take water from nearby Sunhe Village (today it is also the pressurization station of the eighth water source plant in Beijing), and build a water plant outside the wall of Dongzhimen Old Town (in 2000, the site became the Beijing Tap Water Museum), with large and small water pipes leading to the streets. In the twelfth lunar month of this year and the first month of the following year, water is delivered free of charge from various faucets for everyone to taste, and people come to fetch water every day in an endless stream. At the moment when everything is step by step and will be put into operation, the tiny bubbles released by tap water in winter almost miss the big event. It turns out that these small bubbles make tap water look milky white, so some people suspect that the water is not clean and dare not use it rashly. It is even rumored that it is foreign pancreatic (soap) water, and new things have encountered a severe test.
In order to dispel people's concerns about water use, the company wrote a scientific essay called Confession. In less than 1000 words, we patiently explained the causes of bubbles and the unimpeded use methods, and explained the indicators of water quality. The degree of detail and accuracy of these main indicators are in line with the provisions of today's national standards, even higher. This essay, written about 100 years ago (before the May 4th Movement), appeared entirely in the form of conversation. Its characteristics of popularization, humanization and interest are far better than many profound popular science articles today, which is admirable! Not only that, the confession was printed as a one-page propaganda material, with 40 thousand copies. On the one hand, it is distributed to all subscribers by Patriotic Daily, and on the other hand, it is distributed to passers-by at Qianmen, Houmen, Donghuamen and Xihuamen. Therefore, it is widely publicized and widely known, which shows that the company attaches importance to this issue and its publicity efforts. In the end, of course, the rumors are self-defeating, and science and facts win. 19 10 March 1 1 (the first day of February in Xuantong) was officially opened to water.
After the development of 100 years, the powerful Beijing Water Supply Group has 18 waterworks with a total length of more than 7,600 kilometers and a service area of more than 600 square kilometers. Because of the fire, I got water, and I missed the source of drinking water. I deeply feel that water is the soul of the city, the clearest, the best, the softest and the hardest. This is also the most profound impression left by the exquisite and complete Beijing Water Museum (Figure 6).
Fig. 6 This huge valve has been withdrawn from the historical stage as an exhibit.
800 years of water pipes
1990, 500 meters south of Beijing Grand View Garden, while excavating the foundation pit of residential building in Cuilin Community, I accidentally found a magical monument. Dig, dig, dig away the upper layer of modern deposits, and then gradually clear, Ming and Yuan deposits. After the removal of the deposits in the Jin Dynasty, an ancient waterway building, a culvert, appeared in front of people 5 ~ 6 meters below the ground. The water culvert is built under the city wall, which is also a pass, so it is called "Shuiguan". Since then, although one or two residential buildings have been reduced, a rare cultural relic dating back more than 840 years has been unearthed. At that time, a southwest branch water system of the capital passed through the city wall and merged into the moat. Shuiguan is located between Fengyimen and Jingfengmen in the south gate of the outer city of Jinzhongdu. This discovery caused quite a stir and was rated as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China that year. The following year, the municipal government decided to build the Liao-Jin City Wall Museum for protection and display. 1995 was declared as "National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit" and officially opened to the outside world (Figure 7).
Figure 7 Shuiguan Site Site
The hole in this culvert is really not small. According to the general plan form, the north and south ends of the site waterway are gradually opened, and the middle is straight and narrow, like a bell mouth with two throats butted, with a total length of 43.4 meters from north to south, a length of 2 1.35 meters and a width of 7.7 meters. The water inlet (north) is12.8m wide, and the water outlet (south) is11.4m wide. According to experts' research, this Shuiguan is the largest sluice in China, and its building structure is completely in accordance with the construction method of the Song Dynasty. It is an excellent example of studying ancient buildings and water conservancy facilities in China. This hard-working water pass has been forgotten for such a long time and waited silently for 800 years.
Nowadays, the movie A Dream of Red Mansions is a big hit, and the actors auditioned, which shocked the whole world. After dinner, the whole country is talking about Lin Daiyu and Qin Keqing. After years of repeated "joking" and "telling the truth", people have become familiar with those things in the Ming Dynasty. As for the number of emperors in the Qing Dynasty, the number of emperors' sons and concubines, many adults know it like the palm of their hand, as if many middle school students were "fans". When the Chinese nation was "intoxicated by the warm wind" in the Southern Song Dynasty, Beijing was under the rule of Liao and Jin Dynasties and was called "Nanjing" and "Zhongdu". Too many people feel at a loss in this wonderful history of Liao and Jin dynasties, as if it is not a matter of their own country, and they pay little attention to it, which is regrettable. Today, the Liao-Jin City Wall Museum (Figure 8), which was built on the site of Shuiguan Wall in Jincheng, Jinzhong, has a wonderful historical display, and the well-founded, authentic and reliable "Get to the point" can vividly make up for this important absence for the masses, especially teenagers.
Fig. 8 The Chengyuan Museum in Liaojin attracts more and more attention.
In fact, the number of Liao and Jin cultural relics preserved or newly unearthed in Beijing is also considerable. For example, the Lugou Bridge, a national key cultural relic, was built in Jin Shizong for twenty-nine years (1 189) and was praised by Kelpolo as "the best and unique bridge in the world". In addition, Jietai Temple, Yunju Temple, Tianning Temple, Badachu, Beihai Park and other places also have Liao and Jin relics, but they are not as hot as some cultural relics in later generations.
On the occasion of the International Museum Day in 2007, the activity of You 'anmen Street Science and Technology Week was grandly held in Shuiguan South Square, and at the same time, the "Water Story" popular science exhibition was held at the right time when the raw water was closed, which made this 800-year-old monument glow with youth and filled with a strong festive atmosphere. In the "Story of Water" exhibition, 465,438+0 panels are illustrated, showing and answering all kinds of questions about water comprehensively and systematically, which is unique and full of water knowledge and interest. Among all kinds of exhibitions in museums and exhibition halls in Beijing, this exhibition is particularly novel and precious, and it is rare to see it. Sure enough, tourists are in an endless stream.
Zanshui poem wall
In places of interest, you can often see inscriptions praising or recording the origin of your skills. The famous stele forest in Taishan, Shandong, Jiao Shan in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, Cliff Stone Carvings in Huqiu, Suzhou, Stone Carvings in Xi, Shaanxi, Drum Tower Stone Carvings in Beihai Park, Beijing, etc. Sichuan Xichang earthquake stele forest can be regarded as a precious professional stele to preserve history, which has great practical value. There is also a cliff carving in Nanshan along the Beijiang River in Yingde, Guangdong Province, and the cliff carving in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, which is even more magnificent and spectacular.
There are also many inscriptions at the same time. The forest of steles in Zhangjiajie has gathered the inscriptions of nearly 30 contemporary celebrities. There are two special forest of steles in Baiwangshan Park in Beijing, praising afforestation. I'm afraid this is also a unique landscape in the world. Unfortunately, not many people know so far.
However, from the preference for water, the most noteworthy thing is the large poem wall along the Zhuanhe River in Beijing. Since the reform and opening up, Zhuanhe, located in the northwest of Beijing and adjacent to the North Second Ring Road, has finally revealed its bright side, especially the section parallel to Xizhimen North Street. On the one hand, a long and warm street garden was built along the main road on the west bank of the river; Walking down the stairs, a promenade comparable to Zhouzhuang in the south of the Yangtze River and Luzhi Street along the Yangtze River has been built on the waterfront, and the walls are inlaid with exquisite pictures of popular science of aquatic plants in Beijing for tourists to watch, puzzle and have fun. On the other hand, on the east coast, beside the roadside where tall buildings and cars come and go in the distance, a straight shore wall is made of huge stones, but it is a wonderful poem wall full of romantic feelings.
The poem wall imitates cliff stone carvings, and there are 25 inscriptions by China and celebrity calligraphy, each of which is more than ten meters apart, just like holding an exhibition in an art palace. Zhuanhe made a zigzag bend here, and the wall of the dike was engraved with Chinese characters, occupying most of the straight dike in this section, stretching for 200 meters from north to south, which is very spectacular (Figure 9).
Fig. 9 The magnificent poetry wall
Mao Zedong's "Spring and Snow in the Qinyuan" has six Chinese characters "Beautiful Mountains and Rivers" in the center of the poem wall. When people see big characters, they will naturally think of "counting romantic figures and looking at the present", and their chests are full of the power to aim high. Conversely, Liu Shaoqi's Glory in Labor, Zhou Enlai's Race to the Top, Zhu De's Moving Mountains and Building Seas, and Chen Yi's Moistening Things in Beijing are all in calligraphy, which are exactly the same and have their own characteristics. Probably written by the "mass tactics" during the construction of the Ming Tombs Reservoir in the suburbs of Beijing, showing heroism and passion. The ending is a poem by writer and calligrapher Guo Moruo. At the beginning of the poem, it is written in vernacular: "The fish in Guanting Reservoir is three feet", which is also vivid and interesting, showing the eclecticism of great genius.
In the north, Emperor Qianlong enjoyed double glory, including his calligraphy of "flowing clouds and flowing water" and his poems of "crossing the Qinghe River". Further north, Wu Changshuo's Joy of Fish has the largest font, and the word 1.5m is high. Apart from the calligraphy of several ancient people such as Wang Xizhi and Su Dongpo, it is mainly the works of contemporary famous calligraphers, such as Qi Gong, Su Shi, Qian Shaowu, Huang Miaozi, Shen Peng, Li Duo, Zhu Naizheng and Liu Bingsen. , and most of them are poems written by the ancients (Figure 10).
Figure 10 I often remember the time when I set the geese free.
Browsing the poem wall is really a kind of enjoyment of artistic beauty, and it is also influenced by water culture. Here, flowers bloom and fall, truth, grass, official script and seal script are integrated into one, with different styles and different lengths, but the theme is a sincere praise for the kindness and morality of water. The poem involves water bodies and water projects in Beijing, such as Qinghe River, Gaoliang River, Sanggan River, Tonghui River, Lugou Bridge and Guanting Reservoir, which surround and nourish Beijing. Therefore, the inscription "Water and Beijing" by Wu Zuoren, the northernmost poet, can be used as the general title of the whole series of wall poems.
Generally speaking, water and Beijing are still harmonious, the water environment is getting better and better, and life is more comfortable. But God has his own laws, and there will be some troubles if human beings don't adapt well. After a long drought and no rain, crops are still reduced and cannot be harvested; When the rain is heavy, the sewer is blocked and the drainage is not smooth, which will also cause disasters (Figure11); Waste and pollution will aggravate the tension of water resources and produce contradictions. To cope with all this calmly, everyone should have a sense of ownership except managers. Love the water cherishes water and regards it as life.
Figure l 1 After a rainstorm, water accumulated in the Second Ring Hutong.
refer to
[1] Beijing Bureau of Geology and Mineral Exploration and Development, Beijing Hydrogeology Engineering Geology Brigade. Groundwater in Beijing. Beijing: China Dida Publishing House, 2008.438+0.
[2] Zizhuyuan Park Management Office. Records of Zizhuyuan Park. Beijing: China Forestry Press, 2003.
[3] hole. The history of Beijing's full house. Beijing Rong Baozhai Publishing House, 2006.
[4], Wei,,. Interesting talk about famous gardens in Beijing. Beijing: China Building Industry Press, 1983.