The total length of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is 1794 km, running through 4 provinces and 2 cities. It is the earliest artificial canal in the world, and has always been an important north-south waterway in China. The Shandong section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is 5 10 km long, forming a waterway transportation line from Weishan Lake in the south to Dezhou in the north. Dezhou, Linqing, Dongchang, Jining and other places along the Shandong Canal have gradually become important transportation and trade centers, and the Wang Nan water diversion hub in Wenshang is a water conservancy project comparable to Dujiangyan.
Rich cultural heritage has been accumulated along the Shandong Canal, and cultural relics and historic sites are spread all over the country. Taibai Building, Shengyuan Building, Tower Temple, Dongda Temple, Nanyang Town in Jining, Taierzhuang Ancient Town in Zaozhuang, Shuicheng in the north of Liaocheng and other places with unique artistic conception 100 are known as "ancient cultural corridor" and "folk exhibition room".
The legend of the canal circulating in Jining, Shandong Province is not only numerous, but also closely related to the customs of Jining, with obvious regional characteristics and unique flavor, which is an important reference for us to study, develop and utilize the canal culture. People in Jining often pretend to be "Canal People". Jining people closely relate the canal to the rise and fall of their city. For the past glory of the canal, Jining people are always full of enthusiasm, eloquent, pride and superiority beyond words.
The story of governing the river
The story of the canal is actually the story that happened when the Grand Canal was dug. The Grand Canal, like the Great Wall of Wan Li, is a miracle on earth and a great achievement of human conquest and transformation of nature. The Great Wall of Wan Li is a wall built between mountains, while the Grand Canal is a big river running through the north and south on a vast land. As far as the construction conditions at that time are concerned, the degree of hardship can be imagined. The blood and sweat of thousands of river workers are unpredictable. Therefore, some people say that the sweat is as long as the canal water is, and the blood is as much as the canal water.
"Bai Ying Dian Quan" records that there was a farmer water conservancy expert named Bai Ying in Wenshang County in Ming Dynasty. He lived in an era when the Yellow River often burst and harmed the people. Bai Ying spent more than ten years and went through hardships. He visited more than a dozen counties such as Wenshang, Jining, Yanzhou, Ningyang and Dongping, found out the topography and water potential of this area, and explored a set of water control methods. In the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Chengzu sent Song Li, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, to dredge the Huitong River, but the river dried up. With the help of Bai Ying, Wenshui River was introduced into Huitong River by the method of "rowing by water", and a diversion gate was built to the south of the "water ridge", which divided the river into two and ensured the smooth flow of the canal for many years. It is said that one year the imperial ship was trapped because of the lack of water in the canal, and ordered the people to draw water to help the canal. People try their best to find water. At the critical moment, Bai Ying stepped forward and led the officers and men to find the spring. After a walk, he pointed to a spring on the ground and stamped out of the water. The canal was soon filled with water, and the imperial ship passed smoothly, thus relieving the disaster of the local people. After Bai Ying's death, Emperor Yongle named him "Gong Cao God" and built the Longwang Temple in Wang Nan. During the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, Bai Ying was named "the God of Forever Aid"; Guangxu five years, also named "White King".
"Dragon Carving Monument" is about a Huojiazhuang village near the ancient canal. There is a young man named Huo Yunlong in the village. This man is not only handsome, but also practiced martial arts and married a gentle and virtuous wife. One year, Huo Yunlong was recruited to dig a canal and never came back. The wife went to find it alone. Only when I arrived at the canal worker's place did I know that her husband took the lead in rebellion and was caught in the river and drowned alive a few years ago because the supervisor beat and scolded the migrant workers. The wife was heartbroken. When she was paying homage to her husband by the river, she jumped into the river in despair and died heroically. Later generations compared her to Meng Jiangnu, and set up a big stone monument beside the canal to remember this, because there is a dragon carved on the monument, which is called "Carving Dragon Monument".
The legend of the trapped imperial city says that there are many "mirage" phenomena around the opening of the ancient canal. According to legend, the city seen from this mirage is called "Trapped Imperial City", and only those who are virtuous and have no desire to do good are allowed to enter the city. Once there was a simple farmer who went to the market to buy bean sprouts. I got up early and went out. I saw a city with an open door ahead, so I hurried in. But everyone in the city ignored him. He went to the booth selling bean sprouts and said many times to buy bean sprouts, but the seller always ignored him. In a rage, the farmer put the bean sprouts in the basket. Without thinking, the seller still ignored him. The farmer had no choice but to dump the bean sprouts and leave angrily. Unexpectedly, when I got home, I found two golden watercress in the basket. Only then did I realize that I had entered the "trapped imperial city". Trapped in the Imperial Capital finally appeared on 1950. It was early in the morning, and someone got up early to work in the fields. I see a high wall in the distance. The man immediately called the villagers to see it. At that time, all the people in the village stood on the levee to watch this spectacle. I saw a tower looming in the west, with two floors and clear doors and windows. The whole village was stunned by this spectacle. It didn't disappear until the morning mist cleared.
The legend of Jining Ganlong
After the opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Emperor Qianlong went south to the south of the Yangtze River many times, staying in Jining for a long or short time every time, so there are many stories about Qianlong going down to Jining in the south of the Yangtze River.
"Land Salvation" tells the story of Qianlong's southern tour along the canal Jining, when he suddenly encountered a big wind and waves at the small gate. At this critical moment, I saw an old man going down the river with the bow on his shoulder, which was very calm. Ganlong followed the old man, only to see him disappear into the earth temple. Qianlong thought it was the "land god" who saved the driver and ordered people to repair the land temple afterwards.
"Hosting Wisdom Couplet" is about Emperor Qianlong's visit to Jining Tower. Gan Long wanted to test the ability of the host, so he published a couplet: "Tieta Tample, Cideng Temple, Zhao Pu Temple and Yulu Temple". The host said, "Stone Buddha is a bell that rings in the distance of Jinshan" (Stone Buddha Temple, Bell Pavilion, Shengyuan Building, Jinshan Temple). After hearing this, Gan Long praised him again and again, saying, "Step by step.".
"Poem of Tong Ling" tells that Qianlong passed Weishan Lake and broke down at dusk. Looking at the quiet scenery in front of him, Ganlong improvised and said, "When the cat arrives at the hut, the wind blows the cat." At this time, a boy playing on the shore immediately said to him, "Is the tiger still wet after drinking the lake?" The emperor was frightened and said, "A blacksmith played tin and spilled it all over his knee." The boy said to him again, "face to face, face to face." Gan Long was very happy and praised: "This child has the talent of a prime minister!"
"Butcher to Tianlian" tells that one year, Qianlong passed through Weishanxia Town and saw the door of a family on the east bank of the canal was very imposing. To make matters worse, a couplet was posted on the door. The first couplet is: "one of the best"; The bottom line is: "earth-shattering people." The cross-linking is: "act first, then act." The emperor was very unhappy after reading it, and ordered someone to find the owner and ask him. The shopkeeper was very alarmed and hurriedly explained to the emperor: "my boss sells baked wheat cakes, and the best ones are sold to others;" The second child is rolling firecrackers, and a little fire is an earth-shattering sound; I kill pigs. I kill the pig first and then pay taxes, so it is' acting first'. " Gan Long was very happy and said, "Well written, I forgive you. "
"Le Dao Tang and Le Dao An" is about Gan Long who went to Xiazhen to play and suddenly felt hungry. Just in the north corner of the city, I saw a nun cooking in buddhist nun, so I went to beg. The nun presented Gan Long with "Pantian Wolong Pier" and "Brother Red-billed Green Warbler" made of coarse grains. What Qianlong eats is sweet and praises repeatedly. Back in the palace, Qianlong was still absorbed in these two dishes, but he didn't know that the chef's cooking was not delicious. So Qianlong ordered the old nun to be called into the palace. But who knows that the old nun refused the emperor on the grounds of "hunger for food and thirst for drink". Knowing the truth, Gan Long ordered people to build Yuedao Temple and Yuedao Temple in Beijing and Xiazhen respectively, and made a statue of "Our Lady of Pan Tian" as a memorial.
A story of an honest official
"Gong Jin to River" said that the canal in Jining City is equivalent to the current urban highway, and the river crossing outside the city is equivalent to the current outer ring highway. Some big ships don't need to stop from Jining, just follow the Vietnam River. The bend south of the dam mouth at the east end of Hedong River is too steep, and the current is also urgent. Shipwrecks and deaths occur every year. People call it "the Gate of Hell". A Duke of Jin came to Jining to be an official. He mobilized tens of thousands of river workers to change the river and dug a gently curved new river beside the south gate. From then on, all the ships from south to north were out of danger. However, the imperial court prohibited changing the river without permission. The emperor ordered the killing of Duke Xiang of Jin. But after Jin Wengong's death, the emperor never received the report of the sinking of the canal again, only to know that he had wronged Jin Wengong, so he wrote a letter and built the "Jin Wengong Temple" in the "City Gate" of Jining as a memorial.
When Twenty-four Empty Days talked about the Qing Dynasty, the official in Jining was called Ling Fen. One day he visited privately and heard passers-by say that he was a good official with integrity. A beggar of seventeen or eighteen said, what a good official! Why do you want me to beg for a living? The next day, Ling Fen caught the little beggar, saying that he scolded the official for breaking the law and wanted to beat him with a thousand boards, or fined him 24 yuan a day. The little beggar admitted the punishment. From then on, after begging for food, the little beggar went to the city wall to borrow soil to take off the blank. Two or three years passed quickly. Ling Fen once passed by and saw 20,000 to 30,000 pieces of rough, so she sold the rough to a big house builder and gave the money to a little beggar to buy a wife. The little beggar suddenly became a prominent figure in Jining. Nowadays, people in Jining are still blaming their children with "twenty-four billets a day", which has become a mantra of hating iron and not turning into steel.
"Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law buy salt" is about Ling Fen who heard that two poor mother-in-law scolded him, so she took them into the yamen and punished them for buying two Jin of salt and handing it over to the yamen. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had to comply. Lingfen weighed it and lost two taels per catty, so she sent the owner of the salt shop and asked him to pay several times the fine to her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Lingfen used this method. During his tenure, there were no idle people in the city, and businessmen dared not cheat.
Other stories related to the canal
The origin of Qi Jiguang's name tells that Qi Jiguang was born in a closed family. His sixth ancestor, Qi Xiang, traveled around with Ming Taizu at the end of Yuan Dynasty and was killed when he attacked Yunnan. In memory of Qi Xiang, the Ming court made his descendants succeed Zhou Wei. In the seventh year of Jiajing in Ming Dynasty, General Qi Jingtong and his pregnant wife stayed at Weishan Lake under the escort of a grain carrier. At midnight, his wife had unbearable abdominal pain and gave birth to a boy. The next day, the newborn sun was like a fireball, emitting colorful light. Qi Jingtong looked at this scene and hoped that his son would make a difference in the future, so he named it "Jiguang".
Liu Yingru Begging for the People tells that after ten years of Qianlong, Weishan Lake was flooded and crops were flooded. People are displaced, but the government still pays taxes, and refugees complain a lot. Liu Yingru, a scholar in the village, could not bear to sit idly by. He stayed in Jining for eight years, forcing Jining to promise that during his term of office, Shen would be exempted from paying national tax. In order to solve this problem completely, Liu Yingru ran for three years, and finally made Ganlong make an imperial decree: to exempt Shen from national tax forever. Liu Yingru pleaded for the people and was deeply loved by the people. After his death, a monument was erected for him in Liu Jia Temple.