What are the research values of the discovery of ancient clocks in Quanzhou in the Ming Dynasty?

If you ask Quanzhou locals from other places, the incense there is the most popular. Quanzhou people will tell you that it is the Guan Yue Temple in Tonghuai, Quanzhou, and many locals call it "Guandi Temple". Incense is the most popular on the first and fifteenth day of each month, especially in Quanzhou, where it is customary to give incense to Master Guan on the first day of the New Year's Day. The scene is more crowded and empty.

On the land of China, there are five temples to Guan Gong. One of the jingles goes like this: "The soul returns to Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, rests in Luoyang, Henan Province, and lies in Dangyang, Hubei Province. God decides Dongshan, Fujian Province, and the spirit should be in Quanzhou." The last sentence "Ling Ying Quanzhou Tonghuai" refers to the Guan Yue Temple in Quanzhou Tonghuai. In the hearts of Quanzhou locals, it is indeed a responsive temple.

Recently, an important event has been added to this Guan Gong Temple. During routine inspection, Guan Yue Temple in Tonghuai, Quanzhou, found a cultural relic clock cast in Wanli period of Ming Dynasty (AD 1604). The reporter learned from the news briefing held on June 5438+08 that the ancient clock is cast iron, with a height of 120 cm, a diameter of 70 cm, a carcass thickness of 5 cm and a weight of about 350 kg. It has a history of 4 18 years. Although it has been baptized for hundreds of years, this clock has been hung on the beam on the left side of the main entrance of Tonghuai Guan Yue Temple. There is no wind and rain, no sun and rain, and the inscription on the front of the ancient clock is still clearly visible, engraved with the words "Hitachi, thirty-two years old, Wanli, Wang Guan Temple, Yingchunmen City".

This ancient clock is highly consistent with the age information of "Guanzhuang Mihou Temple Clock" recorded on pages 005 and 042 of Quanzhou Tonghuai Guan Yue Temple Annals published in February, 20 18, and it is basically confirmed that this clock is an ancient clock recorded in historical books. According to local scholars, the discovery of this ancient clock in Ming Dynasty has five historical and cultural values:

Quanzhou Tonghuai Guan Yue Temple

1. In the thirty-second year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty (1604), Guan Yue Temple cast a bell, and Li Guang wrote Guanzhuang Mihou Temple Clock (1604), which realized the mutual verification of cultural relics and documents; It can be proved that this is genuine.

2. The ancient clock in Ming Dynasty is the earliest known precious cultural relic of Tonghuai Guan Yue Temple. The appearance of this ancient clock once again proves that Guan Yue Temple in Tonghuai, Quanzhou has a long history and is more precious than the other four temples.

Third, there are large iron clocks in China. The inscription of Li Guangjin, a famous writer in Ming Dynasty, records that there is no bell in Guan Yue Temple, which shows that it is the first bell in the temple. The bell body is well preserved and most of the characters on it are clearly visible, which provides valuable information for the historical research of Guan Yue Temple in Tonghuai and Quanzhou in that year. At the same time, future generations can learn more about the forging technology of ancient clocks in Ming Dynasty through this clock.

Fourthly, it also provides evidence for other historical materials. Zhongming Wang Guan Temple is located at the "Yingchun Gate" in the city, which provides material evidence for the historical records that Tonghuaimen was named Yingchun Gate after the 38th year of Jiajing in Ming Dynasty (1559).

Five, from the clock to add cultural interest. Li Guangdi's "Zhong Ming" also tells the story of Cao Cao's crushing defeat in Huarong Road during the Three Kingdoms period. Guan Hou explained that Cao knows everything and cares about the righteousness to show that his heart is like the sun, and the pilot bell asked, and God was awed at that time. The content is vivid and extraordinary. It seems that the story of Cao Cao and Guan Gong in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms is not completely fictional. Exploring history may lead to greater discoveries.

The ancient clock is now collected in the exhibition hall on the third floor of Tonghuai Cultural Center of Guan Yue Temple in Tonghuai, Quanzhou. Although the position of the ancient clock has changed, this way can be better watched by believers at home and abroad. At the same time, the discovery of the ancient clock also adds a lot of color to the title of Quanzhou as a famous historical and cultural city and the capital of world cultural heritage.