Imprints of Shu｜Zhao Yun and Dayi: The loyal soul still comes from the strong mountains and rivers

Text/Yang Qingzhen Picture/Dayi County Cultural Management Office

Zhao Yun, courtesy name Zilong, was born in Zhending, Changshan (now Zhengding, Hebei), and was one of the famous generals of the Shu Han Dynasty. Zhao Yun has a handsome appearance. Pei Songzhi's "Three Kingdoms" notes that he is "eight feet in length and majestic in appearance". He is also highly skilled in martial arts, respects morality, and is brave and loyal. His story of riding the savior alone and defeating the Cao Cao in the Han River is widely circulated. In the seventh year of Jianxing (229 years), Zhao Yun died of illness in Chengdu. Because Zhao Yun had sent troops to defend against the Qiang in Dayi, Liu Chan, the later master, buried him at the foot of Yinping Mountain (today's east of Dayi City).

Mount Jinghui, Zilong Statue

Zhao Yun’s noble moral conduct throughout his life condensed the Zilong spirit of “loyalty, righteousness, wisdom, benevolence, and courage” and is admired by future generations. . In Dayi, where his body is buried, a deep love for Zilong was formed in the hearts of the people, and it was gradually praised as Zilong culture.

The martial arts feats still remain in Jiandao Street

Dayi County, under the Xiling Snow Mountain, has beautiful scenery all year round. The water from the snow mountain flows all the way, connecting the ancient towns like pearls. Jinyuan Town, where the county seat is located, is backed by Jinping Mountain and surrounded by oblique rivers like jade belts. There are Zilong Street and Jiandao Street in the city, which are two bustling commercial streets and are very lively. Jinghuishan Park in the east of the city has the Qiang Terrace and Pingyun Pavilion, which can be visited and visited. In addition, many ancient local place names, such as Wangjun Tower, Zhaizi Mountain, Dubinggou, Baimagou, Shimagou, Zilong Temple, Zilong Temple, etc., are all related to one person, and he is Zhao Yun.

During the warlord melee at the end of the Han Dynasty, Zhao Yun followed Liu Bei for nearly 30 years. He participated in the Battle of Bowangpo, the Battle of Changbanpo, and the Jiangnan Pingding Battle. He single-handedly commanded the Battle of Sichuan, the Battle of Han River, In the Battle of Jigu, he was known as the victorious general because of his outstanding military exploits.

Statue of Zilong on Jinghui Mountain

According to historical records, after the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu were basically formed, Zhao Yun camped at Jinping Mountain in Dayi for many years. Why should we garrison the front line of Dayi? During the Shu Han Dynasty, there was Hanjia County in the upper reaches of the Qingyi River, which governed Hanjia County (today's Lushan County). The population was dominated by Qingyi Qiang, one of the many branches of the Qiang ethnic group. At that time, Dayi was Jiangyuan County, Shu County, which was on the border with Hanjia County, and frictions between the Qiang and Han Dynasties occurred from time to time. "The Biography of the First Lord" records the "Hanjia Rebellion": "In the winter of the second year of Zhangwu (222), Huang Yuan, the prefect of Hanjia, heard that the First Lord was ill and refused to defend... In the third year of Zhangwu (223) In March of the year), Huang Yuan marched to attack Linqiong County. "Zhang Wu was the reign name of Liu Bei. This historical data proves that Qingqiang power has developed to Qionglai, which borders Dayi.

In order to defend against intrusion, Zhao Yun built one pavilion on Jinping Mountain, namely Wangqiang Terrace and Pingyun Pavilion. Today, you can wind along the mountain path in Dayi Jinghui Mountain Park. The top of the mountain is covered with white clouds, and the imitation crimson Wangqiang Terrace is hidden in the woods. You can overlook the whole county town when you climb up. There is a long crenellated wall under Wangqiang Terrace, dotted with gear-shaped crenels, covered by surging ferns. I still remember playing games on the wall when I was a child. The Pingyun Pavilion with its upturned eaves on the top of the mountain is an antique wooden building, but the paint is mottled due to age, and the deep woods give it a rustic feel.

On the top of Jinghui Mountain, looking at Qiangtai

Zhao Yun also built a Tucheng. According to "Records of Scenic Spots in Sichuan: South Shangchuan Road" (Volume 13) written by Cao Xuequan, a Jinshi in the 23rd year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, "Jinghui Mountain (the first mountain at the foot of Yinping Mountain) is named Dongshan, and there is a Tucheng at the foot of the mountain. , it is said that it was built by Zhao Yun, a general of the Shu Han Dynasty, to prevent the Qiang from coming here. There are Yun’s tombs and temples there.” Due to the vicissitudes of history, the Tucheng has long since ceased to exist. Today's prosperous Dayi County may be the present and future generations of Tucheng.

Zhao Yun has a white horse and a silver spear, and is both wise and brave. His heroic image is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. There are many stories circulating in Dayi, one of which can be called the Dayi version of "Seven Captures of Meng Huo", which shows his strategy of attacking the heart first and attacking the bottom.

It is said that the power of Qingqiang gradually increased. One year, the leader Fanbu summoned more than 10,000 troops to take Qiongzhou first and approach Chengdu. Zhao Yun had already set up a formation, and the two armies fought. Fanbu quickly retreated, but refused to surrender. He said to Zhao Yun, "This does not count. I will compete with you in arrows. If you win, I will admit defeat." Zhao Yun agreed and released Fanbu, and the two parties agreed to choose a day to discuss the arrows.

The sun was bright that day, and multiple archery targets were erected on the top of Jinghui Mountain. Soldiers from both sides lined up on both sides of the shooting range to cheer.

Zhao Yun, who was dressed in white robes, appeared. He and Fanbu competed in mounted shooting, back shooting, walking shooting, running shooting, oblique shooting, kneeling shooting, front shooting, and upward shooting, etc. The winner was indistinguishable. The soldiers were busy carrying arrows, and a path was carved out on the grassy slope in front of Jinghui Mountain. Finally, the two sides exchanged target positions. Zhao Yun flew out an arrow and penetrated the Brahma cloth target. Fanbu was shocked, knelt down and kowtowed, promising not to cause further trouble.

Jinghui Mountain, inscriptions on the wall

Later, people named the path trampled by the two armies to transport arrows "Arrow Road Street", and built a wide and long gravel road next to it. The road is named "Zilong Street".

Jiuzhai Alliance Wen Tao and Wu Lu Shun Ping Hou

After the beginning of winter, the autumn wind gradually tightened, and the golden leaves of large sycamore trees spread on the ground. The masson pines all over Jinping Mountain stand like guards. Amidst the howling wind, there seemed to be the shouts of thousands of troops. I stood on the rolling Jinping Mountain, looking at the mountains one after another, like folded splendid screens. "Jinping Mountain" is worthy of its name. No wonder Zhao Yun will perform "Jiuzhai Company" here. Facing the autumn wind among the fallen leaves, my thoughts returned to the Shu Han era with the neighing of war horses and the flash of swords.

Zhao Yun made outstanding contributions to the establishment and stability of Shu. He garrisoned Dayi and effectively defended against the enemy, leaving behind ruins such as Wangqiang Terrace, Wangjun Tower, and Tucheng, among which the most legendary one is the "Jiuzhai United Camp".

According to legend, Zhao Yun set up Jiuzhaigou (or nine is an imaginary number) according to the terrain of Jinping Mountain to build a strong defense line against the enemy. There is still Zhaizikou (the ravine between Shengli Mountain and Jinyun Mountain on the east side of Jinghui Mountain is called Zhaizikou by the locals). The ravine is not too deep and can be climbed over in less than a mile. In the distance are Zhaizi Mountain and Zangbinggou, which are still connected by small roads.

The "Changshan Zhengqi" plaque in the main hall of Zilong Temple

Chen Shuwen, a local poet in Dayi, once wrote a poem "Climbing Jinghui Mountain under the Moon and Looking at Zhao Yun Jiuzhai Company Camp in the distance" after a field trip , the poem goes: "When the moon comes, I look at the Qiang alone, shining on the Han Dynasty. In those days, the tigers will leave and the horses will return. The Jiuzhai company camp is now in place, and the stars from thousands of miles away are shining under the moon."

Zhao Yun's white horse, silver spear, and plain robes are unparalleled in loyalty and bravery. Folks revered him as "Tiger General" and "God of War". However, in the Wuhou Temple in Chengdu, the image of Zhao Yun is that of an old man wearing civil servant clothes and a white beard. Many tourists expressed confusion: Isn't Zhao Yun a general of the Five Tigers? According to the commentator, Wuhou Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty. People in the Tang Dynasty believed that Zhao Yun was capable of both literary and martial arts, with superior wisdom and elegant demeanor, so the statue was an image of a civil official.

In fact, Zhao Yun does have literary, Taoist and military skills.

In the 19th year of Jian'an (214), Liu Zhang asked for surrender, and Liu Bei took charge of Yizhou as a pastoralist, hoping to distribute Chengdu's famous land to various officials. "Three Kingdoms·Zhao Yun Biography" said that Zhao Yun disagreed and admonished: "The people of Yizhou have been repeatedly attacked by war, and their fields and houses are empty. Only if they are returned to the people, so that they can live and work in peace, the people will be convinced; it is not appropriate to take them away as private rewards. "This shows Zhao Yun's wisdom and his feelings for the people. It is said that Zhao Yun guarded Dayi, loved the people like a son, actively developed agricultural production, and was deeply loved by the people.

Zilong Temple built in 1993

In the seventh year of Jianxing (229 years), Zhao Yun passed away at the age of more than 70 years old. He was one of the few generals among the heroes of the Three Kingdoms who died at the end of his life. At that time, there was a burial system that "buried ministers in the place of their birth or main activities", so the later master Liu Chan "buried Zhao Zilong in the east of Jinping Mountain in Chengdu (the foothills of Yinping Mountain in today's Dayi County), built a temple, and offered sacrifices at all times." In 241, the Shu Han Dynasty posthumously named Zhao Yun the Marquis of Shun Ping, saying that "the gentle, virtuous and kind people are called Shun, the deacons who have a class are called Ping, and the control of disasters are called Ping". This shows that the Shu Han regime gave Zhao Yun a high degree of recognition.

East of Dayi City, Qingshan has the honor to bury loyal bones

On the Qingming Festival in 2019, special guests from Zhengding, Hebei Province visited Dayi and made a special trip to pay a visit to Zhao Yun’s tomb. They are descendants of the Zhao family from Zhao Yun's hometown. They brought a bag of soil from Zhengding all the way and sprinkled it on the hero's tomb. After worshiping, he respectfully dug a jar of grave soil from the tomb and brought it back to Zhengding for worship. In recent years, people from the Hebei Zhao Zilong Research Association have come to Dayi to pay homage to Zilong's tomb.

On Jinghui Mountain, a statue of Zilong erected in 1993

Zilong’s tomb is at the foot of Jinping Mountain, one kilometer east of Dayi County. The mountain is also called Yinping Mountain locally. Zilong's Tomb was announced as a county-level cultural relic protection unit by the Dayi County Government in 1961. In 1985, it was announced as a municipal cultural relic protection unit by the Chengdu Municipal Government.

In 1996, it was announced as a provincial key cultural relic protection unit by the Sichuan Provincial Government.

The seal of Zilong's tomb is 2.3 meters high, semicircular in shape, and shaped like a hill, with a circumference of 29.1 meters. There is a tombstone 1 meter wide and 2.5 meters high in the middle, with large seal characters engraved on it: "Tomb of Zhao Yun, Shunping Marquis of Han Dynasty". On both sides are engraved gold-filled couplets: "Bless the fathers and elders of Jiangyuan forever with bravery, and the loyal soul still strengthens the mountains and rivers of Shu". There is a plaque inscribed on it: "Forever and forever". The entire cemetery is built on the mountain, surrounded by red walls and planted with cypresses and bamboos. At that time, there was a Shinto in front of the tomb. It has been found that the bottom of the Shinto monument was gradually surrounded by four layers of stone strips to form a circle, and the upper part was made of rammed earth.

The inscription on the tomb of Zilong during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty

The tomb of Zilong in Dayi has conclusive records in history. "The Unification of the Qing Dynasty·Qiongzhou" (Volume 310) records: "Zhao Yun's tomb is located three miles east of Dayi County." "Sichuan Tongzhi·Mausoleum" (Volume 29) also records: "The tomb of Zhao Yun of the Han Dynasty" In the east of Dayi County, there is a stone tablet inscribed with the tomb of Han general Zhao Zilong. "

There used to be an ancestral temple in front of Zilong's tomb, also known as the General Temple. It was destroyed by war in the late Ming Dynasty. In the 10th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1671), the county magistrate Li Deyao rebuilt the tomb and built a temple, and personally wrote "The Tomb of Zhao Yun, Shunping Marquis of Han Dynasty". The Qianlong edition of "Dayi County Chronicles" contains the "Inscriptions on the Tomb of General Zhao, Shunping Marquis of the Han Dynasty" written by Li Deyao. He used his body to restore the territory and frighten the enemy. He was sleeping in the mao year, and his seal was passed down for thousands of years. Is it true that he was loyal to gold and stone, and exposed the sun and the moon, so that he would conquer the people of the future, as well as the husband of Tian? I don’t know how many people come and go to pay homage to him and express his nostalgia for the past. Once there is a commotion in Sichuan Plain, and the painted buildings are turned into ashes, the fertile fields are covered with thorns, and the general’s tomb is lonely among the smoke and grass, it will be sad. Husband! ”

Later, three larger-scale repairs were carried out during the Qianlong and Jiaqing years, and it was repaired and expanded during the Daoguang and Xianfeng years. Zilong Temple once became an ancestral temple with three major halls, and people worshiped it with incense and spent every day.

In 1930, Xie Ruxiang, the then mayor of Dayi County, designated Zilong Temple as a suburban park, and added pavilions and pavilions such as a lotus pond, a building platform, Pingmei Pavilion, Xiaocangzhou, and Zhanhe Pavilion, making it Zilong Temple is more spacious and beautiful. Every year in the third month of the lunar calendar, Zilong Temple holds a 10-day temple fair, which is very popular with tourists from far and near.

Zilong Temple Yinshan Pavilion

In the 1960s and 1970s, Zilong’s tomb and Zilong Temple were “reused”, and the Chengguan Town Work-study Technical School (University The predecessor of Yi County Vocational High School) moved into Zilong Temple, and the school was renamed "Wuqi Middle School". The tomb of Zilong's tomb was bulldozed, the ceremonial gate, worship hall, wing room, etc. of Zilong Temple were demolished successively, and a chemistry building was built in front of Zilong's tomb. Building, a teaching building was built behind the tomb, and an office building and dormitory building were built behind the main hall.

After 2008, the school moved out of Zilong Temple. In recent years, the local government of Dayi has planned to restore the main hall, wing rooms, Yinshanjian, Lotus Pond, Zhanhe Pavilion, Xiaocangzhou, etc. of Zilong Temple and open them as scenic spots.

At the foothills of Jinping Mountain, Zilong culture shines

The rolling waters of the Yangtze River pass eastward, and the waves wash away the heroes. How many great heroes are trapped in the quagmire of history. However, the famous general Zhao Yun has not dimmed due to the passage of time.

When Lu You, a poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, was appointed as the general magistrate of Shuzhou, he and his friends took a leisurely tour of Dayi with wine. After he climbed Jinping Mountain, he wrote the chronicle poem "Pingyun Pavilion": "Wherever the fragrant mash is poured, I can walk with you on the back of a golden turtle. The sky hangs down on three sides of the green field, and the clouds are as flat as Zhulan. The smoke trees There is a new sound in the desolate wind and pines, and it is better than the scattered flowers in Hunan." 1914, the German Ernst Boschmann painted Dayi. Picture of Zhao Zilong Temple Tomb

This poem gives us a glimpse of the beautiful scenery of Jinping Mountain in the Southern Song Dynasty. It should be early autumn, when the yellow chrysanthemums are blooming all over the mountains, the wind blows loosely and makes a clear sound, white clouds are lingering on the top of the green mountains, and below the mountains is the endless green field. The old man put his wine in the wind and leaned against the "Zhu Lan" to look into the distance. He was in high spirits and full of love for the scenery of Shu, but he didn't have much to live in. The title of the poem "Pingyun Pavilion", I have no way of knowing. At that time, did Fang Weng think of the Shu Han and Zhao Yun, who was galloping on horseback and showed his loyalty?

A generation of good generals rests at the foot of Jinping Mountain. The green hills are still there, and the sunset turns red several times. The man has passed away, but Zilong’s spirit is still being spread and admired.

Today, Dayi County actively inherits and promotes Zilong culture. Zilong Street Primary School, Zilong Cultural Research Association, Zilong Cultural Forum, Zilong Cultural Hotel, Zilong Cultural Boutique Linpan, etc. are flourishing on this fertile soil.

Some experts believe that as a figure with strong Confucian culture, Zhao Yun possesses "loyalty, righteousness, wisdom, benevolence, and courage", and has ideals, beliefs, morality, and feelings. His heroic feelings, especially the word "loyalty" written all over him, and his moral concepts such as sympathy for the weak, fairness and justice, abiding by contracts, and focusing on credibility, still have extensive social and practical significance.

Zilong Tomb and Court of Worship

Today, Zilong Street Primary School is full of books, reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms and telling Zilong stories. The children are growing up under the infiltration of Zilong culture. . The Zilong Cultural Hotel in the east of the city has elegant decoration and rich cultural heritage to help the healthy development of the enterprise. At the Zilong Cultural Forum held every year, participating scholars interpreted Zhao Yun in a new era, and "Changshan Zhao Zilong" gained new meaning and connotation.

In 2022, the Zilong Cultural Industrial Park project in Dayi County will be officially launched. The project will take cultural creation, cultural tourism, cultural consumption as its themes, extend the cultural traditions of the Three Kingdoms through digital technology, digital art, film and television production, etc., and gradually lay out the Three Kingdoms cultural studies, Three Kingdoms beacon mountain sports, mountain agricultural tourism experience, and landscape hot springs Health care and other industries.

The wheel of time rolls forward, crushing the past. The three kingdoms of the past are history, and the success or failure of the past has become nothing. Standing on Jinping Mountain, I looked hard into the depths of history. In the smoke and dust in the depths of that time, a dazzling white flame was clearly swaying. The white horse neighs, the silver spear shines, and the spirit of a generation of heroic generals returns.