Appreciation of couplets at Bailong Temple in Dianzi River

Appreciation of couplets at Bailong Temple in Dianzi River

During the Dragon Boat Festival, at the Bailong Temple in Dianzihe Village, Qingqu Town, Yunyang District, on the north bank of the intersection of Duhe River and Hanjiang River, there is a painting of " The couplets of "Emperor Zhenwu of Wudang Mountain in the Southern Dynasty and Holy Lord Bailong of Jingdianzi River in the North" and "Holy Water of Fairy Mountain" attracted the attention, admiration and photography of many faithful men and women who came to offer incense and passing tourists. The people here have passed down from generation to generation the custom of worshiping the dragon god and hanging dragon couplets during festivals, presenting the national culture and adding to the elegant and peaceful festival atmosphere.

This couplet of the White Dragon Temple was written by Li Mingshan, President of the Yunyang District Charity Federation (a retired official at the county level). An old man in the village said that the couplet was presented by Mr. Chen Liangzhen, who was a candidate for the imperial examination in the late Qing Dynasty (he abolished the imperial examination and did not participate in the Gongyuan Examination of the Capital). According to the appreciation of experts, this couplet has neat couplets, coordinated rhythm, rich content, quite cultural taste, and carries a certain amount of message. cultural information.

Drawing and imitating folk customs

The couplets use "Southern Dynasties" and "Zhenwu Emperor", and "Northern Jing" and "White Dragon Saint King", which truly depict the ancient times and the present. The folk custom of "honoring the Dragon King on the river and paying homage to Zhenwu on the mountain" is widely popular in the middle and upper reaches of the Han River. Respecting the Dragon God has a long history in the areas adjacent to Hubei, Henan, Sichuan and Shaanxi, and has become a unique local religious belief and folk culture. The reasons for its formation are:

It originated from ancient times. For thousands of years, humans who have relied on mountains and rivers (nature) to survive have revered the Dragon King and the mountain god as the protector gods who control the survival of all living things. This has evolved and developed into a deep-rooted custom of worshiping the dragon god.

It arose in Xijing and moved eastwards. Monks practicing in places such as Zhongnan Mountain around the capital of Chang'an moved eastward with Kyoto to Wudang Mountain, Shaolin Temple and other places. The migrating believers brought the traditions of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism to the Qinba Mountains in the Han River Basin. Later, in Luoyang, the ancient capital of the Nine Dynasties, monks who were frustrated in officialdom, blocked in their career

, failed in the rankings, lost their family fortune and saw through the "worldly world", passed through Jiziling, west to Yunguan, and crossed the Han River , go over Gujiang Mountain, compete in Wudang, and find a pure place to practice Taoism in stealth, Wudang Mountain has become the best place.

It flourished in the Ming Dynasty. After Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, built Wudang Mountain, Taoism flourished. On the basis of worshiping the Dragon King as the water god, Taoism worshiped Emperor Xuan (Zhen) Wu of Wudang Mountain as the northern water god, forming the concept of the unity of mountains and rivers, the unity of yin and yang, and the unity of heaven and man. During the period of dynasty change at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, people prayed for peace and prosperity for the country and the people. It was also a custom to worship the Dragon King when visiting Wudang.

After the 21st century, the country will be prosperous and strong, and the people will be healthy. The superior social environment and strong cultural atmosphere have won the revival, development and prosperity of the national traditional culture. There is an endless stream of people going to the Dragon King Temple and Wudang Mountain to offer incense.

Integrating landscape, literature and history

The upper couplet crowns "Wudang Mountain" as "Fairy Mountain", and the lower couplet praises the water of Hanjiang River as "holy water". The couplets pick up local religious trends at that time, focus on the grand scenes of folk worship to gods, and integrate the aura of mountains and rivers into one couplet. They integrate nature and humanities into one, and are beautiful in the mountains and rivers of Yunshan. The scenes blend together, the artistic conception is grand, the meaning is elegance and profound, and it is rare. have to.

The Wudang Mountain in the couplet is the "fairy mountain" where Taoism worships the main god Zhenwu. The Dianzi River is located at the "holy water" place where the Han River and the Duhe River meet. "It goes up to the Xiachuan River and down to Jingxiang." It controls the Han River waterway and the south (Sichuan) and north (Luoyang) post roads. It was a must-have for ancient military strategists and a forbidden area for the royal family. land. Because of its unique geographical location and natural scenery, it has induced many humanities and histories that determine or affect social processes - "Historical Records·Zhou Benji" records: "At the time of King Zhao, there was little royal power. South of King Zhao He did not return from a hunting tour and died on the river. If his soldiers did not go to report him, it would be taboo." That is, in 1002 BC, Ji Xia, the playful King of Zhao of the Western Zhou Dynasty who ignored the government affairs, traveled in the name of inspecting the vassal states and went to the Feng Shui treasure land where Han and Han met to enjoy the mountains and rivers. He drowned in the Han River. He did not publish an obituary to the world for fear that It's not normal to be public.

"The Twelve Years of Duke Huan of the Zuo Family in the Spring and Autumn Period": Chu attacked Jiu and marched to its south gate. Mo Ao Qu Xia said, "The Jiu is small and light, and even less cunning. Please use it if you don't have any defenders to collect wood." Lure them, follow them, hang them and capture thirty of them. Tomorrow, fight for the hangers out, and drive the Chu slaves to the mountains. The Chu people sit at the north gate, and overwhelm the people at the bottom of the mountain. They are defeated, and they return for the alliance under the city. That is, in 700 BC, King Wu of Chu, in order to open up territory, adopted the national policy of "making close friends and attacking far away". In the name of retaliating for the previous year's alliance between Jiao State, Yun, Sui, Zhou, and Liao to attack Chu, he personally led the army and devoted all his national power. Conquer the country. After a long attack failed to work, King Wu of Chu used Mo Aoquxia's trick of "catching big fish with bait" to lure the enemy and blockade the north gate of Jiucheng which was fortified on the mountain to win. King Wu of Chu, who had great ambitions and great achievements, cherished the land of Fadejiu as the birthplace of border expansion, and bestowed a title on Quxia, the eldest son of Fadejiu who had made extraordinary achievements in building Fajiao. He also established the Yunguanjin ferry in this base area and guarded it with heavy troops , relying on the control of Yong and Qi as vassal states, and using the Han River as a pond to expand territory to the northwest. By taking Hanzhong, occupying Shangluo, and Lantian, Chu successfully achieved its strategic goal of rapid rise.

"The Biography of Qu Yuan" Qu Yuan's name was Ping, the same surname as Chu. He was the left disciple of King Huai of Chu. He is knowledgeable and strong-minded, knows how to manage chaos, and is skillful in rhetoric. When you enter, you will discuss state affairs with the king and issue orders; when you leave, you will receive guests and deal with the princes. Wang Shi Renzhi.

It describes that in the place where Qu Xia, the eldest son of King Wu of Chu, was granted a hereditary title, he absorbed the light of the sun and the moon, the aura of the Han River, and the essence of the landscape, which gave birth to Qu Yuan, the earliest and greatest romantic patriotic poet in the history of Chinese literature.

"Yuntai Chronicles" of the Ming and Qing Dynasties records that Yunyang Fuzhi was a giant town in China's vassal state (a city in the "Four Seo District" in the central part of the country) and the eighty-fourth governor of Yunyang *** 205 years ago history. Yuan Jie and Ling Yunyi, the Ministers of the Ministry of War, Pan Dan and Wang Yiqi, the Ministers of the Ministry of Industry, Wang Xuekui, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Wang Shizhen, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, and other important officials and famous figures of the imperial court served as governor of Yunyang. Yunyang Fu governs five roads, eight prefectures, Jiuzhou, and 65 counties including Jingnan Road, Guannan Road, Runan Road, and Shangluo Road in the adjacent areas of Hubei, Henan, Sichuan, and Shaanxi, and controls the Han River basin area of ??3,000 miles.

Promote worshiping gods and advocating Taoism

The Bailong Temple couplets use the harmonious unity of expression form and content to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival and promote the popular folk practices of "Chaozhenwu" and "Respect the Dragon". God” traditional customs. Wudang Mountain is the dojo of Emperor Zhenwu and a holy land of Taoism. The activities of worshiping gods and worshiping dragons are two-in-one in people's minds and behavioral activities, integrating each other and being equally sacred and important; culturally: dragon is a symbol of the Chinese nation and Chinese culture, and Taoism absorbs and integrates Chinese culture. Traditional culture grows and grows and local religions have deep roots. They complement each other and bring out the best in each other. Worshiping gods and advocating Taoism and relying on dragons to advocate Taoism are inseparable from the teachings of the founder of Taoism and the Taoist theogony of riding a dragon to ascend to immortality, possessing a dragon to ascend to heaven, and helping the world and saving people.

Taoism worships Shen Nong Yan Emperor as the first heavenly deity of the Yuan Dynasty. According to legend, his mother's name was Ren Si. She visited Huashan one day and saw a dragon. Her body reacted immediately and she gave birth to Emperor Yan upon her return.

Laozi, the founder of Taoism, according to the "Biography of Immortals" records: Laozi transformed into Qi from the fairyland of Taiqing, rode the sun essence, rode a nine dragon, turned into five-color beads and fell from the sky. At that time, Yin, the daughter of King Xuanmiao, was sleeping during the day. , feel and swallow it, feel pregnant.

"Historical Records. "Book of Fengchan" records: The Dragon Emperor, also known as the Emperor of Heaven, also called the Jade Emperor, is the incarnation of the Yellow Emperor, the ancestor of the Chinese nation. The Yellow Emperor and the people collected copper from Shoushan Mountain and made a large bronze tripod, which was placed at the foot of Jingshan Mountain. When the bronze tripod was cast, the dragon hung down from its beard to welcome the Yellow Emperor as he ascended to heaven. After the Yellow Emperor ascended to heaven, he became the Emperor of Heaven.

Taoist Xiyi Patriarch, Chen Tuan: Luoyang left Tang Mingzong without saying goodbye and went to live in seclusion in Wudang Mountain. First, he was taught the "Five Dragons Hibernating Technique" by Wu Laosou (Dragon) to help him escape from the valley. Later, the "Five Dragons" helped him to ascend and travel, and was sent to Mount Huashan to preach.

Xuan Tian (Zhen Wu) ascended to the (Great) Emperor and became an immortal with the help of the Dragon God. The place of training: the white dragon that enlightens the martial arts competition turns into Wudang Mountain, and the green dragon turns into Sai Wudang; the place of becoming an immortal: in front of Feishen Cliff, five dragons hold him up and ascend to the sky.

Everbright Traditional Culture

Couplets are the unique traditional excellent culture of the Chinese nation [4] and a treasure in the world's literary treasure house. The Bailong Temple couplet organically integrates the essence of dragon culture, Taoism culture, landscape culture, Hanjiang culture, Yunyang culture and folk customs, which greatly enriches the cultural connotation of the couplet, enhances the communication efficiency, and promotes it. The traditional national culture[5].

Today, the country is strengthening the construction of material civilization and spiritual civilization to continuously meet the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs, and attaches great importance to the protection, inheritance, innovation and development of traditional folk customs. Traditional cultures such as dragon boat rowing and dragon couplets during the Dragon Boat Festival have been carried forward:

Wudang Mountain and the Hanjiang River, known as fairy mountains and beautiful waters, fully reflect the cultural and economic characteristics of Shiyan City and represent the city's brand image and The cultural connotation has become Shiyan City’s world-class business card.

Wudang Mountain, with its unique landscape and cultural charm, has been listed as a World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee; the Han River, the mother river of the Han nation, has attracted worldwide attention due to the South-to-North Water Diversion; Duanyang Festival Dragon boat rowing is hailed as the original "Dragon Boat Festival" by experts from the National Qu Yuan Research Association; the Dragon Boat Festival (Hanjiang Dragon Boat Festival) has become a provincial intangible cultural heritage project.

The content of the couplets gradually became more and more colorful, such as: dragons protect the two rivers, gods bless all directions; the emperor worships the country and the people, and the people worship the rich and peaceful; etc.

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The Cultural Mysteries of Zihe", "An Examination of the Ancient Jiao Kingdom", "Hanjiang Sand Gold", "Exploring the Mysteries of the Ancient Jiao Kingdom", etc., were all published in newspapers and periodicals. There is also "White Dragon Ballad", which won the second place in the Hubei Province's first online new nursery rhyme creation competition: Dianzi River, the White Dragon King, Nuwa came here to guard the Han River; the handsome dragon general brings relief to the people, and spreads clouds and rain to rejuvenate the country. Guarding the territory eliminates disasters and captures the catfish essence to control the four directions; crossing Chen to spread Taoism, "five dragons hold the saint" has great merits and virtues. Emperor Zhenwu, the White Dragon King, controls the two gods of mountains and rivers in Yunyang; welcomes the White Dragon in Beijing and Tianjin, and creates great achievements as the descendant of the dragon. If the water is pure and beautiful, life will be healthy, and the country will be prosperous and the people will be happy; if the mountains are green and the water is vast, the dragon god will be famous forever.

The couplets of Bailong Temple integrate the handsome, vigorous, profound calligraphy with the exquisite and concise words and sentences, neat and precise, and cover a wide range of couplets. Poetic and picturesque, the wind and charm of beautiful books can be appreciated between words and sentences, injecting soul into the landscape, showing the aura of the dragon and temple in the landscape, and imbuing the soul and wealth of the people in Dudulian. It is a perfect embodiment of humanities and art.

Dragon couplets, dragon culture, dragon mountains and rivers, and dragon customs.

The couplets are sincere in emotion, integrating folk customs, cultural and historical attractions, and landscapes. The artistic conception is grand and beautiful, the duality is exquisite, and the tone is harmonious. It is fascinating because of the beauty of the artistic conception of the content, the beauty of the rhetoric, the beauty of the rhythm, and the beauty of the form of expression. Thought-provoking, intriguing and enlightening, it is a fine product among the best in Jialian.

History is advancing and culture is developing.

Looking forward to the future, I hope that the people living in this magical land will carry forward the past and open up the future, and write more and better poems with their blood and sweat...