Does anyone have an appreciation for boat songs on the Songhua River?

"Songhua River Boat Song": timeless cultural charm

History creates culture, and culture inherits history. The art of poetry and calligraphy is a special carrier for inheriting history and culture. For many years, "Songhua River Boat Song" has been admired by poets and calligraphers on the banks of the Songhua River, and has spawned countless excellent works. At the end of last year, when I went to Taiwan for an exchange visit with the Jilin City Cultural Exchange Group, I showed a piece of my painting "Songhua River Boat Song", which caused quite a stir and was reported by the local media. So, why does a poem written by Emperor Kangxi have lasting cultural charm after 329 years? I think about it again and again, undoubtedly because it has far-reaching historical origins, deep historical complex, unique artistic characteristics, strong patriotic feelings and extensive cultural communication value.

Profound and profound historical origins

Any art is produced under the wash of the river of time. "Songhua River Boat Song" was produced at a time when the country was facing serious internal and external troubles. Kangxi was a very far-sighted emperor in Chinese history. He succeeded to the throne at the age of 8 and took charge at the age of 14. After years of suppression, he finally created a relatively stable political situation and began to fully manage the Northeast. At that time, as a very young emperor, he must have been full of passion and pride. After he "secured peace", he began to "fight against foreigners", and the foreign invader at that time was Tsarist Russia. In 1682, the Tsarist Russian army entrenched in Yaksa brazenly launched a war provocation against our country and caused a bloody incident of brutally killing Chinese border residents. It was against this complex historical background that in the same year, Kangxi personally went to Jilin to deploy an anti-aggression war on the grounds of "asking about folk customs."

Jilin was an important military town at that time, a shipbuilding base and a naval base, and a hub for transportation to the northern frontline through waterways. Therefore, Kangxi's eastward tour here has special political significance. Kangxi was a politician and military strategist with a very strategic vision. Although he wrote in his poem "I come to ask about common people, not to observe soldiers", it was actually just a strategy.

Kangxi, who had traveled a long distance, rested for two days in Jilin and led more than 200 ships and many nobles along the river to Wutang. The ships on the river were lined up in rows, with sails and oars like a forest, and flags fluttering. Densely layered, majestic and majestic. Seeing this, Kangxi was very excited. This was actually a military review of the naval camp. Under this situation, Kangxi's poetry flourished and he wrote the popular "Songhua River Boat Song". This poem is naturally smooth and has a beautiful artistic conception. It can be said that under the circumstances at that time, this poem expressed Emperor Kangxi's strong patriotism

and his ideal ambition to protect the country and the people. It also reflected the desire of the Chinese people at that time to defend the country and create a peaceful and peaceful life. public opinion.

Distinctive historical poems

The writing is established by the action, and the action is passed down by the text. The spread of any culture must rely on certain carriers. Poems, songs, calligraphy, paintings and inscriptions are all its carriers. This poem about Kangxi's Eastern Tour has been passed down to this day by the mighty wind of history:

Songhua River, the water is clear, the spring waves are born after the rain at night, and the waves are piled with brocade and bright lights.

......

How can the floating clouds shine brightly? Riding the current, the dragon was frightened, and he even took the ship to Tunjiang City. Pixiu's armor is strong and sharp,

...

The vast waves are rushing, and the clouds are clear and clear.

This poem was written on the Songhua River in the late spring and early summer of the 21st year of Kangxi (1682) when Emperor Xuan Ye of the Qing Dynasty visited Jilin. The 29-year-old young emperor visited the border in person, inspected the navy and ships in the stormy waves of the Songhua River, encouraged the soldiers and civilians in the Northeast to fight back against the Russian invaders, and wrote impromptu poems reflecting Jilin and the beautiful rivers and mountains along the Songhua River and the scenery of the North. Psalms. This poem is full of passionate and unrestrained emotions, with the aura of soaring mountains and rolling waves, sweeping away the false emotions that are swept away by the wind and moaning for no reason; its language is popular and straightforward, and it has the beauty of flowing water, clouds, and nature. It is far beyond comparison with the artificial, flashy, and lifeless language in many "imperial" poems.

"Songhua River Boat Song" has fifteen lines. Every three lines of the poem constitute a paragraph, which can be divided into five natural paragraphs. There is no lively arrangement in the whole poem, and the line drawing technique is used to reproduce the spring scenery of the Songhua River that was full of fighting atmosphere 300 years ago, with rich splendor and blending of scenes.

The first paragraph explains the time, season, and place. The clear river water is rolling with waves. The scenery of the Spring River in the North is like a brocade woven with colorful scrolls. It shines dazzlingly and deeply touched the emperor's emotions.

The second paragraph first describes the painting in the river; then, it compares the sound of the waves to the music of the flute and Shao, full of passion; then, the sight flies from the river to the river bank, attracting the poetic sentiment. To Lingyun's ambition to defend the mountains and rivers.

The third paragraph describes the determination to defeat a powerful enemy, implicitly comparing Tsarist Russia to a floating cloud. The emperor looked down at the turbulent river, looked at the green mountains on both sides, and looked up at the sky reflected in the morning glow. With an extremely optimistic spirit, he firmly and boldly asked and answered himself: How can a few floating clouds from the north cover up the brilliance of the sun!

The fourth paragraph is the climax of the whole poem. It describes that our army is strong and tenacious, and our athletes are ready to fight. It declares our determination to fight the invading enemy to the end and win at the beginning.

The last paragraph echoes the content of the first paragraph and is also the end of the whole poem. Once again, through the description of the magnificent natural scenery of the Songhua River, it expresses the praise and expectation of a strong and unified multi-ethnic country.

Looking at the whole poem, the first three sentences are powerful and powerful, and the second to fourth paragraphs describe the painted kite, Xiaoshao, Cangyan, green wall, floating clouds, scorching sun, Qiangjian, Jianjia, etc. Jing Yao, Zhu Ying... are all painted with rough brushstrokes from the front, and they flow smoothly into the scene, without any trace of stiff patchwork. The concluding sentence repeats a simple folk song style sentence such as "Songhua River, the river is clear". The syllables are loud, giving people the impression of sighing three times and lingering. Although this poem may be artistically delicate and slightly shallow in form, the feelings are real and the emotions are strong and intense. They come from the true feelings of life. They are like flowers under the pen, gurgling and rushing out, naturally smooth and in one go. It is a hymn about the magnificent Songhua rivers and mountains and the preparations for war three hundred years ago. It unfolds a vivid, true and unique historical picture for us. Then it turned out to be a trend and cultural phenomenon.

The brilliant art of calligraphy

In Jilin, there is a special cultural phenomenon. Whether they are famous calligraphers or calligraphy enthusiasts, most of them have written Kangxi's poem "Songhua River Release". Barcarolle". Walking in various important public places in Jilin City, you can often see calligraphy works of "Songhua River Boat Song" made by various crafts. It is commendable that this poem and its calligraphy works have been awarded "China's famous historical and cultural city", "China's excellent tourism city", "China's charming city", "National Advanced City in Creating Civilized Cities", "Nationally Powerful City" in Jilin City Allure has played an important role in the process of winning honorary titles such as "The Most Famous Chinese City Worth Introducing to the World" and "The Ten Most Beautiful Cities in China in 2009". This is one of the reasons why people in Jiangcheng like this poem.

There are many reasons for the popularity of this poem. On the one hand, it is the artistic charm and historical value of the poem itself; on the other hand, it is the rich love for country and hometown contained in the poem; on the other hand, it is also inseparable from the efforts and promotion of discerning calligraphers. Open. The late famous calligrapher Mr. Jin Yi'an, a descendant of the Qing Dynasty royal family, once wrote a piece of "Songhua River Boat Song", which was engraved on a giant marble inlaid in the main hall of Xiguan Hotel. It is refreshing to watch. When Ms. Chen Xiangmei, a Chinese American, came to visit, she was attracted by the powerful and lively works of art. She sincerely asked the leaders of Jilin City for a piece of this work by Jin Lao. Jin Lao, who was already seventy years old at the time, heard that Regardless of his age, he wrote vigorously and completed this masterpiece in one go. In 2009, the famous calligrapher Mr. Liu Naizhong wrote two works to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, one of which was "Songhua River Boat Song". This poem written by the famous calligrapher Mr. Dou Liming is hung in the main hall of a certain building. The writing style is free and easy, elegant and vigorous, and quite bookish...

It is these calligraphers and their calligraphy masterpieces that further transformed " The creation and promotion of "Songhua River Boat Song" has become a hot spot for cultural appreciation and calligraphy and painting collection.

Cultural Highlights of the Historical City

Jilin City is a famous historical and cultural city. In order to promote my hometown, I have written "Songhua River Boat Song" many times and studied the poem. After the historical background, I like this poem even more because it contains rich historical information and artistic connotation. "Lianqiang, pick up the ship and station in Jiangcheng" is also the imperial seal of Jilin City, commonly known as "Jiangcheng". This poem has an inseparable historical origin and intimate relationship with the ancient city of Jilin. It can also be said to be a cultural highlight of our famous historical and cultural city. I look up to and get close to history with reverence.

As a famous cultural city, Jilin City naturally needs to explore its profound cultural heritage, search for its extremely rich historical and cultural heritage, create its shining cultural highlights, and develop and inherit its cultural charm. Our Jilin City has many historical and cultural highlights, such as the endlessly flowing Songhua River that meanders through the city; the beautiful branches of jade trees and the silver-covered rime; Kangxi’s Eastern Inspection and the Song of Boat Song in Jiangcheng, etc. It is the cultural highlight of our city. "Songhua River Boat Song" can be said to be one of the main highlights.

We must treat, research, develop, build, and promote this charming cultural highlight in this city with a universal mind and a far-sighted vision. This is not only the responsibility of calligraphers, but also the responsibility of our painters, writers and all artists who grew up in this hot land.

When composing "Songhua River Boat Song", I always have to concentrate, think about thousands of years, look at the wasteland, walk into the tunnel of history, and feel the eternal dust and smoke. , a spiritual journey, a purification of the soul, and then I can use my beloved artistic pen to describe, shape, and produce the eternal song in my heart - "Songhua River Boat Song" 》.

Let more people sublimate our artistic taste in the full-bodied calligraphy art and elegant aesthetic pleasure, and at the same time sublimate the cultural taste and artistic charm of our city.

(Liu Cheng)