Inheriting the Way of Western Sichuan and Embroidering the Beauty of Western Sichuan

Midsummer gradually reveals its due heat. In the basin, the influence of the southeast wind seems to be unable to lift the great movement on the plain, roaring and whistling twice in the valley, allowing the "sultry" cubs to play freely in the land of abundance.

In the long years, travel seems to have given people great relief. Stop-and-go, in addition to feeling the great rivers and mountains, is more of a humanistic comfort. On the road, there is always a scenery that touches you and magnifies your inner shock.

Ancient Shu has always been a mysterious area. There are many legends here, and the most desirable one is the story of Emperor Du Yu and the goddess of farming Julie.

Du Yu, the fourth generation of the ancient Shu kingdom, has a very beautiful, moving and fantastic legend. "There was a man named Du Yu who fell from the sky and stopped Zhu Di. There is a woman, famous and surnamed, who came out from Gangwon-kyung to be his wife. He became the King of Shu and called himself Wang Di. " -This is described in historical books such as Biography of the King of Shu; "Du Yu is the founding king of the legendary ancient Shu State. BC 1057, Du Yu, the rich king of Yu, took part in the war of the king of Wu, which was called Shu in history. " -This is a written account after textual research by later generations.

Therefore, with curiosity about legends and stories, ancient Shu culture lovers wave upon wave, from ancient Shu to Tong Yuan pier, along the ancient tea-horse road, just to find the civilization more than 4,000 years ago.

There are many lamentations about this story and this king in Tang poetry and Song poetry. From Bai Juyi and Li Shangyin to Lu You, the beauty, beauty and soul of Shu are all reflected in the poems. From "The cuckoo cries with blood, the ape whimpers" to "The king's longing for love cries in the cuckoo", and then to Lu You's three poems about Du Yu when he was a judge, his "Heaven and earth are fragrant, Du is silent, and he is not afraid of birds' ridicule." To the point that "your son is alone and worried about one side, blood and tears have changed into dawn" reflects the charm that this king added to ancient Shu.

Therefore, Rhododendron once became the most representative plant in Zhou Shu. In addition to the mythical blessing of Du Yuhua Rhododendron, the wild Rhododendron in Huaiyuan Xishan to Jiguan Mountain seems to confirm this legend. From the stories of Du Yu and Julie, we can easily draw the conclusion that the bustling city, the site of agricultural civilization development in ancient Shu, is not far away from us. Going up from the ancient town of Tong Yuan, there is a small town with a poetic name called Shangyuan.

(Rhododendron alpine)

Names with beautiful meanings always make people happy. The shadows cast by the dense green trees along the way add a touch of coolness to this summer. When you get to a place with a slightly raised terrain, a large area of azaleas comes into view, which makes people wonder-what a coincidence, how can this place have the hope of the emperor and king in the myth of Xishan? Romantic poetry is a unique symbol and temperament of cultural lovers. If you can't really appreciate the taste of ancient Shu in the mountains, you might as well find a temporary residence of ancient Shu culture here.

The azaleas in summer have lost their playfulness and liveliness in spring. Occasionally, a few branches will exude fragrance, and they are not amazing. Thinking hard can't inspire you. It's better to turn a corner and enter the Xishu Cultural Experience Hall next to the park.

Speaking of western Shu culture, it seems to be a continuation. Du Yu and Julie led the people to engage in agricultural production, and taught them to sow seeds and weave mulberry linen in season, so that the farming in ancient Shu was orderly and the people did not worry about food.

(Xishu Cultural Experience Hall is located in Shangyuan, Chongzhou)

In the experience hall, Mr. Jia, the patient curator, will explain the existing agricultural products in the hall to the guests one by one. Starting from grinding stone tools, Xia and Shang cultures are presented to you like a picture scroll. Guests will be curious about the shapes of these objects and imagine the uses of these stone tools under the description of curator Jia. At this time, they will probably feel that the ancients have done their best to survive.

The so-called farming is naturally inseparable from these stone tools. From polishing to stone making, we can guess that this change is a change of thinking mode or an upgrade of stone processing "technology". Spring sowing and autumn planting, men plowing and women weaving, the traditional work and rest make people more diligent and gradually have aesthetic ability.

Clothes may have been born at that time.

Simple linen also needs sewing, and bone needle, the ancestor of embroidery needle, appears in people's patience and wisdom.

We can imagine that in ancient times, although people didn't pay much attention to clothes, the simple consciousness of being different and secretive between men and women has sprouted. This kind of spicule looks exquisite and tiny, but wearing it will lead to our human decency.

(Shang and Zhou bone needles are now hidden in Xishu Cultural Experience Hall)

Although the museum's collection is a drop in the ocean, it is easy to immerse people in a history and a story. We call it "Xiamangcheng Site" for the time being until there are more textual research evidences unearthed. Looking at the collections and listening to stories in the Xishu Experience Hall, I imagine that my feet are the hometown of a prosperous city more than 4,000 years ago, with a feeling and a unique taste.

The ancient Shu culture is extensive and profound, and curator Jia's explanation shows this culture with rich Shu dialect and local humor in the most grounded way. From Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties to Ming and Qing Dynasties, from dignitaries, soldiers to ordinary people's daily utensils, the wisdom and aesthetics presented by objects in different periods are conveying the thoughts of their times to cultural lovers.

Just like the bone needle collected by curator Jia, it is one of his favorite objects.

(Ancient needles of Shang and Zhou Dynasties are now hidden in Xishu Cultural Experience Hall)

Because, judging from the contributions of Du Yu and Julie, this kind of bone needle not only connects the agricultural weaving culture of ancient Shu in series, but also leads to the cultural treasure of Shu embroidery for thousands of years.

As we all know, Suzhou embroidery, Hunan Xiang embroidery, Guangdong Yue embroidery and Sichuan Shu embroidery are the four famous embroideries in China. On the Silk Road, Sichuan Shu embroidery started from a prosperous city more than once and was taken to the distant west by business travelers, making its value and glory last for thousands of years.

As one of the oldest embroidery varieties in China, Shu embroidery has spread all over the world with the characteristics of "strict and even stitches, rich varieties, vivid images and strong three-dimensional sense", among which it is more aesthetic, ornamental and highly collectible.

(Works by Yan Sha, a non-genetic inheritor of Shu embroidery)

Different from the ceramics and kilns in ancient Shu ruins, the inheritance value of Shu embroidery is feasible for almost everyone. Perhaps it is for a feeling, or perhaps the glory of Shu embroidery should not be lost in time. Shu Embroidery Museum "Persuading Red Square" was established in Xishu Cultural Experience Museum.

This seems to be a cultural strategy.

But the difference is that in the process of listening to stories, we can not only appreciate all kinds of cultures in ancient Shu, but even myths, wars and farming ... although not as wonderful as court tactics, the slowest is also the oldest. All beauty comes from food and clothing. It is not the war that has a long history, but the people have plenty of food and clothing.

Shu embroidery is an optimistic and positive product of Shu people. In daily life, women not only entrust their love for their families, but also have all kinds of tenderness. With different wisdom and hearts, they live a dull but expectant life, expecting the works on the embroidered frame to be as brilliant as life.

(Works by Yan Sha, a non-genetic inheritor of Shu embroidery)

Maybe this is the original intention of Du Yu and Julie. Fertile land is irrigated with water and people have food. Although the era of male ploughing and female weaving is far away from us, we can still appreciate the spirit of their era in the search again and again.

This is a spiritual baptism. The wind blows through the Rhododendron Park, leaving a cool smile and natural thoughts. Everything started in ancient Shu and ended in a prosperous city. ( 13)