How to write a good speech on the Loess Plateau

Notes on Investigation of Loess Plateau

This is a memoir about investigating the Loess Plateau. Due to some coincidences, I had to travel all over the Loess Plateau. In the process of investigation, we can determine some sites of the ancient city pass and determine the traffic road, thus demonstrating the inaccuracy of the former philosopher Shi Yan. As early as ancient times, the loess plateau has been brilliant and prosperous, and it has not fallen for a long time. But now it is broken, and many areas are criss-crossed, so it is difficult to have flat land. This is a long-term erosion. The accumulated guilt is clear, which may be helpful to the governance of the Loess Plateau.

Keywords: gully erosion in the old city of Loess Plateau

A 1972 survey before the old incident.

I have been engaged in the investigation of Loess Plateau since 1972. Before that, I also went to the Loess Plateau for a distance. Two times can be briefly mentioned: once 1938 went to Yulin, Shaanxi, and once 1945 went to Hangjinhouqi, Inner Mongolia (then called Shanba, which was the seat of Suiyuan provincial government). These two places were visited again in the next few years, but they were different. Later, with the long-distance bus, it was convenient to travel. But at that time, War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was in full swing and faced many difficulties. It is common that there are roads without cars. Long-distance travel, only riding animals or riding a carriage, is another flavor. Ox carts can't compete with cars, so they can only walk slowly and don't worry. In fact, it's good to slow down and learn more about the situation along the way. The journey at that time was the same as now. They all started from Xi 'an, went north from Xi 'an, passed Yaoxian, Huangling, Yan 'an and Suide, and as for Yulin; From Xi to the northwest, through Binxian, Jingchuan, Pingliang, Guyuan, Yinchuan, Shizuishan and Dengkou, as for Hangjinhou Banner.

Although I didn't have the idea of exploring the Loess Plateau at that time, I could have a superficial understanding of the Loess Plateau. It can be said that some words were only known in northern Shaanxi. People in northern Shaanxi call beams Mao, which I have never seen before, let alone know. The light beam is formed after the original cutting. The terrain is high and the top is flat. It turned out to be a beam after erosion and a cape after erosion. It was quite vast. Due to erosion, there are ditches with different widths. Many ditches divide the original into many bundles. The beam is very long and the terrain is not very wide. There is a ditch on the corroded beam. These ditches cut the beam into several sections, and each section is surrounded by ditches, leaving only a tall mound standing alone, thus becoming a cape. There are few such "Mao" landforms in other places, so the word Mao is not used.

It is this word "Miao" that I didn't know and understand its function until I arrived in northern Shaanxi. There are many steep deep ditches or two opposite steep cliffs in northern Shaanxi, and the ramps on both sides are straight with few bends, because they are commensurate with the noise. Once I waited for four people to travel by jeep. Everyone in the car can talk loudly, and there is no time at all. On the way through a steep slope, the slope is quite long. At the bottom of the steep slope, there is only a small bridge that can accommodate a car. Under the bridge, it is complex and deep, as if it is not easy to bottom out. On such a steep slope, the car can't slow down, and it is difficult to rush up the opposite steep slope when slowing down. At this time, there was no more voice in the car, as if all was silent, only the sound of wheels slipping. After crossing the mountain and climbing to the top of the other side of the slope, the driver turned around and said to everyone: Now you may understand that your's life is in my fingers! In previous years, this cymbal was often used in wars to help defense.

I used to read Tang poetry, but some poems were difficult to understand. Wang Wei's poem "The desert is lonely and straight, and the long river sets the yen" is one of them. From Helan Mountain to Inner Mongolia, I deeply realized the neatness of things in Wang Wei's poems. Near the desert, I have seen solitary smoke rise hundreds of feet more than once, without slightly bending and scattering the landscape; Watching the sunset by the long river is particularly round. This poem by Wang Wei was written near Juyanze. In fact, such a landscape can be enjoyed near the desert and along the long river. If Wang Wei hadn't been near the desert, he might not have written such a swan song.

Such a rare scene can also be said to be driving on the ice of the Yellow River. A cart is a carriage and has its own unique style. This is not crossing the Yellow River, but swimming down on the ice in the middle of the Yellow River. In order to prevent the horse from slipping on the ice, the horseshoe is nailed with a barbed iron palm, and it walks very fast as if it were flying. This continuous walk is at least a hundred miles away. At that time, nails were nailed to the wheels of the cart, and it bumped on the ice when driving, and its voice was crisp and pleasant. Now that the transportation is convenient, maybe no one will have such an opportunity again. The river I walk is in the north of Shizuishan. It is rare to hear the crisp sound of walking on the ice. The quicksand on the ice actually flows from the ice to the east coast like running water. There is a sound like waves, which is also a miracle that has never been imagined. Here, the Wulanbu Desert is on the west side of the Yellow River. At that time, the northwest wind was very strong, and the desert was blown by the wind and flowed from the ice to the Ordos Plateau on the east coast. There are deserts in the Ordos Plateau, and the Wulanbuhe Desert flows eastward, and there must be more sediment deposits in the Ordos Plateau. Fortunately, the frozen Yellow River lasts only a few months every year, otherwise the east and west banks of the Yellow River here will become Ulanbuh desert.

Investigation inside and outside Tongguan in the eastern part of Erguanzhong

1972 The investigation started only in military geography, so it can't be said that there are more aspects. The scope of investigation is not large, mainly in Shaanxi, but also in some related areas of Shanxi, Henan, Gansu, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, but there are many roads. All counties in Shaanxi Province except Baihe, Yunyang, Pingli, Gao Lan and Zhenba in the southeast have been there, and some have even been there four or five times. I have crossed the Yellow River five times, wandered among mountains such as Lvliang, climbed several places, circled between Liupanshan Mountain and Helan Mountain, and then crossed Yinshan Mountain to the north, looking at the edge of the vast ocean.

At the beginning of the investigation, I went from Xi 'an Dongxing, through Hancheng, across the Yellow River, across Houma, back to Tongguan, and then from Tongguan East to Hanguguan, through Xiong 'er Mountain and Funiu Mountain, back to Wuguan. Although this trip is limited to military geography, it cannot be unrelated to the changes in the natural environment. The change of the Great Wall in the Western Wei Dynasty during the Warring States Period is an obvious example. Guo Weixi Great Wall was built under Huashan Mountain, extending to Hancheng, and winding on the east-west Shaoliang Plain south of Hancheng. Although Shaoliangyuan East and West are separated by running water, they are all close to the Yellow River. The Great Wall here has no end, because with the collapse of the river bank, the end of the Great Wall also fell into the river. It seems that the collapse of the river bank is inevitable in the future. In fact, the building of the Great Wall in the Western Wei Dynasty is very strong. I have climbed to the top of the Great Wall in Xishaoliang Garden and counted the rammed earth nests. The rammed nests are dense and small in diameter, but quite deep and concave. The rammed layer shown on the side of the Great Wall is not too thick, which shows the arduous work at that time. In the period when grain was the key link, farmers spent a lot of money, bought a lot of explosives and buried them next to the roots of the Great Wall in an attempt to level the land, grow grain and obtain acres. After the explosion of explosives, the Great Wall stood still without any defects or damage, which should also be regarded as a miracle.

Hangu Pass and Tongguan Pass were once famous passes. Hangu Pass has two old and new passes: the old pass is in the northeast of Lingbao County, Henan Province, and the new pass is in the east of Xin 'an County, Henan Province, which was moved when Emperor Wu was in office. I visited Guhan Valley Pass this time. The old custom has nothing to do with the city, and its land is now Wang Duo Village. Wang Duo Village is adjacent to the west bank of Hongnong River. The west side of the village is covered with hillsides, which are divided into several terraces. The height difference between terraces is not too big, so the slope is not very steep and looks gentle. How can such a situation be called Xiongguan? This difference is the evolution of human action, which was not the case at that time. Someone once said: "The valley of letters closes the city, and the road is in the valley, which is as dangerous as a letter, hence the name. One of them is rotten, 15 miles east and west, standing on the dike wall. The shadow valley of Berlin on the cliff is almost invisible. " Based on this, it is conceivable that there are forests not only on both sides of the road, but also on the hillside beside the Hongnong River. The so-called "shadow valley in Berlin on the cliff, almost no sunlight" means this. The forest is too dense, so we can only take the road in the valley. This is a dangerous place. In fact, the so-called Hanguguan is the general name of the highway from Xiaoshan in the east to Jintong in the west. This avenue is "deep in the sea, deep in valleys, narrow ravines and irregular cars, which is called natural barrier". However, there are no trees on the diffuse slope where Wang Duo Village is located, even on the road leading to Jintong in the west, which is neither "empty valley deep" nor "poor traffic" and cannot be called "natural barrier". This can't be said that the natural situation has not changed, mainly because of human actions.

Tongguan city has also moved, and not once. The terrain is very different before and after, so Tongguan can't be regarded as the earliest Tongguan. When Tongguan was founded, the Yellow River pressed the south bank, so Tongguan had to be built on the plateau under the Qinling Mountains. Its land is a water valley in the west and a deep ditch in the east. The long slope near the valley is not very steep, and the valley is very wide. The water flows downstream into the Yellow River, and it is relatively flat to climb to Tongguan from the west side of Tongguan. The ditch on the east side of Tongguan runs to the bank of the Yellow River with a deep slope. From the river to the original side, there is only one path by the ditch, so it is not easy to trudge. This is what Pan Yue meant by "going back to the Yellow River Lane to help the children" in the Western Expedition Fu. Huang Xiang is a yellow incense board, which refers to the avenue along the Yellow River. When people from the east arrive at the western end of Huangxiangban, they will go to the original site next to Juejian. The so-called Juejian is the path next to this ditch, which is very steep and narrow. Later, Tongguan City moved to the original Xiahe River, which was convenient and the effectiveness of defense was somewhat reduced.

To the north of Tongguan, there are two other epic passes: Pujin Pass and Longmen Pass. Pujin Pass is now Daqing Pass. In Yongji County, Shanxi Province, there are still relics to be found. Longmen Pass should be next to Longmen Mountain on the Yellow River between hancheng city and Hejin City. But I searched all over the east and west slopes of Longmen and found nothing. Although Guancheng is not available, the river at the foot of the mountain is swift, and it is difficult to cross the boat, but it is a dangerous place. Now both roads and railways can be crossed by bridges, which has become a smooth road. When I went to investigate, there was only a cable pontoon bridge. Pave the bridge so that pedestrians can walk. If there is a strong wind, remove the paved boards. I can't wait, so I have to step on the iron rope and look down at the huge waves, dizzy and unable to survive. Longmen Valley is steep, and the rushing river seems to be close to a waterfall. "The solidity of rivers and mountains" was praised by Wei Wenhou as early as the early Warring States period. Now it seems that it is not inferior.

Investigation in parts of northern Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia

After returning from the eastern part of Guanzhong, I took a short break and continued to travel in the same year, tending to northern Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This time, the trip is very long and I have been to many places. Generally speaking, there are the old cities of Luochuan, Wubao and jia county along the Yellow River, Zhenbeitai in the north of Yulin and the Great Wall on its east and west wings, Linzhou in the Tang Dynasty and Fuzhou in the Song Dynasty, Hongjiannao and Hongzhou in the desert, Yinzhou and Yongle in the desert, Yanzhou with numerous salt lakes and Shimenguan in Xunyi County. On my way home, I visited some battlefields and roads in Guanzhong and the west.

In this long journey, the trip to the south of Yulin is basically the same as the old road taken 30 years ago. At that time, I was anxious and my knowledge was limited. This time, we can explore calmly. In the meantime, I once wandered around the Great Wall Plain in Fuxian County, and also climbed Jialing Mountain in Yan 'an to inspect the changes of the Plain. In the long years before, the mountains and plains have changed, especially in the original works. Some of the original important counties had to move again, especially Luochuan County. Luochuan county is on the Luochuan plain. Luochuan was still the northern Shaanxi plain, and the old city was in the northeast of the county seat, close to the original side. When the old city was built, it could be said to be a marginal mountain. Due to the extension of the nearby ditch head, it became a ravine and finally had to be moved.

Some counties in northern Shaanxi are close to the Yellow River and are beautifully set up, mostly for the sake of geographical location and harmony, among which Wubao and Jiaxian are the most unique. So we made a detour on the road to find out. Wubu county is located at the head of the original river, towering and steep. The road is near the river bank, which is narrow and difficult to walk. If there is a war, it is really a fortress that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Jia county is sandwiched between the Yellow River and Jia Luhe. The river bank is separated by a wall, and both sides of a line face the deep valley. It is not easy to enter the county seat, and it is also a military location. When the Northern Song Dynasty confronted Xixia, it was through these two cities that the Song people consolidated the river defense. In recent years, wubu county moved to Songjiachuan on the bank of the Yellow River. A bridge has been built on the Yellow River, with convenient transportation, which is different from before.

Go north tomorrow, only to Yulin. Yulin is the town of Yansui in Ming Dynasty. The buildings of the Great Wall are more solid and tidy than those near it. It is built in two spans, east and west, centering on Zhenbeitai. Zhenbeitai, located in the north of Yulin City, is magnificent and still stands tall and eye-catching. The Red Mountain City under the platform of Beiping Town was a horse market for Tatars in the Ming Dynasty. As a mutual market place, it has become a wasteland, which is difficult to refer to. The Great Wall in the east and west of Zhenbeitai was destroyed in Yulin, and only a few enemy stations were scattered among the weeds, which still seemed to be connected in a line, giving people a little idea of where the Great Wall is.

Yulin was an important town in northern Shaanxi in the Ming Dynasty, and Shenmu and Fugu counties in the east of Yulin were important border areas as early as the Tang and Song Dynasties. Shenmu in Tang Dynasty was under the jurisdiction of Linzhou, and Fugu in Song Dynasty was under the jurisdiction of Fuzhou. It was only later that the county towns moved, not the state governance of that year. Tang Lin is located in the northern part of Yang Jiacheng, in Shenmu County. Yang Jiacheng is located by the wild river in the cave. Linzhou was set up here in the Tang Dynasty to cure caves and wild valleys. Although the Kuye River is not a big river, its valley is quite wide, and many military horses can cross it. The Great Wall of Ming Dynasty built here was built on the west wall of Linzhou City. The Great Wall outside Linzhou was cut by many gullies and broke into its own sections intermittently. Linzhou city is also mostly isolated by ravines, which is incomplete and has become a village, and it is not a big village. There are still pheasants on the wall of Xicheng, so you can imagine the style of Linzhou in those days. At that time, the villagers were tearing down the city walls and leveling the land. If it were a few days later, they would have nothing to see, and it would be difficult for them to understand the reason for establishing a state city here.

During the Song Dynasty, the government was located on the bank of the Yellow River in the north of Fugu County. Fuzhou is different from Linzhou. Linzhou was established to control the grotto valley, and Fuzhou was established to control the west bank of the Yellow River. Although the state capital is easy to defend but difficult to attack, it is extremely short of water and must be replenished by the water of the Yellow River. If the water source is cut off, the county will be difficult to defend. In order to consolidate the water intake road, the city is close to the Yellow River, leaving no gap under the city. If you are going to cut off the water source in the city, it is difficult to get from the city to the river. It can be seen that the fortification is indeed exhausted.

There are gullies in Fuzhou and Linzhou, but the specific situation is not the same. Linzhou is now Yang Jiacheng, full of ravines. There is no such high-ranking head of the county government. There are several rivers in Fugu County today, among which the rising water of Qingshui River is particularly noticeable. The river is named after its clear water. I want to see the clear brewing flowing in the river. When it doesn't rain, the name of Qingshuichuan is the same. In the case of a little rainstorm, the sediment carried alone is the most, and the head is like a soil wall, and the water flow is not smooth, which is rare in the Loess Plateau. I have been to Fugu twice, and it is sunny. It is rare to see such a spectacle. However, people can't say it is fiction. I haven't been to Fugu since, so it's hard to get to the bottom of it.

From the north of Xunku Yehe River in Shenmu County to the northwest of Dianta Town, you can reach Hongjiannao and reach the Ordos Plateau. There are few rivers and water resources in Ordos Plateau, but there are occasional lakes. Most lakes are concentrated in the central part of the plateau, but there are few in the southern edge. What can be mentioned should be this Hongjiannao. Hongjiannao is a freshwater lake with fish in it. Licorice fertilizer is added to the water by the lake. The Tatars of the Ming Dynasty invaded the south and tasted it here to prepare for the military forces. So it has always been a battlefield for both sides.

Although the Ordos Plateau is a vast grassland, there are also some ruins of the old city looming in the wild. Among them, Hongzhou City near Yijinhuoluo is the largest. Although there is no wall in Hongzhou City, the remains of the inner and outer walls on three sides are still exposed on the ground, which shows the scale of the city in that year. The city is full of bones. The local tour guide found a big bone at hand and took it out. Obviously, that's the victim's ankle. The tour guide said that some people bought this kind of bone in recent years, and several trucks were seized every year and transported to other places. Even so, larger debris can still be seen everywhere. Perhaps there was a terrible war here in those days, and the bones everywhere were robbed by both sides killing each other. I feel sorry that there is no trace of history, and the reason is unknown. The name of Liancheng city is difficult to evaluate, and why it was built on its behalf is unknown. It may not be too early to find a few Tang and Song coins in the ruins.

Although Hongzhou City has no history, Yinzhou City in Tang Dynasty and Yongle City in Song Dynasty learned the exact location of its ruins during this trip. Yinzhou was located in the Tang Dynasty. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Yinchuan Prison set up a horse farm because of its rich water and licorice. During the confrontation between Song and Xixia, it was also tasted as a frontier fortress. When I first arrived in Mizhi County, there was a book called Ancient Silver City in the county seat. It is said that its city is in the northeast of Mizhi County, and there is no site to be found. This time, I am quite eager to explore. On the way, I heard that a stone carving was unearthed in Dangcha, Hengshan County. Although I don't know what the stone carving says, I'm glad I saw it. This period can be tested visually because it is directly inclined to party differences. When there is a school, it is speculated that we can learn something from the school staff. However, people in the school reported that Dangcha had not unearthed stone carvings in recent years. When this was a rumor, Fang Si returned to leave, and a student took this opportunity to tell him that there was a square stone engraved with words in his toilet. This is the epitaph of Li in Longxi, Tang Dynasty, because it was dug up, washed clean and the handwriting was recognized. This epitaph was excavated from the ground when the school was founded. According to the epitaph, Gong Zheng's great-grandfather was from Guanyinzhou, and his descendants were all from Yinzhou because of his great local career. After the failure of public management, his children moved to the left of Zhaoshan, Nanshan, Zhoucheng. The so-called left side of the mountain is where the epitaph of the school is unearthed now, so Yinzhou City should be slightly north of Dangcha, but it should not be too north. Because Yinzhou City can't be located in the north of Wuding River, and then the north is Wuding River, it is difficult to see the scale of Yinzhou City in that year. Such discovery and determination can only be said to be accidental. At that time, if middle school students hadn't told each other, they would have missed it. This epitaph has been moved to Xi 'an Museum, and the inscription has been included in the fifth series of Complete Works of Tang Wen, which can be reprinted.

Yongle City was built in the Northern Song Dynasty, when Yinzhou City was owned by Xixia. It is suggested to resume the planting plan to the west of Hengshan Mountain, because this city is built. The completion of this city is a great threat to Xixia. The situation in Xixia was difficult to sit idly by. Because of the war, the Song people refused to defend, resulting in being annihilated. This is the biggest war between Song and Xia Dynasties. Where is Yongle City? It is not easy to get it. All the records say that Yongle City is located in yongle village, Mizhi County, Shaanxi Province. It seems that it has become a final conclusion, so there is no doubt. Even if Yongle City is located in yongle village, I should learn more about how Song and Xia countries used the local terrain in the fierce war. When I arrived in Mizhi County, I offered to investigate, but someone dissuaded me, saying that the place was really credible and could not be wrong. Besides, it's a long way and it's inconvenient to walk. Why bother? Later, I went there. Yongle village is about forty miles away from Mizhi County, which is quite far. There are few pedestrians on the road. After a long walk, even the guide couldn't recognize the way out, so we had to go to a nearby village and ask someone to show us the way. In this way, we changed three guides successively, and we arrived in yongle village. Yongle village is a small village. The population in the village, the terrain, the straight roads, the distance of springs and the width of gullies all prove that this small village is not Yongle City. So it also proves that all relevant literature records are wrong. After leaving yongle village, after several explorations and repeated arguments, it was determined that Yongle City was located in the present Mahuyu. I found and confirmed the ruins of Yinzhou City and Yongle City. I can also say that I am glad that you have come and gone.

This trip was also fortunate to visit Tongwan City in the north of Jingbian County. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, Tongwancheng was the capital of Helian Bobo, a Xia state. This building is quite strong, so far it still stands high on the ground, especially in the northwest corner, and the scale is still there. The city walls are gray, and the locals are commensurate with Baicheng Zi, so the name of Tongwan City is hidden but not obvious. Baicheng is not as vast as Hongzhou. The surrounding area of Hongzhou City has become farmland, full of fields and greenery, which is no longer the true color of grassland pasture. There is a piece of yellow sand outside Baicheng Zi City. I once climbed to the highest place in the city. From a distance, yellow sand was everywhere, but there was no edge. In such a desolate area, why should Helian Bobo be built as the capital? In fact, this is the result of natural evolution for thousands of years, which is quite different in Helian Bobo. When choosing the land with its capital, Helian Bobo once said that he had been to many places, from Jiangnan to the north of Maling, and had never seen such a good place! Especially Guangze Liu Qing, near Wu Shan, was highly praised by Helian Bobo. Therefore, capital is determined here. The so-called big river refers to the Yellow River that now flows through the Hetao. Maling is in the north of Qingyang County, Gansu Province, and its location is still Maling Town. What Helian Bobo said mainly refers to the Ordos Plateau and its surrounding areas. Tongwancheng is located in the southern edge of Ordos Plateau, and should be the most competitive. Tongwancheng is not far from the Mu Us Desert in the west, and the desert is expanding eastward, so it cannot but be affected. In the late Tang Dynasty, there was flying sand in Zhouxia, located in the ruins of Tongwancheng. One day later, Tongwancheng was finally covered by desert, and Zhou Xia had to be abandoned.

Zhou Xia, located in the ruins of Tongwancheng, has been abandoned since the Song Dynasty and has been neglected for hundreds of years. Its remains are barren and hard to find. During Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty, Vae was appointed as the magistrate of Yulin and sent someone to look for him. At that time, Baicheng was still under the jurisdiction of Meng Qi, so it was not easy to send people there. It is because of Vae's search that the name of Children's Play City is known to the world again. However, few people visit. When we first arrived there, there were only two families in the city, Han and Mongolian, living in harmony. I was surprised to see that I had waited so long, but I was isolated for a long time. In recent years, it has become a tourist attraction, the number of tourists has gradually increased, and local managers have taken pains to operate it. I was surprised to see the photos taken by tourists in the local area recently. In the desert outside the ruins of Tongwancheng, trees were actually planted, lined up vertically and horizontally. Shade and yellow sand coexist. Although they are very discordant, they look like a new atmosphere. If we can keep going, if Uncle Lian is still alive, we may sigh again and think this place is really a good place!

Visited Wantong, and continued westward from Jingbian County to Dingbian County. Along the way, sometimes in the north of the Ming Great Wall, sometimes in the south of the Ming Great Wall. Enter Dingbian County, east of Anbian Town, along the south and west of the Ming Great Wall. The Great Wall in northern Shaanxi has been destroyed, and the border is still slightly complete. The Great Wall extends from the south of Dingbian County to the north. According to the present situation, it seems that the Great Wall passes through Dingbian County. In fact, when the Great Wall was built, there was no county in Dingbian. At that time, under the Great Wall, Dingbian Camp was established. Dingbian camp will not be located outside the Great Wall.

This county with many lakes is unique in northern Shaanxi. These lakes are all saltwater lakes, which can dry salt. Dingbian County was originally Yanzhou Institute. When Yanzhou was first established in the Western Wei Dynasty, it was known that the salt lakes here could already make salt. Among them, the gully pool is the largest. Gouchi should be a white pond in the Tang Dynasty, and coins from the Tang and Song Dynasties are found in the surrounding sand from time to time. When I went to the ditch pool, I saw someone looking for money in the sand and found a lot, which shows that it was an important place at that time.

This trip can be said to be a week in northern Shaanxi. For a long time in the past, there were many battlefields and passes in northern Shaanxi, between ethnic groups engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. Look around all the way, as if in several homes. The main road is thoroughfare avenue, and sometimes it is inevitable to go astray. It was because there was a stone gate in the south of northern Shaanxi that it was transferred to Xunyi in the north of Tongchuan. Although Shimenguan is located in Xunyi, it is the intersection of Yaoxian, Chunhua, Yijun and Tongguan, and it is also located on the road from Qingyang to Xi 'an. Shimenguan was founded in the Ming Dynasty, which was a defense line in the northwest of Xi at that time. Although Shimenguan has not been established for a long time, the road through Shimenguan has a long history. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the road from Xianyang and Chang 'an to Xiaoguan passed through here. The straight road built by Qin Shihuang also went north through Shimenguan. The straight road is the road I have long wanted to take. At this time, although I arrived at Shimenguan, I didn't detour to its south and north because of the hasty trip. Then I had to wait for another chance.

At that time, Xunyi crossed Binxian and Changwu and turned to the west of Guanzhong Plain. Jiraiya, located in the west of Guanzhong, is a place with frequent wars, with many passes and especially many battlefields. Now that we are in this area, we can follow the map to visit in detail. Chen Cangcheng in Qin Wengong, the way of communication between Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang's confrontation with Sima Yi's Wuzhangyuan, Wu? Wu, a monk who can be a nomad, is not far apart and can go back and forth calmly. These old cities, roads and battlefields are all recorded in history books, and the remains still exist. If you visit them in person and witness the mountains and rivers with your own eyes, you can easily understand what they used to look like.

Investigation on the Location of Silongguan and Xiaoguan Sites

After returning from northern Shaanxi, 1973, he came back to continue the investigation. The investigation began in southern Shaanxi, from which it was transferred to Longshang and Ningxia. From Xi 'an to the south, across the Qinling Mountains, along the meridian to the bank of the Han River, and then back to the Han River. As for Hanzhong, go south by the old plank road. As for Ningqiang Bailongguan, it headed west. After determining the position of the basic pass for resisting gold in the Southern Song Dynasty, it climbed Qishan, which Zhuge Liang refused to defend, passed Malan Mountain and Tianshui, west of Longshan, and returned to the Loess Plateau.

The first stage of this trip to the Loess Plateau is from Tianshui to Longxian, and then through Huating and Pingliang to Guyuan. Longxian county is located at the foot of the mountain in eastern Gansu. It is related to Longshan, formerly known as Longguan. The dragon view is towering, blocking things. As early as the Han dynasty, there was a saying that "the dragon fights off the glory", which was extremely dangerous. Last time I came back from northern Shaanxi, I went to the west of Guanzhong Plain and also to Longxian County. However, due to the trip, I didn't climb Longshan, so I didn't explore the location of Dragon View. This is an undue defect, so it is necessary to make a detour. Fortunately, this detour was not in vain, and finally I found out the location of the old site of Longguan. How did you find out? That's easy to say. When we reached the top of Longdong Mountain, we couldn't help looking around. An old man on the side of the road said that the site of Dragon View was local. What is the basis for asking? The old man said, from generation to generation, this is the original address. The old man also said that Guancheng was originally built on the road. Although Guancheng has long been abandoned, the road has not changed. The road remains the same, and the city will not move. What the old man said is very reasonable. After detailed exploration, except this one, there are no other scattered gouges on the way up and down the mountain. What the old man said should be good. Standing on a high place and looking around, as the ancients said, "Looking east at Qinchuan, the city house is mulberry, and the clouds are the same color." By comparing the local old legends with the literature records, we can suddenly get through. However, the most trustworthy thing is that the road has not changed. If the road on the mountain changes, the remains will not disappear. No one will fill the old road because of the disappearance of the remains, even if it is intentionally filled, there will be no trace to follow.

Once as important as Long Guan, Xiao Guan is a different story. According to relevant documents, it is said that Xiaoguan is located in the southeast of Guyuan County. The Great Wall built by Zhao Xiang, King of Qin, passes through Guyuan County, and Xiaoguan is the pass of the Great Wall. The Great Wall starts from the northwest of Guyuan County, inclines to the southeast, and then is built to the east. The site of the Great Wall has long been abandoned, but there are many local names named after the Great Wall. There are still some Great Wall Beams and Great Wall Plains in the southeast of Guyuan County, which are the places where the Great Wall passes. However, these Great Wall Beams and the Great Wall Plain are towering above a fairly high plain, and there are only pedestrian paths under the original plain, which is obviously not the place to set up Xiao Guan. In that case, why is there such a record in the literature? Documentary records began with Historical Records of Xiongnu Biography. Biography of Xiongnu said: "In the 14th year of Emperor Xiaowen of Han Dynasty, Xiongnu Khan rode into Chaona small pass with 140,000 yuan". This means that Xiaoguan is located in Chaona County. Chaona County is in the southeast of Guyuan County, so Xiaoguan is in the southeast of Guyuan County. However, "Notes on Water Classics and Notes on Rivers" records that "(Bitter Water) flows through the ancient city east of Gaoping County, which was set aside by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty for three years and governed by Anding County". The old town of Gaoping County is slightly south of Guyuan County today. Chaona County was the old county in the Qin Dynasty, and Gaoping County was a new county separated from Chaona County and separated from Chaona County in the west. In this way, Xiao Guan should be in Gaoping County, and has nothing to do with Chaonan County. Sima Qian wrote The Hun Biography three years earlier than Ding Yuan, so he can only say that he was facing Xiao Guan, but did not touch Gaoping County. Gaoping County has Gaoping River. "Notes on Water Classics and Rivers" says that Gaopingchuan water flows from Gaoping County to the east, and then from Qin Changcheng to the north, 15 miles north of the city. Gaopingchuan River is now Qingshui River, which flows through the east of Guyuan City. The north-south avenue through Guyuan is formed along Qingshui Valley. Qingshuihe valley has not changed since the beginning, and the avenue has not moved. As the pass of the Great Wall, Xiaoguan should be located on the road where the river valley passes, in the north of Guyuan County, not in the southeast of Guyuan County.

Both Xiaoguan and Longguan have been destroyed, but the situation is different. There is no difference about the site of Longguan, because although Guancheng was abandoned, the road has not changed. Xiaoguan site is not only misunderstood by scholars now, but also unknown as early as the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Shoujie wrote justice for Historical Records, saying that "Xiaoguan is now called Longshan Pass and is located in Pingliang County, Yuanzhou". Longshan has its own special place. Why is Xiaoguan located in Shan Ye, Gansu, and named after Longshan Pass? Not only did the scholar not know, but the officials of the dynasty were equally ignorant at that time. In the Tang Dynasty, there was Xiaoguan County, named after Xiaoguan, which should be located in Xiaoguan site, but the county seat is said to be in the north of Guyuan in the Qing Dynasty. According to today's place, it is in the south of Tongxin County, far from the original Guancheng, and cannot be merged into one.

The waste of Xiaoguan lies in the difficulty in continuing the road from Chang 'an to Guanmen. In the meantime, the suppression should start from the beginning. Xiao Guan's opinion is more important than the world, as early as the Qin and Han Dynasties. At that time, from Xianyang or Chang 'an to Xiaoguan, we had to go through Ganquan Palace in Chunhua County, Shaanxi Province, and then go northwest through Yang Ni County and Pengyang County. Yang Ni County is in the southeast of Ning County, Gansu Province, and Pengyang County is in the southwest of Qingyang County, Gansu Province. The road of this investigation is from Guyuan via Huanxian, northwest to Yinchuan, and then from Yinchuan via Yanchi, Dingbian and other counties, back to Yan 'an. In order to understand this road from Chang 'an to Xiaoguan, turn southwest from Fuxian County, south of Yan 'an, as for Xifeng Town in Qingyang. Xifeng Town was Pengyuan in Tang Dynasty and a part of Dayuan in Western Zhou Dynasty. As the name implies, Dayuan has a vast primitive surface, which includes the eastern and western parts of zhenyuan county, the northern part of the upper reaches of the water mirror, and between Guyuan and Qingyang. The name of Dayuan in the Tang Dynasty has long since ceased to exist, and only Peng Yuan is recorded. At that time, Pengyuan was 8 1 li from north to south and 60 li from east to west, which was only a small part of Xiaoyuan. With the destruction of the original surface and the increase of gullies, roads are not easy to pass. When the road changes, the small pass will lose its function and be abandoned accordingly.

Peng Yuan later changed his name to Dong Zhiyuan. Although the name has changed, it is still broken. Now Dong Zhiyuan is centered on Xifeng Town. The ditch heads on the east and west sides of Xifeng Town are close to Xifeng Town. Other gullies are denser than before, and the gullies all extend inward, and the original surface is also corresponding.