Xitang town's history and culture

Xitang has a long history and is one of the birthplaces of ancient Wuyue culture.

As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was the intersection of wuyue and China, so it was called "Wugen Corner" and "Crossroad".

Villages and towns have been formed in the Tang and Song Dynasties.

During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, a large number of villages were built, and people built houses along the river and lived by the water. In the Southern Song Dynasty, villages gradually became larger and formed a market. In the Yuan Dynasty, the market towns prospered by water gradually formed, and commerce began to flourish. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has developed into a handicraft and commercial center in the south of the Yangtze River.

"Spring and Autumn Flowing Water, Towns in Tang and Song Dynasties, Buildings in Ming and Qing Dynasties, Modern People" is the most appropriate description of Xitang.

Hou Xian's Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties was also written when he was in the ancient town of xitang.

In the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Xitang developed into a prosperous market town by virtue of the economic foundation of the land of plenty and the land of silk and the convenience of waterways. Kiln industry, rice market, food, ceramics and other industries became increasingly prosperous.

There is also Nanshe in the ancient town of Tang Xi, aiming at advocating national integrity, overthrowing the feudal Qing dynasty and establishing a democratic political system. It was secretly established in Suzhou in June of 1909+0 1 at the instigation of the surging revolutionary wave led by Sun Yat-sen.

The founder of Nanshe is Liu Yazi, a famous poet in Wujiang. In Xitang, there are 8 members/kloc-0, including Yu Shimei, Li Zhongqi, Yu Zuomei, Shen Yuzhong and Jiang Xuecheng.

Nanshe is a revolutionary group, mainly advocating the anti-Qing revolution in words, echoing each other with the League and becoming a corner.

At one time, many newspapers in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan and even Nanyang were owned by members of Nanshe.

"I want to spread the wind and thunder with words" (in Liu Yazi) created momentum for the anti-Qing national democratic revolution.

Later, Nanshe was also torn apart in the Great Revolution, but a group of poets in Xitang organized Xushe, with the same purpose and personnel, which became an extension of Nanshe in Xitang.

Most of the poems of the members of Xu Society have been preserved, and these poems, together with 90 poems left by their "master" Liu Yazi in Xitang, have become the eternal swan song of Xitang.

Version 1: According to legend, in the Spring and Autumn Period, Wu Zixu of the State of Wu built water conservancy, transported salt, dug Wuzitang, and diverted water to the north of Xushan (now southwest of Jiashan County 12) to reach the territory, so Xitang was also called Xutang.

Because Xitang is flat, it is Ma Pingchuan, also called Pingchuan and Xietang.

Version 2: There is a lake swing with an area of 3,400 mu in the northeast of Tang Xi Town, which is one of the largest lakes in Jiashan County.

According to legend, during the reign of Xiangfu in Dazhong, northern China, a big family named Tang moved to Dangbian to live. They saw this lake swing with beautiful scenery, rich in kingfishers and Hong Ling, and it was an auspicious thing. In the period of auspicious symbols, they used the word "auspicious symbol" to call this lake swing.

There is no official record about the origin of the corridor street, only two versions of "built for lang" and "built for charity" circulated by the people.

There is a cigarette paper shop owner in Xitang. One day when the shop was closed, he saw a beggar hiding from the rain under the eaves in front of the shop and invited him in.

The beggar refused, so the boss took a roll of bamboo curtain and stuck it on the eaves, and temporarily set up a shed to shelter the beggar from the rain.

The next day, the beggar left a line on the door panel of the shop: "The porch shed shelter from the wind and rain for one night, and good people will be rewarded." Since then, cigarette and paper shops have really flourished.

In order to thank the beggar for his kindness, the shopkeeper simply built a corridor street with bricks, tiles and wooden frames under the eaves in front of the store and crossed the small street to the river port.

The legend of sending my son to Qiao Feng

According to the Records of Tang Xi Town, Laifeng Bridge was built in the tenth year of Chongzhen in Ming Dynasty (AD 1637) and rebuilt twice in Qing Dynasty.

Legend has it that a bird flew in when the bridge was built. People in the city thought it was auspicious and named it "Songzi Laifeng Bridge".

1988 was rebuilt into a single-hole reinforced concrete arch bridge.

1998 was rebuilt in the form of "corridor" in classical gardens, with partition walls, flower windows and passages on both sides.

It is said that every newlywed couple who walks across the bridge, male left and female right, can be blessed.

In addition, this bridge is harmoniously called "Drip Bridge" and "Lover Bridge".

The former can remind people of rainy days. Wouldn't it be better to sit here and have a drink Slope.

Of course, men go up the stairs step by step, and women take one small step and three inches of golden lotus, which is secure. The old people said, "The newlyweds take a walk, the children are sent to the south, and the phoenix comes to the north." If you don't have children after marriage, you might as well take a walk.

Tian Ge

"Tian Ge", also known as "Song Wudi" and "Midnight Song", is a rural folk song handed down by the people, and it is still sung in the neighboring areas of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, which is a historical portrayal of rural life in water towns in Taihu Lake Basin.

Tian Ge is a precious cultural heritage of local music in China, and its melody features are: first, freedom, because Xitang is located in the plain of water town, with a network of rivers, boats sailing on the water, singing songs about wine and expressing their feelings; Second, it is clear, beautiful and straight, and the lyrics mostly reflect folk stories and farming activities, such as yangko, duck song and rice delivery.

In particular, the original musical "Five Girls" adapted by Tian Ge in Xitang won the "Wenhua Award" in the 7th China Arts Festival.

Shaoxing opera

Yue Opera is one of the local opera arts in China, and Xitang has many fans. They got together and formed Xitang Yue Opera Association, most of whom were middle-aged and elderly people. Learning, singing and performing Yue Opera not only cultivated their sentiment, but also enriched their spare time.

Every festival, temple fair, tourism festival and other festive days, they will use Yue Opera for entertainment, not only performing famous Yue Opera, but also creating new Yue Opera with the flavor of the times.

Mr. Gu, a famous modern playwright, is from Xitang. His representative plays, Five Girls, Five Girls Offering Birthdays, Han Palace Complaints and Lu You and Tang Wan, are deeply loved by people.

temple fair

Every place has its own patron saint. In the eyes of Xitang people, the seven great masters are the guardians they admire.

Jesus Christ.

Every year on the third day of the fourth lunar month, that is, the birthday of the seventh grandfather, the local people will hold a grand celebration ceremony. The temple fair carried the statue of the Seventh Master out of the temple gate. Depart from 1 1 at night, finish the established route, and wherever you go, you will be warmly welcomed. All the way, colorful flags were fluttering, gongs and drums were loud, firecrackers were ringing, and the sound of bamboo was melodious and majestic until.

During the temple fair, there are also folk cultural activities such as running a circus, rocking a boat, boating on the lake and stepping on a white boat.

From the evening of the second day of the fourth lunar month, pilgrims came from all directions, some burning incense, some chanting scriptures all night, praying for peace all year round, and social performances organized by pilgrims in temples at night.

The meeting is scheduled for the early morning of the third day of the fourth lunar month, and the seventh grandfather carried at the meeting is his palace, that is, the statue of the seventh grandfather. Before the tour, all the ribbons and sedan chairs are waiting in the NuanGe. When the time comes, the four belts will grab the warm pavilion, and at the same time, a large number of Taibao will cheer. When they patrol, they will follow the established route, and there will be a shed along the way. Good men and women will rest in the factory where Grandpa Seven is located. In addition, there are all kinds of service colors, such as playing horse cards, collecting gongs, general dragon and tiger, red, green, yellow, white and black camps and so on. And each service color is agreed by all industries. For example, the dragon and tiger will be played by silk industry, the black camp will be played by coal industry, colorful flags will fly all the way, and some folk cultural performances such as dragon and lion dancing and lotus fragrance will also be in the patrol team.

During the temple fair, various local cultural activities were also carried out in various streets of the town, such as playing lotus incense, dancing yangko, dancing dragons and lions, beating drums, boating on the lake and picking flower baskets. People commemorate this patron saint in different forms.

Xitang dialect belongs to Wu dialect, which belongs to the small piece of Su Hu Jia in Taihu Lake of Wu dialect.