Yunnan, which is located in the southwestern border of the motherland, does not have many celebrities in Chinese history. Yuan Jiagu is one of them. He is the only number one scholar from Yunnan in the imperial examinations that have been implemented for more than 1,300 years from the Sui Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty. .
This person from Shiping, Yunnan, won the first-class first-class special economics examination in the 29th year of Guangxu (1903) in the Qing Dynasty (that is, the number one scholar in special economics), becoming a peak of Yunnan scholars.
In many places in Yunnan Province, especially Kunming, the provincial capital, there are many buildings and statues related to Yuan Jiagu;
In addition to the reputation of the hometown of champions, Shiping also has a particularly well-known delicacy: Shiping tofu, which is a popular ingredient. It uses local tofu with water and does not need to add gypsum. It has a unique taste and taste. It has been passed down for a long time and is widely loved by people.
When it comes to Shiping tofu, it is a symbol of good quality. Like Jianshui tofu, it is a daily food that people in Yunnan are familiar with.
I have heard of Shiping for a long time, and I passed by there a few years ago. We all just stopped for a while and then left. We never had a chance to take a good look.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to go to Honghe Prefecture during the holiday, we determined Shiping as the first stop. Visit the Confucian Temple, the former residence of Yuan Jiagu, the Shiping Museum, the former site of the county government, and walk on the smooth and shiny bluestone old street. The ancient buildings with many traces of time are still part of the street shops, full of fireworks …
Although it was just a quick tour, we felt a strong cultural atmosphere in the ancient city of Shiping, and the reputation of "a country famous for literature" is well-deserved.
The former site of the county government office is an office space, and there are many leisure people in the large Confucian Temple.
According to the prompts of the mobile phone map navigation, we came to the ancient city of Shiping. Entering from a tall city gate, you can see many antique buildings on both sides of the street with bluestone slabs. They are shops dealing in various commodities, which are no different from other cities. Feeling a little disappointed, we were worried whether it would be a newly built ancient city.
Going forward, we saw a tall and thick gray building with gray bricks and gray tiles, four corners flying up, quite imposing. The most important thing is that there is a large parking lot in front of the door that attracted us. We approached and stopped the car. Only then did we find that there were a few large characters "County Office" on the door of this building, and we felt interested, so we wanted to go in and have a look.
The uncle sitting at the door told us that this is not only a "county government office", but also a "state government office". It seems that Shiping has also played a role in the state government.
Entering the gate, there is a courtyard with a large area, surrounded by two-story small buildings with red lacquer carved wooden doors, square and neat, with a few stone lions standing in front of the main house.
We walked around and looked around in the courtyard, and suddenly found that someone was working in the main room. Several groups of partition boxes commonly used in modern offices were placed. There were computers, printers and other items on the table, which made people feel a little time-traveled. In this way, it is not surprising that there are many cars parked in the yard.
Not far from the county government office is the Confucian Temple. There are many Confucian temples all over the country, all built according to the standards of Qufu Confucian Temple in Shandong Province. The overall layout and composition are similar. The Lingxing Gate, Zhuangyuan Bridge, Dacheng Hall, Xianshi Hall... Shiping Confucian Temple is also such a building complex .
Walking into the Confucian Temple, we were attracted by another scene. The courtyard is full of people under the shade of trees and the shade of the threshold. Everyone is sitting around, playing chess and cards, chatting and talking. Everyone’s voice is not loud, but they obviously feel a very special feeling. lively.
A closer look shows that most of the leisure people in the Confucian Temple are elderly people, some playing cards, some watching the games, most of them bring their own small benches, and there are a few birdcages hanging on the branches. There are almost no people on the Zhuangyuan Bridge. There are many small stone animals carved on the bridge, both pictographic and abstract. For thousands of years, as a result of countless people touching, the stone heads have become smooth and shiny, which is amazing.
Visit the former residence of the champion and feel the cultural atmosphere.
Shiping was awarded the No. 1 Scholar, and Yuan Jiagu was the only scholar in Yunnan Province who won the No. 1 Scholar exam. Therefore, he has attracted much attention. His hometown and former residence in Shiping have been opened up as a memorial hall, and it has become a place for future generations to visit, worship and feel the atmosphere.
The former residence of the No. 1 Scholar is an exquisite courtyard with a two-story small building, a reading building, a small courtyard with flower racks, a Fengshui tank, flowers, plants, fish and insects. It must be very pleasant to study here.
In the hall are photos of Yuan Jiagu, as well as items such as desks and chairs. The carved wooden chairs are thick and delicate, and the mottled colors reveal a strong sense of age.
Hanging on the wall is a copy of Yuan Jiagu's own handwriting. It is a photocopy of the article he wrote when he was the No. The traces and red seals are all engraved on the paper, "First place in the first class" is a very powerful result.
Corresponding to this No. 1 article, there is another word, which looks like a translation and interpretation of the No. 1 article. Of course, it is guessed that this is added by later generations. The purpose is to let visitors understand and learn more intuitively. Bar.
Visit the Shiping Museum to get a rough idea of the academy culture and imperial examination culture.
It has long been heard that Shiping is a well-known country in literature. In the ancient times when the imperial examination system was implemented, many talents were produced here.
I feel that most of the people in Shiping now speak in a leisurely manner, but they speak clearly and logically. Maybe it has something to do with the cultural influence here.
The locals suggested we check out the museum. There is a museum in a small county town, which makes people a little curious. After I went there, I found out that it was the former site of Yuping Academy.
There are tall and powerful cypress trees in the courtyard, and black-toned wooden houses on both sides. Perhaps it was a classroom in the past, but now it is the exhibition hall of the museum. It systematically introduces the history of Shiping, the origin of the academy, and the context of imperial examination culture.
For us, these are somewhat familiar but very unfamiliar content. Take a quick look at the flowers and learn a thing or two, and you can also increase your knowledge.
The museum is a free and open place, but there are not many tourists. The environment is quiet and the buildings are ancient. The most impressive thing is the long bluestone road in the courtyard, which is hidden under the tall trees. The green leaves are sprouting and full of vitality. There are several pots of delicate red flowers dotted in it, which is very vivid.
The ancient architectural pattern has a round sky, the exquisite doors and windows are thick and simple, and the clean courtyard is quiet and long. We enjoy walking around and looking around.
There are several old streets opposite the Confucian Temple. Let's go in and have a look. It's very interesting. This is an old bluestone street with uneven road surface and smooth and shiny stone slabs.
There are many local people who set up stalls, selling all kinds of herbs, leaves, roots, stems, strange things, colorful colors, dazzling... There are many that we don't know of.
Most of the herbal medicine sellers are older people. When they see someone coming to see them, they will take the initiative to strike up a conversation; after hearing about the consultation questions, they will patiently introduce you to the usage of herbal medicine, treatment of diseases, etc., which is quite like an old doctor. Style, this kind of knowledgeable way, is also very interesting.
These gray and black old houses look very old, but they can't hide their exquisiteness, beautiful eaves, long corridors, red lanterns, and various shops and stalls on the street. .....Their collocation is very coordinated.
Visiting the Confucian Temple, the former residence of the number one scholar, and visiting museums, during the holidays, we took a walk to see the flowers and stone screens, feeling the strong atmosphere of the famous literature country, and also experiencing the atmosphere of fireworks in the ancient city, which is very good.
(Photo taken on Friday, April 30, 2021)