Chinanews.com Jinzhong March 14th telegram: Stretching 1600 years old castle "butterfly change" new life
Author Gao Ruifeng Fan Lifang
At the time of Jing Zhe, in the Zhangbi Castle, the willow tree in the arms of the thousand-year-old ancient locust tree, the buds are yellow, and the spring breeze is blowing. This ancient castle with a history of more than 1,600 years is full of vitality.
Zhangbi Castle is located at the foot of Mianshan Mountain in the southeast of Jiexiu City, Shanxi Province. Contemporary writer Feng Jicai praised it as "a cornucopia left in the folk" and "a living fossil of ancient villages in northern China". There are many cultural relics and historical sites such as the ancient stage, Ming and Qing folk houses, etc., which are well-known at home and abroad.
Zhangbi Castle has a history of more than 1,600 years. It was dug in the 10,000-meter tunnel in the Northern Dynasty and is a living textbook for studying ancient tunnel tactics.
Photo courtesy of Zhangbi Ancient Castle Scenic Spot
Living fossils of ancient villages in northern China
The ancient castle covers an area of 0.12 square kilometers. The buildings in the castle are in the pattern of "lifang" in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, with ancient houses and temples of thousands of years scattered among them.
In front of the mountain gate of Xinglong Temple in the fort, a sturdy willow tree grows from the root of a thousand-year-old locust tree.
According to Zheng Guanggen, a resident of the ancient castle, decades ago, some of the roots of the ancient locust were hollow, forming a pothole.
During the period from the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the northern part of China was turbulent, and local tyrants built their fortresses to defend themselves.
Experts speculate that Zhangbi Castle is one of the many dock walls built by Zhao Haoqiang and Zhang Ping after the Sixteen Kingdoms period, and has a history of more than 1,600 years.
Zhangbi Ancient Fortress, Xia-Shang ruins, Northern Dynasty tunnels, Jin Dynasty tombs, Yuan Dynasty stage, Ming and Qing folk houses and many other cultural relics and historical sites are well-known at home and abroad.
Photo courtesy of Zhangbi Ancient Castle Scenic Spot
Lu Yang, head of Shanxi Kaijia Zhangbi Tourism Company, introduced that the ancient castle is located on the ancient Qin-Jin Road, with Mianshan in the south and deep ditches on the west, north and east sides. There are 22 temples such as Khan Temple, and 19 cultural relics protection courtyards. It is the only remaining cultural relic of ancient fortified villages that is rare in the world and can be called a specimen.
The Khan Temple, which integrates the nomadic hero worship and the Han people's temple-building rituals and customs, has become a vivid example to witness the great integration of ancient nations; the peacock blue glazed monument, which was fired in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, is a folk art of glazed firing and color matching in ancient China. Treasure; the 10,000-meter tunnel dug in the Northern Dynasty is a vivid teaching material for studying ancient tunnel tactics.
Zhangbi Castle stands in the world with its integrity.
Zhangbi Ancient Castle excavated and organized local cultural resources, and held five consecutive "Authentic China Years" to promote the transformation of resource advantages into industrial advantages.
Photo courtesy of Zhangbi Ancient Castle Scenic Spot
'Pocket Castle' Reborn
The towering gate tower, mottled blue bricks, passing through it, the vicissitudes of the fort walls, temples and ancestral halls... tell the vicissitudes of the years.
"Earlier, many villagers demolished old houses to build new houses, and some villagers put tiles on ancient houses during renovation. In addition, some houses were in disrepair and man-made damage, etc., the original appearance of the castle was seriously damaged." Zheng Guanggen said.
In 2009, Shanxi Kaijia Energy Group took over Zhangbi Ancient Castle, established Shanxi Kaijia Zhangbi Tourism Company, and hired the Cultural Heritage Protection Institute of Tsinghua University to formulate the "Zhangbi Ancient Castle Cultural Relics Protection Master Plan". Residents protect historical relics, recruit residents for employment and introduce business forms to activate the castle, and restore the original appearance of the castle and the local natural ecology.
"Insist on highlighting the ancient military fort, rejuvenating the ancient village, creating the original ecology, and protecting and restoring the original style of the ancient castle to the greatest extent. At present, more than 30 cultural relics buildings have been protected and restored, including 17 residential courtyards; in order to reduce the residential damage of the ancient castle, investment Zhangbi New Village was built with 270 million yuan, with a total construction area of 58,000 square meters, and the villagers were relocated." Lu Yang introduced.
After more than ten years of continuous protection and repair, with a cumulative investment of more than 700 million yuan, the original appearance of Zhangbi Castle has been basically restored, and it has been selected as one of the top ten charming towns in China, a famous historical and cultural village in China, a traditional ancient village in China, and tourism with Chinese characteristics. Landscape Village and many other honors.
During the Spring Festival in 2022, Zhangbi Castle's "Authentic Chinese Year" event has received a total of 180,000 tourists.
Photo courtesy of Zhangbi Ancient Castle Scenic Spot
Make the Millennium Castle come alive
The ancient castle, which condenses the historical memory of thousands of years of changes, has a new look.
At the same time, Zhangbi Tourism Company excavated and sorted out local cultural resources, and held five consecutive "Authentic Chinese Years", four national traditional archery competitions, two Hanfu Tourism Festivals, and one International Go Masters Tournament to promote the transformation of resource advantages into industries. Advantage.
During the Spring Festival in 2022, Zhangbi Castle's "Authentic Chinese Year" event has received a total of 180,000 tourists.
Lu Yang said, "The tourism company has recruited more than 300 people from Zhangbi Village to work nearby, engaged in tour guides, security, greening and other work. The homestay and catering industries are gradually taking shape. The per capita income has increased from 8,000 yuan in 2009 to the current nearly 30,000 yuan."
In addition, the Castle Culture Research Institute, established in 2011, has published research monographs such as "The History of Zhangbi Castle", "The History of Zhangbi", "The Collection of Zhangbi Inscriptions"; The event has received more than 100,000 primary and secondary school teachers and students.
Climb up and overlook, the castle has a panoramic view.
The ancient castle, which has lasted for thousands of years and is not abandoned, condenses Chinese farming culture and traditional folk wisdom, and has witnessed the prosperity and development of the Chinese nation.
"Adhere to the integration of culture and tourism, retain people with culture, let Zhangbi see the mountains, see the water, and retain nostalgia; let history 'speak', let cultural relics 'live', tell Zhangbi stories well, and awaken historical memory ." Lu Yang said.
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