The International Peace Cities Association announced to the world in 2023 that Dengfeng, Henan, at the foot of Songshan Mountain, has become the 394th International Peace City in the world and the fourth in China. Dengfeng is the center of the universe recognized by Chinese ancestors (hereinafter referred to as "the center of heaven and earth"), so Songshan Mountain has been visited by all dynasties and various ideological trends.
In 2010, the "Heaven and Earth" historical building complex in Dengfeng was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the Chinese ancestors' cosmology of "Heaven and Earth" was recognized by the world.
Why did Dengfeng become "among heaven and earth"? Why did Songshan realize the convergence of diverse civilizations? We visited the north and south of Songshan Mountain, looking for the peaceful wisdom of the Chinese nation to reconcile contradictions, resolve conflicts, and achieve win-win coexistence "in heaven and earth."
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Chinese ancestors believed that the earth was like an upside-down plate and the sky was like a bamboo hat, rotating with the North Star as its axis (i.e., the "Gaitian Theory"). "In the middle of heaven and earth" refers to the center where the sky and the earth meet, and it is also a geographically important transportation hub.
Figure: Conceptual diagram from the perspective of "Gaitian Theory"
"Between Heaven and Earth" has always been the ideal place for many Chinese rulers to establish their capital. King Wu of Zhou once said that the Songshan area (including Luoyang) is "in the world, tribute is paid from all directions, and the roads are equally distributed." After defeating the Yin and Shang Dynasties, his younger brother Zhou Gong Ji Dan took the lead in moving the capital city located in the west to the center of "the world".
The "Tianxia" of the Zhou Dynasty started from Liaoning in the north, to the upper reaches of the Han River in the south, from the Shandong Peninsula in the east, to Weiyuan in Gansu in the west. In order to make the decision to move the capital well-founded, Duke Zhou "measured the depth of the soil with the method of Tugui and found the sun view" and determined that Yangcheng of Yingchuan was "in the middle of heaven and earth", which is today's Gaocheng Town, Dengfeng City, Henan Province, at 113°81 East Longitude. ′, 34°23′ north latitude.
As "between heaven and earth", Songshan is a collection of diverse Chinese civilizations.
The concept that the Songshan area (including Luoyang) is "among heaven and earth" has a long history. Songshan Mountain emerged from the ocean in the Archaean Era and experienced three geological tectonic movements. In the Cenozoic Era, it formed Taishi Mountain and Shaoshi Mountain. Each of the two mountains has 36 peaks, forming Songshan Mountain with 72 peaks.
Figure: Topographic map of Songshan Mountain and distribution of main mountain ranges
During the Xia Dynasty, the tribal leader Dayu had already identified "Yu Du Yang City", which was the "in the sky and the earth" measured by Zhou Gong mentioned above.
The traditional philosophy that "Zhong" is the supreme, the political worship of the land of Wangji, and the admiration of Shenzong for Songyue as the "ancestor of all mountains" have made the Songshan area a place where people from generation to generation have flocked to convert. Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and other diverse civilizations are promoted here, and astronomical science is closely related to this place.
The "Heaven and Earth" historical building complex in Dengfeng, which was included in the World Heritage List in 2010, is an example of China's integration of diverse civilizations.
Figure: The shape, distribution and construction timeline of the historical building complex “Among Heaven and Earth” in Dengfeng
The Zhongyue Shrine and the "Three Towers of the Han Dynasty" were born from Taishi Mountain God to Taoist rituals. The predecessor of Zhongyue Temple was Taishi Temple. It was built at the foot of Taishi Mountain in the pre-Qin Dynasty and was expanded during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to worship the Taishi Mountain God.
In the fifth year of the Yuan Dynasty of Emperor An of the Han Dynasty, Lu Chang, the mayor of Yangcheng, built the Taishi Que in front of the Taishi Temple. Five years later, Zhu Chong, the prefect of Yingchuan, built Shaoshi Que in Shaoshi Mountain Temple, and Qimu Que in front of Qimu Temple on Wansui Peak in Taishi Mountain to worship Tushan, the wife of Dayu.
Picture: Aerial photography of Zhongyue Temple
After the Tianshi Taoist sect, one of the Taoist sects, took over the Taishi Temple, it renamed it Zhongyue Temple to worship the Zhongyue God.
Picture: Aerial photography of the "Three Towers of the Han Dynasty" (Taishi Tower, Shaoshi Tower, and Qimu Tower)
Huishan, Songyue, Shaolin, Zen meditation in the mountains and jungles. In the same period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Silk Road prospered, reaching as far as Central Asia and South Asia. Various ideological trends outside the mainland were introduced to the Central Plains along with cultural and commercial exchanges. In the 19th year of Taihe, the eminent Indian monk Batuo preached in Songshan Mountain. Emperor Xiaowen built a temple for him at the foot of Shaoshi Mountain. Because it was located deep in the dense forest of Shaoshi Mountain, it was named Shaolin Temple.
Picture: Aerial photography of Shaolin Temple
During the Zhengguang period, Emperor Xiaowen built a palace under the green peaks of Taishi Mountain and named it "Xianju Temple"; later, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty named it "Huishan Temple". Later, Wu Zetian also used this as a divorce palace. The Songyue Temple built a twelve-sided, fifteen-story dense-eaves cylinder brick pagoda, which is called the Songyue Temple Pagoda. It is the earliest existing brick pagoda in China.
Picture: Huishan Temple
Picture: Aerial photography of Songyue Temple Tower
Soon after, Shaolin Temple welcomed Bodhidharma, the 28th generation disciple of Sakyamuni Buddha. He followed Bhatta's teachings, gathered many followers, and taught Zen Buddhism. His achievements were remembered 600 years later in the Chuzu Temple, 2 kilometers northwest of Shaolin Temple. Continuing southward from Chu Zu'an, there are pagodas commemorating all the eminent Shaolin monks of the past dynasties. From the Li and Tang Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, more than 200 brick and stone tomb towers from seven dynasties, including the Fawan Zen Master Pagoda, the Zhugong Zen Master Pagoda, and the Tanran Monk Pagoda, are scattered in the mountains, like a dense forest.
Picture: Aerial photography of Chuzuan
Picture: Aerial photography of Shaolin monks’ tombs in Tallinn
Songyang Academy, from a Buddhist temple, a Taoist temple, a palace in the Tang Dynasty to a holy place of Confucianism. In the Northern Wei Dynasty when Buddhism flourished in Songshan Mountain, the Songyang Temple built before the Shaolin Temple was built under the steep peak of Taishi Mountain. During the Daye Period of the Sui Dynasty, it evolved from a Buddhist temple to a Taoist site and was renamed Songyang Temple. It was designated as a palace by Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty; after the Five Dynasties, , Taoist temples were often used to give lectures to Jinshi Confucian students, and finally became the Songyang Academy for teaching Confucianism in the second year of Jingyou of the Song Dynasty. Later, it became one of the birthplaces of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, where various cultural trends of thought blended and learned from each other.
Picture: Aerial photography of Songyang Academy
Observation decks and star observatories, enlightenment and exploration of astronomical science. After the Sui and Tang Dynasties, China’s traditional scientific and technological thinking became increasingly mature.
In 723, Nangong, the eunuch of the Tang Dynasty, said that the Bachi Shigui Observation Platform was built at the former site of Zhou Gong's "Tugui Geodesy Center", which later became an important national astronomical observation site.
In 1276, Guo Shoujing, an astronomer from the Yuan Dynasty, was inspired by the large-scale astronomical observation instruments in the Arabian Peninsula and combined with the sophisticated construction technology of the Song and Yuan Dynasties to build a four-foot-long brick and stone observatory near the observation platform.
Five years later, the "Time Calendar" was born "in heaven and earth", 300 years earlier than the Western "Gregorian Calendar". Guo Shoujing, Wang Xun and others calculated that the annual cycle is 365.2425 days (called the "tropical year"), which is only 26 seconds different from the tropical year cycle calculated by modern science.
Picture: Aerial photography of the observatory
Zhongzheng, peace and inclusiveness are the wisdom of peace "in heaven and earth"
"Zhong" is indeed what people's hearts aspire to and what their beliefs rely on. However, "center" does not mean killing, annexing, or acting arbitrarily.
Legend has it that in the early days when various ideological trends took over Songshan, there were constant disputes. In order to reconcile the contradictions in the mountains, Emperor Xiaowen ordered the Zhongyue Temple to be located in the east and belong to Taoism; the central part was occupied by Confucians and was a sacred place for Confucians to worship heaven; Buddhism came from the west and lived in the west. The three religions obeyed and coexisted peacefully from then on. The inscription in front of the bell tower of Shaolin Temple is "Picture of the Three Religions and Nine Streams of Hunyuan". The trinity of the saints of the three religions, Sakyamuni, Laozi and Confucius, demonstrates the spiritual core of the entire Songshan Mountain "in heaven and earth": "Three religions are one, nine streams are one source, and hundreds of schools of thought are integrated." One principle, one method for all things.”
Picture: The inscription on the bell tower of Shaolin Temple is "Picture of the Three Religions and Nine Streams of Hunyuan"
Chinese and foreign experts agree that the spirit of moderation and inclusiveness in Songshan was born and refined with the ancestors, and ultimately provided a transcendental norm and sense of order for the flourishing ideological trends, preachers, believers and their living space here.
Therefore, the Songyue Temple Pagoda in the style of the "Baozhu Sutra Printing Pagoda" (ancient Indian Ashoka Pagoda) echoes the wooden Huishan Temple in the Yuan Dynasty and the masonry Shaoshi Que in the Han Dynasty; The eleven buildings of the Yuemiao Temple are symmetrical on the central axis, layered in an orderly manner, and the depth proportions are harmonious. Although there are many styles, they do not violate harmony. When sect alliances get along with each other, they adhere to etiquette and laws, do not interfere in each other's internal affairs, and have boundaries and are impartial. Shaolin martial arts combines Zen and martial arts, advocating "using force to stop fighting" (the purpose of practicing martial arts is to stop wars), and rejects "bullying the weak".
Central China rises and writes a new chapter
With thousands of years of continuous inheritance, today's "Heaven and Earth" is full of historical vicissitudes, and at the same time glows with new brilliance. The international dissemination and influence of Songshan culture continues to increase. More and more people are visiting Dengfeng and Henan to feel the charm of mankind's common cultural heritage and explore the uninterrupted code of five thousand years of civilization.
"The central region is my country's important grain production base, energy raw material base, modern equipment manufacturing and high-tech industrial base and comprehensive transportation hub. It plays a decisive role in the country." In March this year, the symposium on the rise of the central region was held again after five years. Convened, General Secretary Xi Jinping planned a new blueprint for the development of the central region.
As the central part of the central region, Henan plays an important role in the strategy of the rise of the central region. Over the years, the "granary of the Central Plains" has had bumper harvests year after year, making an important contribution to stabilizing China's rice bowl. At the same time, Henan continues to make efforts in the field of high-end equipment manufacturing and accelerates the development of new productivity. The technological level and market share of shield machines, new energy buses, optical communication chips, superhard materials and other industries rank among the top in the country. Henan's unique location advantages have also been fully utilized today. Henan has taken the lead in building a rice-shaped high-speed rail network in the country, and its international transportation and logistics hub continues to enhance its capabilities...
The central hinterland is becoming a highland of culture, innovation and openness.
The origin of civilization comes from the "middle". Looking to the future, there is much to be done.
In heaven and earth, travel steadily and far.
Producer: Chen Junjun
Director: Yu Lan
Chief Producer: Wu Qingcai
Producer: Xiao Kailin
Academic advisor: Du Qiming
Producers: Peng Dawei, Ma Xueling, Liu Xian, Zhao Hui, Li Guigang
Planning: Zhang Jianyuan, Xu Yang, Ma Qian
Copywriter and script: Ma Qian, Yuan Xiuyue
Live shooting: Li Chaoqing, Fan Xiaoheng
Real picture shooting: Li Chaoqing, Han Zhangyun, Wang Yu, Yang Dayong
Animation: Song Xiaoyu
Voiced by: Yang Yalong
Acknowledgments
China News Service Henan Branch, Zhengzhou Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, Henan Provincial Cultural Relics and Building Conservation Research Institute, Dengfeng Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, Dengfeng Municipal Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, China Songshan Shaolin Temple