Why did Yu Guangzhong say that "the upper and upper reaches of blue ink are the return of seeds"?

Editor's note:

Qingming is coming, worship the ancestors and sweep the tomb, cautiously pursue the long term. Since March 3, the "East-West Question" of China News Service has launched a special plan of "Cross-Strait Sacrifice", through the cultural inheritance of compatriots on both sides of the strait to worship Fuxi, Huangdi, Yandi, Confucius, Qu Yuan, Mazu and Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, and gain insight into the same bloodline, the same root, the same language, the same species, and the same sacrifice on both sides of the strait. Please pay attention.

Yichang, 4 April (ZXS) -- Why did Yu Guangzhong say that "the upstream and upstream of blue ink is the return of seeds"?

——Interview with Peng Hongwei, Director of Qu Yuan Cultural Research Center of Three Gorges University

China News Agency reporter Guo Xiaoying

As Qu Yuan's hometown, Hubei Yichang, relying on the unique bond of Qu Yuan culture, has continued to carry out cross-strait Qu Yuan cultural exchange activities with Taiwan, enhancing the understanding and cultural identity of compatriots on both sides of the strait.

What kind of charm does Qu Yuan have? Why did the Taiwanese poet Yu Guangzhong say that "the upstream of blue ink is the Miluo River"? Why is Qu Yuan culture highly respected on both sides of the strait? Professor Peng Hongwei, executive director of the China Fu Society and director of the Qu Yuan Cultural Research Center of Three Gorges University, recently gave an exclusive interview to the China News Agency's "East-West Question" to analyze it.

In Guizhou Town, Zigui County, Hubei, the descendants of the Qu family worship their ancestors in front of the statue of Qu Yuan. Photo by Zhang Chang

The following is a summary of the interview:

China News Agency: Famous poets on both sides of the strait, including Yu Guangzhong, Wang Meng, Liushahe, Zheng Chouyu, Wang Jiaxin, and Yu Jian, have all gone to Qu Yuan's hometown to pay tribute to Qu Zi. In the literary circles on both sides of the strait, what is Qu Yuan's charm? Why has it lasted for thousands of years?

Peng Hongwei: The Spring and Autumn Warring States were the axis era of Chinese culture, with beautiful stars and elites, and Qu Yuan was an outstanding poet of this era, and the first great poet in the history of Chinese literature.

In short, Qu Yuan has two main charms: artistic charm and personality charm.

The artistic charm of Qu Yuan's works is "amazing". On the basis of inheriting the realist tradition of the Book of Poetry, he integrated ancient Chinese mythology and southern witchcraft culture, created a mysterious artistic illusion, opened a precedent for Chinese romantic literature, and his artistic creation profoundly changed the development face and direction of Chinese poetry and even Chinese literature.

The new Yue drama "Qu Yuan" was staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Photo by Yuan Yun

Qu Yuan's personality charm "competes with the sun and the moon". His political personality, "clean and honest" and "loyal and patriotic," has become a model for the personality of traditional Chinese literati and doctors, and his radiant personality has enabled generations of Chinese intellectuals with conscience to consciously shoulder historical responsibilities and cultural missions in the midst of spiritual difficulties.

Its artistic charm and personality charm constitute a fundamental attribute, that is, "cultural genes", rooted in the hearts of Chinese intellectuals of all generations, often reborn when the home country is in danger, so it is timeless and enduring.

The opening ceremony of the 2018 Qu Yuan's Hometown Dragon Boat Festival and Dragon Boat Festival was held in Zigui, Hubei Province. Photo by Zhou Xingliang

China News Agency: Qu Yuan culture has always been a hot topic for experts and scholars on both sides of the strait. What is its core connotation?

Peng Hongwei: In 1993, the Taiwanese poet Mr. Yu Guangzhong gave a lecture at the Chinese University in Hong Kong entitled "The upstream of blue ink is the Miluo River". The Miluo River is the place where Qu Yuan sank, and the implication is that one of the original hometowns of the spiritual culture of the Chinese nation is in the Miluo River, that is, in the Yangtze River civilization, Qu Yuan, and Chuci.

During the Dragon Boat Festival in 2010, Mr. Yu Guangzhong came to Yichang and wrote the poem "Zigui Sacrifice to Qu Yuan". When the reporter asked him what new ideas he had after arriving in Quxiang, Mr. Yu Guangzhong pondered for a moment and said: "The upstream of blue ink is Zigui. It can be seen that he revised his point of view slightly. There is no doubt that Zigui and Miluojiang are closely related to Qu Yuan, both in the Chu State, and the magnificent rivers and mountains of the Chu State have nurtured such a great soul as Qu Yuan.

In 2010, Mr. Yu Guangzhong came to Zigui to participate in the first Dragon Boat Festival in Qu Yuan's Hometown and the Cross-Strait Qu Yuan Cultural Forum, and recited the poem "Zigui Sacrifice to Qu Yuan". Photo by Zheng Jiayu

On the evening of June 2010, 6, Yu Guangzhong, his wife Fan Icun and daughter Yu Jishan, accompanied by the famous poet Liushahe and poetry critic Li Yuanluo, gave an academic report entitled "My Poetry Space" at the gymnasium of Three Gorges University. In the hour-long academic report, Mr. Yu, 17, was in good spirits and full of fun. After the presentation, Mr. Yu stood up and recited Shelley's sonnet in English. At the request of the students, he performed his "Homesickness", and when Mr. Yu raised his head, extended his hand into the distance, and slowly whispered "I am on this end, the mainland is on the other end", there was a brief silence in the field, followed by a lasting applause. Mr. Yu Guangzhong said that Chinese culture is flexible, and young students should "take the white as usual, adapt to the text, see the truth in slang, and seek innovation in the West", integrating ancient Chinese, vernacular and foreign languages.

I believe that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are looking for the homeland of the spiritual culture of the Chinese nation. The role of culture in sustaining emotions often transcends political barriers and ideological differences to form an enduring force. The so-called "same root and same origin" and "fallen leaves to the root" are also called. Therefore, Taiwan compatriots have a sense of cultural return and cultural identity that can be traced back to their roots.

On June 2016, 6, representatives of Qu Yuan's descendants from mainland China, Qu Jiaming and Qu Huimin, presented a 8-meter calligraphy scroll of Qu Jinxing's poem "I and Qu Yuan Have the Same DNA" to the descendants of Qu Yuan in Taiwan, in order to express the deep affection of the descendants of the Qu family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait with the same ancestors and roots. Photo by Dou Tao

As Mr. Yu Guangzhong said, Chinese poets have Qu Yuan complex. Qu Yuan's great works and sentiments are our cultural birthmarks, indelible.

China News Agency: As Qu Yuan's hometown, the ancient custom of paying homage to Qu Yuan in Yichang has been passed down continuously and to this day, and in this century, more and more descendants of the Qu clan and people from all walks of life on both sides of the strait have come to pay their respects. What is special about the ritual of sacrificing Qu Yuan in Zigui?

Peng Hongwei: Sacrifice is an important part of ancient Chinese political life and folk beliefs. The earliest record of sacrifice to Qu Yuan was Wang Jia of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, whose "Gleaning Notes" said: "Qu Yuan rebuked with loyalty, hidden in Yuanxiang, clothed in grass, mixed with birds and beasts, did not hand over world affairs, and used Bai Shi to combine gui ointment, and nourished the mind and spirit; Forced by the king, he went to the clear waters. Chu people long, called Narcissus. Its gods wander in the Tianhe River, and the elves descend to Xiangpu. The Chu people erected a shrine for it, and the late Han dynasty still exists. It can be seen that at the latest there was Qu Yuan Temple at the end of the Han Dynasty, and he was sacrificed as a "water god" (that is, water god). The ritual of "wandering the river to summon spirits" when Qi returned to Qu Yuan can be said to be the remnants of the ancient custom of sacrificing "narcissus".

Before the dragon boat race, "Swimming the River to Summon Spirits" is a unique ritual of sacrifice in Zigui. The altar is set at the starting point of the dragon boat race, and the colored door of the altar is built with bamboo to express Qu Yuan's high wind and bright festival, and it is wrapped with mugwort and calamus. In front of the altar, there are Duanyang talismans and spiritualizing flags, Qu Yuan's spiritual seat, tributes, incense burners, etc. are also placed on the offering table. This is followed by the river sacrifice ceremony, in which the main sacrifice faces the Yangtze River, reciting the sacrificial text, and all the dragon boat hands worship incense. The main priest draped the dragon's head with a red cloth and dotted the eyes, the rowers installed the dragon's head and dragon tail, held aloft the spirit banner "The Return of the Soul of the Three Lu Doctors" on the dragon boat, and the "standing head" (the conductor located at the bow of the boat, the drummer during the race) waved the oar dot sign (a colored flag planted on the dragon boat to indicate the name of each dragon boat), shouted "the trumpet of the oar", the dragon boat began to row, and the fleet swam, called swimming in the river. rowed to the heart of the river, began to summon the soul of Qu Yuan, the fleet sang the soul song, one person led, everyone and called Qu Yuan's soul to return home.

The "Spirit Touring the River" ceremony before the dragon boat race. Photo by Liu Kang

According to legend, Qu Yuan had a sister named Qu Gu or Aunt, and after the news of Qu Yuan's surrender to the river spread back to his hometown, Qu Yuan's sister climbed the top of the mountain in her hometown every day and shouted: "My brother Hui-" After Qu Gu died, she became a bird, and the bird's cry was also "My brother Hui-" People then called this bird Zigui Bird, and Qu Yuan's hometown "Zigui", in memory of Qu Yuan and Qu Yuan's brother-sister relationship. Later, "Zigui" slowly evolved into the current "Zigui". Therefore, when you Jiang summons, the lead singer first sings: "My brother - back yo, my brother yo - back yo!" An affectionate call echoed in the gorge, which was the sincere call of the people to Qu Yuan's heroic spirit.

On May 5, the local governor officiates the festival, or sets up a main sacrifice or a sub-festival, and the people spontaneously participate, bow to incense, and remember Qu Yuan fondly.

There is also a family festival that is also very popular, and the descendants of the Qu family gather in the family ancestral hall to hold a sacrifice ceremony. Wangusi Village, Guizhou Town, Zigui County, is known as the "First Village of the Qu Clan of China", and more than 1300,<> descendants of the Qu clan live in the village, who worship Qu Yuan as their ancestors, and every year during the Dragon Dragon Raising Head and the Dragon Boat Festival in February, a solemn sacrifice ceremony is held at the Qu Yuan Ancestral Hall.

In 2012, the descendants of the Qu clan on both sides of the strait paid homage to Qu Yuan at the Zigui Qu Yuan Temple. Photo by Zheng Jiayu

China News Agency: Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, the descendants and people of the Qu clan on both sides of the strait gather in Zigui, and Yichang and Zigui have also organized personnel to go to Taiwan on many occasions to carry out Qu Yuan cultural exchanges. What role do cross-strait people-to-people exchanges and exchange activities play in promoting the inheritance of Qu Yuan's culture?

Peng Hongwei: In 2010, the Hubei Zigui County CPC Committee and the Three Gorges Daily jointly planned and implemented the "Qu Yuan Descendants Search Tour", which traveled more than 13,<> kilometers to roughly understand the distribution of Qu and its sources on both sides of the strait. The last stop of the search was in Baoli, Changhua City, Taiwan, where compatriots on both sides of the strait saw each other as before, sacrificed Qu Yuan together, and gave each other souvenirs. Yichang and Taiwan have been engaged in continuous exchanges and visits between Qu Yuan culture for <> years, which kicked off.

Over the years, the two sides of the strait have successively carried out activities such as "2011 Qu Yuan's Hometown Dragon Boat Poetry Meeting", "Villagers on Both Sides of the Strait Worship of Poetry Ancestors - Unveiling Ceremony of Qu Yuan's Bronze Statue", "The Sun of Poetry - Cross-Strait Qu Yuan Cultural Exchange Poetry Meeting", "Cross-Strait Family Relatives - Cross-Strait Qu Family Dragon Boat Race", "Root Memory - Taiwan Qu Family Hometown Trip", "Descendants of Qu Family on Both Sides of the Taiwan Strait Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival" and other activities. During the period of new crown epidemic prevention and control, the two places have overcome many difficulties and carried out a series of cloud exchange activities such as "Qu Yuan's Hometown to Worship the Ancestor and Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Cross-Strait Love" for three consecutive years, ensuring the continuation of cross-strait exchanges.

The descendants of the Qu clan on both sides of the strait paid homage to Qu Yuan in the square of the Qu Yuan Ancestral Hall. Photo by Zhang Chang

According to statistics, Yichang has built a brand of exchange with Taiwan such as the Dragon Boat Festival, and nearly 10,000 people have participated in various forms of Quyuan cultural exchange activities, covering many counties and cities and all walks of life on the island. Every year, compatriots on both sides of the strait visit each other and worship Qu Yuan, which has played a positive role in enriching the lives of compatriots on both sides of the strait, enhancing cross-strait understanding, and enhancing Chinese cultural identity. The Qu Yuan cultural and creative products created by the two sides of the strait can learn from each other and promote the innovative development of China's excellent traditional culture.

China News Agency: What is the practical significance of the two sides of the strait jointly promoting and inheriting Qu Yuan's culture?

Peng Hongwei: First, strengthen national cohesion. In history, whenever foreign races invade and the nation perishes, Qu Yuan will come to the foreground of history. Most of the people who solve the disturbance have similar life encounters with Qu Yuan, such as Hong Xingzu, Zhu Xi, Wang Fuzhi, Wen Yiduo, etc., and they angrily note "Shao", which can resonate strongly with Qu Yuan from their own personal pain, and Qu Yuan has become a banner of national cohesion.

People from both sides of the strait visited the "Cross-Strait Exchange Base" in Zigui. Photo by Guo Xiaoying

The second is to forge a firm sense of community among the Chinese nation. Qu Yuan is Yichang and is also a common cultural treasure of the Chinese nation. Compatriots on both sides of the strait have carried out activities such as paying homage to Qu Yuan and racing dragon boats, which have become an expression of seeking one's roots and sustenance for homesickness, reflecting their identification with Chinese culture.

The third is to establish the awareness of a community with a shared future for mankind. In Qu Yuan's writing, the ideals of "regularity", "spiritual uniformity" and "beautiful government" are profound. Today, the two sides of the strait jointly explore and carry forward the connotation of Qu Yuan's culture, which can better demonstrate the responsibility, responsibility, wisdom and magnanimity of the Chinese nation in promoting the construction of a new order of human civilization. (End)

Respondent Profile:

Peng Hongwei, male, from Hong'an, Hubei, doctor of literature. He is currently a professor at the School of Literature and Media of Three Gorges University, a standing director of the China Fu Society, the director of the Qu Yuan Cultural Research Center of Three Gorges University, and the chief lecturer of the "Chuci Lecturer Group" in Yichang City. He served as the guest speaker of CCTV's "Law Lecture Hall" (Literature and History Edition), and once lectured on series such as "Zhu Xi Chacha Corruption", and was awarded the "Most Guiding Award" by CCTV's "Society and Law" channel in 2015. He was awarded the National Social Science Research Fund project "History of Tang Dynasty Law"; He has been awarded the honorary titles of "Promoter of University Quality Education" by the China Association of Higher Education, "Top Ten Reading Promoters" in Hubei Province, and "Advanced Individual in Teacher Morality" in Hubei Province. In recent years, he has published monographs such as "Tang Dynasty Law Fu Kao", "Qu Yuan's Cultural Personality Research", "Changsheng Chuan Fu", etc., published more than <> academic papers, proofread four kinds of ancient books, participated in the compilation of many higher education textbooks, and published many poems and songs.