Humanities and History of Qidong County

Lü opera is popular in Qidong County, which is close to Zibo, the origin of Lu opera. It is very popular in Qidong. I heard from the old people that before liberation, people were humming Lu Opera while working in the fields.

Clay molds are popular in Qidong County and have been seen by young people born before 1985. This is also a unique aspect of Qidong culture. In fact, clay molds are a kind of printing tool. Children use clay molds by themselves to print interesting images of animals, flowers, opera story scenes, etc. on clay pieces, which is entertaining and has certain educational functions. Clay molds are popular in villages and markets in Qidong County. They are cheap and full of fun. Generally, a relief image is molded on the clay mold mother, and then the complete clay mold is poured out from the mother mold. The pattern is in the form of inscriptions, which can be sold after drying in the shade or firing into bricks. However, in the social process of the past 30 years, children have more favorite toys, making them gradually disappear. It is already difficult to find clay molds if you want to collect them.

Except for the original residents, most of the people in Qidong migrated here during the Hongwu period. Now when I ask around Qidong (the junction of Zouping, Gaoqing and Huimin), most of them will say that they came with their family from Zaoqiang, Zhili after Hongwu suppressed the Tian Feng Maogui rebellion in the fifth year. For example, there is such a record in the Zhou family genealogy of Dongwangzhuang outside the east gate of Qidong County (now Beidong Village and Nandong Village in Taizi Town).

Cultural History

The original site of Qidong County, Taizi Town, is located at the present-day Old City Ferry (Yellow River Floating Bridge, Taizi Town, 500 meters downstream). It was completely washed away by the Yellow River during the Anti-Japanese War. During the period when the Yellow River dried up, the ruins of Kuixing Tower and Archway were still found. According to records, the public office in Qidong City is fully repaired. There are several altars and temples. There are as many as 22 archways and festivals. The main altars and temples in the city include: Xiannong Altar, Shanchuan Leiyu Altar, Yi Gong Altar, Sheji Temple, Chenghuang Temple, Guandi Temple, Wenchang Temple, Ma Temple, Bala Temple, General Liumeng Temple, Dragon King Temple, Tu Tu Temple, Mang Temple Temples etc. At the east gate of the city, there is a huge academy, which is dedicated to Confucius, his disciples, Mencius and other sages of the past dynasties. There is Donggao Academy built next to the academy. The sound of books is loud every day, creating a scene of peace and prosperity. In addition, there are: Yuhuang Temple, Sanguan Temple, Dongyue Temple, Dawang Temple, Zengfu Temple, Taiwei Temple, Yu Gong Temple, Li Gong Temple, Guanyin Pavilion, Jiu Sheng Pavilion, Zhenwu Pavilion, Xingxiang Temple, Yuquan Temple, Guanyintang, Baiyi'an, Bixia Palace, etc. are scattered throughout Qidong County. There are eight major sceneries inside and outside the city, including Weicheng Yinyu, Changyang Fairy Trail, Bashui Tulan, and Gutai Sunset, especially the Donggao Xiaoyue at the East Gate.

The old residence of Zhang Mengjing in the east of the city and the Li family's (?) garden complement each other. The scenery is pleasant and it was a tourist attraction at that time.

After more than six hundred years of construction and development, Qidong County has prospered economically and culturally. It has also nurtured many cultural celebrities and left us many poems, stories and historical relics. Today, through the remaining buildings, we can still learn their stories.

The poet Li Bingyan wrote in the poem "Diao Old City": The whole city is reunited in Qizhou, with clusters of towers surrounding it. Don't turn the tide and turn it from the north, otherwise the beautiful scenery will be lost in vain. The jade dragon roars mournfully, the world turns around, the waves surge, the sun and the moon float. Just look at the place where singing and dancing used to be, with sand gulls rising outside the sky at sunset. It describes the beautiful scenery of that year and the tragic scene of the river flooding the city. There is also a landmark building in Qidong County called Wenchang Pavilion, also called Kuixing Tower. Its base is square, with three floors (actually two floors), 20 meters high, and is located at the crossroads in the center of the city. The ground floor is surrounded by blue brick arched doors, which are more than 3 meters wide and more than 4 meters high. Vehicles pass under the arched doors. The second and third floors have six pillars and five doors on all four sides, with exquisite craftsmanship and majestic shape.

According to legend, Kuixing Tower was built for Wang Wenye.

Wang Wenye, (named Zhangfu, born in Qidong County, date of birth and death unknown.) was the number one scholar on the left list in the first year of Yuan Zhishun (133O). He was awarded the title of compilation by Hanlin Academy of National History. (It is recorded in Wen Zong No. 3 of Volume 34 of the History of the Yuan Dynasty: "On the Wuwu day of the third month, the Imperial Examination for Jinshi was granted to ninety-seven people including Du Lietu, Wang Wenye, etc., who had different backgrounds." Wang Wenye went to the Privy Council for judgment) . Wang Wenye grew up in Qingcheng with his uncle.

During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1763), people from Qingcheng built Kuixing Tower on Qingcheng Cross Street. After the people of Qidong learned about it, they also built Kuixing Tower for him on Cross Street in Qidong County. It is said that the second floor is exactly the same, with brick and wood structure, triple eaves and tower style, with Kuixing inside.

Due to the Yellow River floods, the old city of Qidong was submerged and Kuixing Tower disappeared. In the past, there was a special building called Wenbi Peak to the north of the Yellow River Embankment. It covered an area of ??more than 60 square meters and was 7 meters high. From a distance, it looked like a huge writing brush. People could rotate along the steps to the top. The year of construction is unknown, but it is said that it was also built by Wang Wenye. There is another mausoleum building called General Tomb 5 kilometers southeast of the city. The scale is huge and the specifications are extremely high. According to the old man's recollection, the mausoleum covers an area of ??more than ten acres and is surrounded by stone horses, sheep, pigs and dogs. The roads leading to the mausoleum are paved with bluestone slabs.

Who is the owner of this tomb? It was Zhang Mengjing, a Jinshi during the Wanli period of the late Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Mengjing, a native of Qidong County, was an honest official and diligent in political affairs. His political achievements were once rated as "the best in the world for outstanding achievements", and he was highly praised and valued by the emperor. Next to the ancestral hall of Ximen Bao in Henan Province, there is the ancestral hall of Zhang Mengjing, who is called the two "divine monarchs" by the locals. After Zhang Mengjing was murdered by a treacherous minister, Emperor Chongzhen wept bitterly after attaching his body to Zhang Mengjing. He posthumously named him the "Left Minister of the Ministry of War" and granted him a "golden dome royal burial". In 1946, the mausoleum building was destroyed.