Ask me where my ancestors came from, and what does the big pagoda tree in Hongdong, Shanxi mean?

Sophora japonica, also known as Hong Tong Sophora japonica, is located 2 kilometers northwest of Hongtong County. This ancient tree with thick trunk, withered branches and ravines is the ancient pagoda tree.

"Ask me where my ancestors came from, Shanxi Hong Tong Sophora japonica. What's the name of your ancestral home? The old nest under the big locust tree. "

For hundreds of years, this folk song has been widely circulated in China, and is well known to women and children. If we want to trace the source, we have to start from the last years of the Yuan Dynasty.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, floods and famines occurred frequently in the Huanghuai Valley, ethnic conflicts intensified, and the Red Scarf Army uprising broke out. The Yuan government brutally suppressed and fought fiercely for more than ten years. People in Huaibei, Shandong, Hebei, Henan and other places were killed 10, and the originally prosperous places became impassable and deserted. The tug-of-war of "Jingnan Battle" in the early Ming Dynasty was even worse, and many places were deserted.

Different from the neighboring provinces of the Central Plains, Shanxi, as the hinterland of the central part under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty government, has no natural and man-made disasters, favorable weather and prosperous economy, which makes the population here prosperous. Coupled with the settlement of a large number of refugees, Shanxi, especially southern Shanxi, has become a densely populated area. In order to develop the economy and consolidate the political power, during the fifteen years from Hongwu to Yongle in the early Ming Dynasty, the Ming government organized and implemented eight large-scale immigration activities for more than fifty years.

There used to be a temple here-Guangji Temple, which was built in the second year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (AD 628). The temples are large in scale, magnificent in halls, full of monks and pilgrims. There is a "tree surrounded by several acres of shade" next to the temple, and the old people on Fenhe Beach build their nests in the tree, which is very spectacular. Under the tree, the avenue of chariots and horses crosses, and pedestrians in all directions are in an endless stream, which is the traffic hub. Because Hongdong is located in the densely populated center, the terrain is open and extending in all directions, which is convenient for centralized immigration. The Ming government set up a bureau in Guangji Temple to specialize in immigration affairs, and the pagoda tree became a gathering place for immigrants.

Immigrants are mainly distributed in Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Beijing, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei and Hunan, and a few have moved to northern Shaanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia. These immigrants later moved to Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Xinjiang, Northeast China and other places. For such a long time, the people of one side were scattered in various places in an organized and large scale, which is unique in the history of China. At that time, it was here that the immigrants began their journey after accepting the "Zhao Zhao Chuan Zi". When they left, the immigrants turned their memories into memories and looked back frequently. In the end, they only saw the big locust tree and the old man's nest, which became a symbol for the immigrants to bid farewell to their homeland. As time goes by, people can't remember whether they moved here from He Cun, but that big pagoda tree is deeply rooted in the hearts of generations.

It is said that in order to prevent escape, every officer and soldier registered one. They asked immigrants to take off their shoes and cut a knife on their little toes as a sign. Therefore, until today, all the little toenails on the feet of the descendants of immigrants from Hu Aixiang have two petals. "Mo Daoyuan has no textual research, and the private account is the most true." "So, the old legend tells anecdotes and asks you how to point to the fruit?" If you are interested, you might as well check it yourself.

When migrating, officers and men often use the form of anti-binding to prevent people from escaping on the way, and then connect them with long ropes to escort them on the road. Because of the long distance and time, carrying hands has become a habit. Most immigrants still like to walk with their hands behind their backs, and their descendants also follow the habit of factories.

Also, the commonly used word "boundary head" comes from immigrants. It is said that during the long journey, when people need convenience, they should report to the officers and men: "Sir, please relieve yourself, I have to pee." The more times, the simpler the language. Just say "Sir, I'll stop here" and both parties will understand what it means. Since then, jieshou has become a noun with a specific meaning.

After immigrants moved into their new homes, they planted locust trees in front of them to commemorate their homesickness. Some immigrants named villages after their original places, such as Zhao Chengying, Zhou Pu Camp, Changzi Camp and Hong Tong Camp in the suburbs of Beijing, which explained their migration places in those years. Many genealogical inscriptions handed down to this day also record the process of migration. These are all historical witnesses of immigrants leaving their homes in those years.

The monument pavilion was built in 19 1 1 year and was raised by villagers. The location of the pavilion is the growth place of ancient Sophora japonica. Although the pavilion is not long, it is exquisite and exquisite with carved beams and painted buildings, cornices and arches. A bluestone tablet with a height of 3.5 meters and a width of more than 80 centimeters stands in the pavilion. The word "memorial" is engraved on the tablet, the five characters "ancient locust tree" are engraved on the tablet, and the tablet is also engraved with an inscription describing the relocation. The Shijinglou behind the pavilion is simple and elegant, and it is a work of the Jin Dynasty. It is a relic of the original factory "Ji Temple" and a witness to the moving scene of that year.

According to the report, after the Revolution of 1911, Yuan Shikai ordered Lu Yongxiang and other soldiers to attack the Shaanxi Revolutionary Army from three towns. Wherever they go, they rob heavily. Only when he arrived in Hongdong, the sergeant got off the horse under the ancient locust tree and refused to leave, but the lives and property of the people in Hongdong were preserved. This legend also made Hongdong people proud, thus leaving a record.

The three buildings on the right side of the pavilion are tea rooms for root-seeking tourists to have a rest and have tea, and the four characters of "drinking water and thinking about the source" are engraved on the lintel. You might as well sit here and have a cup of tea and reflect on the ancient love.

This antique archway with four pillars and three doors was built at the same time as the tablet pavilion and tea room. The banners on both sides of the banner are engraved with "the reputation of a tree" and "the shadow of a group of people", and the couplets on both sides of the banner are "tea is drinkable, green, milky, fragrant and smooth; The pavilion can be traced back to the building, and the green locust knows the homesickness. " "Liu came to Huaishang, and there should be a feeling of leaving the country here; The water source is woody, and I still think about my hometown today. " Yes, for 600 years, the descendants of immigrants under the tree of Sophora japonica have spread all over the country, even overseas. Nowadays, there is an endless stream of descendants of Hu Aixiang who come all the way from Wan Li to seek their roots and worship their ancestors. There is a "Table of Surnames of Descendants of Ancient Huai" posted in the ancestral home, and there are 450 surnames collected on the table for root seekers to inquire.

The ancient Sophora japonica in the Han dynasty has disappeared, and the second generation of Sophora japonica bred from the same root has dried up, but the second generation of new Sophora japonica is flourishing and full of vitality, just like the prosperity of the descendants of immigrants. Here, 1983, the government of Hongtong County built a new gatehouse and fence. 1984, another memorial archway was built at the junction of Jia Cun and Taimao Highway, and the four characters of "Spring in the Past" were inscribed by the late famous painter Dong Shouping. 1998, the main building of the grand "Guhuai Rooting Ancestral Garden" has broken ground, and the hometown of Guhuai is welcoming the returning descendants with a brand-new look.

At that time, I was crying under the big locust tree. Today, Gu Huai got together. Looking back on the past and looking forward to the future, Sophora japonica will always be heart to heart with compatriots at home and abroad.