Entering China“Come on”, the most commonly used word of encouragement by Chinese. According to expert research, the word “come on” originated in Anlong County, Qianxian Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province.
From 1841 to 1855, when Zhang Qiang, the father of Zhang Zhidong, a famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty, served as the prefect of Xingyi Prefecture, he bought tung oil at his own expense and added lamp oil to the scholars for free, so as to encourage local students to study and serve the country.
Today, this allusion is still passed down by word of mouth in the local area. The historical allusion of “the prefect adds lamp oil” has evolved into a cultural phenomenon and has become a spiritual force that inspires Anlong people to work hard and catch up with the latecomers.
Tourists visit the Banshan Pavilion in the Zhaodi Scenic Area of Anlong County.
(Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Anlong County Party Committee)
Banshan Pavilion’s “Question of the Times”
Starting from Anlong County, it takes more than 10 minutes to drive to Zhaodi Scenic Area. Looking from the plank road in the center of the scenic spot, the ancient trees and pavilions on the Venus Mountain not far away stand tall and majestic, which is the local famous “Mid-Mountain Pavilion”.
In July of the 28th year of Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty (1848), Zhang Qi, then the governor of Xingyi Prefecture, presided over the construction of the embankment and the completion of the newly built Banshan Pavilion, and according to the custom, a ceremony was to be held. Zhang Qiang hosted a banquet at the Mid-Levels Pavilion, invited the literati and scholars of the time to gather, and wrote an article on the spot, judging the best works for posterity.
At that time, Zhang Zhidong, who was only 11 years old, also arrived at the scene with his father, and wrote more than 790 words of “The Story of the Banshan Pavilion” in one go.
More than 170 years have passed, and the stone tablet engraved with “The Story of the Banshan Pavilion” is still embedded in the stone wall of the Banshan Pavilion. These beautiful words reproduce the scene of Zhang Qiang “inscribed poems to encourage the people and persuaded the peasants to drink wine” during his tenure as the prefect of Xingyi Prefecture, “rejoicing with the people” and “enjoying the joy of the people”.
On the stone pillar next to the mid-mountain pavilion, there are many couplets written by Zhang Qiang and the literati. “The guest also knows the husband and the moon, that is, this understands the human nature of the heavenly heart; Weng’s joy is also in the mountains and forests, good with the fragrance of birds and flowers”, “Qiankun a grass pavilion, day by day, Dahua is popular, causing the landscape to be clear, and the wind and clouds are perverted; Heaven and earth are all against the journey, fishing songs are sung, feeling vigorous, receiving the living appearance of the kite, the spirit of the flower willow”, and so on.
Among them, “bring a pot of wine and talk about the wind and moon here; Thousands of miles away, ask how many generations can save the rivers and mountains”, this couplet shows the feelings and broad-mindedness of the family and the people who are worried about the country and the people.
Zhang Qiang was a native of Nanpi (now Nanpi County, Hebei), and in 1841, he was transferred to the prefect of Xingyi Prefecture. At that time, during the Opium War, the Chinese nation was suffering unprecedented calamities. With the signing of a series of unequal treaties, China has been reduced to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, and national sovereignty has been seriously damaged.
The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of the husband. Saving the country and the nation from peril became the common long-cherished wish of countless people with lofty ideals at that time. In such a historical background, the phrase “ask how many generations can save the rivers and mountains” shouted out the deafening question of the times, representing the common aspiration of people with lofty ideals at that time.
Xingyi Fu Trial Institute in Anlong County, Qianxian Prefecture, Guizhou Province.
(Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Anlong County Party Committee)
“The prefect adds lamp oil” to persuade students
Hu Ming, an educator and thinker of the Northern Song Dynasty, said in “Songzi Confucianism”: “The ruler of the world is in the talent, the person who becomes the material of the world is in the education, the vocational education is in the teacher, the people who promote the education are in the county, and the education is in the school.” ”
Zhang Chung profoundly realized that only by applying it to the world can we save the world and survive, and only by advocating education, building schools, and cultivating talents can we turn the tide and support the collapse of the building. Therefore, emphasizing education and rejuvenating learning, cultivating talents for the country, and cultivating people have become Zhang Zhong’s specific measures to answer the question of the times of “asking how many generations can save rivers and mountains”.
After taking office as the prefect of Xingyi Prefecture, Zhang Qiang took out his own silver and bought tung oil for lighting to cheer for scholars, encouraging more people to become useful talents for the country through reading.
Every midnight shift, Zhang Qiang sent two messengers to set off from the government on time, carrying lanterns and tung oil baskets, and when he saw the lights on in the house and the sound of reading, the messengers stopped and knocked on the door, and shouted: “The government will add lamp oil to the prime minister!” ”
After the scholar opened the door, the servant scooped out the tung oil, poured it into the scholar’s lamp, and said: “Futai wishes the prime minister to study hard and gain fame.” From 1841 to 1855, during the 14 years of working and living in Anlong, Zhang Qiang insisted on adding lamp oil to the readers.
Nowadays, the tung oil lamp has long disappeared in the long river of history, but the historical allusion of “the prefect adds lamp oil” has been passed down to this day. According to expert research, the word “come on” is derived from the literal meaning of encouragement and encouragement, which may be derived from this.
The historical allusion of “the prefect adds lamp oil” to persuade students has gradually evolved into a cultural phenomenon that inspires people to be self-confident and self-reliant, overcome difficulties, and work hard.
According to Song Shaoxi’s compilation of the “Continuation of the Southern Cage”, it is recorded that Zhang Qiang himself loves to read, strictly manages the personnel of the government department, and has special respect for those who love reading and are talented and learned. “The officials are very strict, and the only Confucian scholars are gentle. Eager to learn, tireless until old age, listen to politics, sit and study all day long. ”
In addition, Zhang Zhiqing, the second son of Zhang Qiang, also recorded in the “Zhongxian Doctor’s Office Guizhou Guidong Bingbei Dao Youfu Mansion Jun Xing” that Zhang Qiang had strict requirements and high standards for his family’s reading and study, and often admonished his family: “Your generation should be a mechanic and make a name for yourself.” ”
This is the scenery of the Zhaodi lotus pond taken by drone on August 30. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Xu
Emphasis on education, revitalizing learning, and seeking progress
About 2 kilometers away from the Zhaodi Scenic Area, there is the Xingyi Fu Examination Institute with magnificent scale, orderly layout and fine craftsmanship, which is the only existing preserved imperial examination site in Guizhou Province, and it is also one of the few existing preserved examination tent sites in China.
According to Yang Qian, director of the Anlong County Cultural Relics Management Institute and director of the Anlong Museum, soon after Zhang Qiang arrived at the prefect’s office, he found that the Nanlongfu Trial Hospital, which was built in the ninth year of Yongzheng (1731), was far away in the suburbs of the city and was located in a remote and dilapidated location, and the seat number was less than 500.
So, Zhang Qiang decided to choose another place to build. He took the lead in donating his savings of 1,000 taels of silver, and convened state and county officials to negotiate and solicit the opinions of the gentry of the prefecture, and successfully raised more than 30,000 taels of silver to build a new examination institute that could accommodate more than 1,000 scholars.
Walking up the stairs and entering the prefectural examination institute, you can appreciate the scene of the students who went to the examination to study, live and take the exam here. On the two stone pillars of one of the buildings, a couplet written by Zhang Qiang after the completion of the Fu Examination Institute in 1842 is engraved: “Emperor Ze’s birthday spring dressing, Shen Hong Award, persuasion dove workers, abandon the old and draw the new, and travel to Guangsha with the Jingguo of Shuyi County; The style of writing is thriving, climbing the dragon gate, Shu Fenghan, Yang Hua and algae, and looking at the handsome and majestic steps of the six estates. Between the words, it is full of Zhang Qiang’s expectations and wishes for the students who go to the examination.
“The establishment of a volunteer school and the expansion of the academy are two other important measures taken by Zhang Qiang to promote the development of local education.” Shen Shixiang, vice president of Anlong Gas Academy, introduced that Zhang Qiang took the lead in donating silver to expand the Zhuquan Academy in Fucheng to meet the reading needs of students in the district. Subsequently, he donated money again to build two new schools near the east and west gates of Fucheng, so that the children of the people, regardless of occupation, nationality and age, can go to Yixue to study as long as they want to study..
Zhang Qiang also “persuaded donations” to build the Caiheng Academy and the Pu’an Panshui Academy, and repaired the Bishan Academy in Xingyi County at that time. In order to ensure the quality of teaching, Zhang Qiang spent a lot of money to invite famous teachers to teach; In order to ensure the continuous operation of the college and the school, he raised funds from various sources to solve the students’ learning expenses, and gave financial assistance to students from poor families, and rewarded students with excellent grades. He also sent people to Guiyang, Chengdu and other places to buy books and transport them back to the local area for students to read.
According to statistics, from 1841 to 1852, Xingyi Prefecture successively passed 2 civil and military jinshi, 31 civil and military scholars, and 157 gongsheng. According to incomplete statistics, from 1841 when Zhang Qiang re-established his education until 1905, when the Qing court decreed the abolition of the imperial examination system, Xingyi Mansion admitted a total of 6 civil and military scholars, 100 civil and military scholars, and nearly 300 tribute students.
Influenced by his father, Zhang Zhidong, one of the “Four Famous Ministers of the Late Qing Dynasty”, also attached great importance to education.
For decades as an official, Zhang Zhidong’s footprints are all over Sichuan, Shanxi, Liangguang, Huguang, Liangjiang, Beijing and other places, no matter where he served, he adhered to his father Zhang Qiang’s concept of “emphasizing education and rejuvenating learning, cultivating talents for the country, and cultivating people”, building academies, running schools, and educating talents.
One of the predecessors of Sichuan University, the predecessor of Sichuan University, the predecessor of Wuhan University, the predecessor of Wuhan University, the predecessor of Sanjiang Normal School, and the predecessor of Nanjing University, Sanjiang Normal School…… Zhang Zhidong founded many colleges and universities during his lifetime, which had a profound impact on modern and modern education in China. Yan Changhong, a professor at Central China Normal University, said that during his stay in Wuhan alone, Zhang Zhidong founded more than 120 new schools of various kinds.
Strengthen industry, build railways, build cities, and train new troops…… Since the end of the Qing Dynasty, the “Westernization School” represented by Zhang Zhidong has started the process of China’s modernization. In 1907, when Zhang Zhidong left Hubei, he climbed Wuchang Snake Mountain and saw the great changes in the “three towns of Wuhan” in Hankou, Hanyang and Wuchang. Today’s traffic track, boarding the couplet of “Mi Ou Yao” (note: “Mi Ou” refers to the United States and Europe), may indirectly answer the question of the Mid-Levels Pavilion.
The picture shows the Refueling Cultural Institute in Anlong County, Qianxian Prefecture, Guizhou Province. (Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Anlong County Party Committee)
The nourishment of “refueling culture”.
In order to further enhance cultural self-confidence, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of China’s excellent traditional culture, and better condense the strong spiritual power of the practice of Chinese-style modernization in southwest Guizhou, in recent years, Qianxinan Prefecture has summarized the cultural phenomenon evolved after hundreds of years of precipitation of the historical allusion of “prefect adding lamp oil” as “refueling culture”, and refined the spiritual characteristics of “refueling culture” into “keeping the right path and doing it for a long time”, and the main connotation is summarized as “abiding by the right path, seeking truth and pragmatism, integrating knowledge and action, perseverance, Steady and far-reaching”.
Under the nourishment of “cheering culture”, the cultural context of Qianxinan Prefecture has been endless, and the official “school persuasion”, the private “rejuvenating education”, the social “donating to help students”, and the students’ “studying diligently” have become a common practice and have been passed down from generation to generation. For example, Xingyi No. 8 Middle School, which was founded in 1996, has more than 320 students admitted to Tsinghua University and Peking University, two top universities in China. In addition, a group of new era strivers represented by Liu Xiuxiang, the protagonist of “Thousands of Miles to Go to College”, have also emerged in Qianxinan Prefecture.
In Anlong County, the carrier of “refueling culture”, including the Xingyi Fu Trial Institute, has become an important support for the development of the local cultural tourism industry. The innovative “Joy Reading Anlong” series of lectures on “Refueling Culture” has also gone out of Anlong, and the “Refueling Journey” series of research activities have attracted many teachers and students from the university founded by Zhang Zhidong and the local people where Zhang Zhidong has worked to carry out research.
In Xingyi, the capital of southwest Qianxi, since the start of the first Wanfenglin Half Marathon on September 10, 2023, the “Come on Run” series of road running activities have continued to be carried out. Up to now, more than 280 road running events have been held in the state, with 214,000 direct participants, promoting the development of the local cultural and tourism industry.
“Refueling culture” has a heavy history and a distinct epochal character, and small individuals and large countries need to cheer up.
Zhou Zhou, associate professor of the Department of Public Administration Teaching and Research of the Party School of the Qianxinan Prefecture Party Committee, believes that the “refueling culture” is an excellent traditional culture in Qianxinan Prefecture, which has been continuously formed and developed in the long history, and also reflects important contemporary values in the new journey of Chinese-style modernization. “Refueling culture” is rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture and is a spiritual force that can inspire the rejuvenation of a strong country.
