The author believes that it is credible that the "Inverted Lion Stone Archway" was destroyed by war in the third year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty, because it is recorded in many historical materials. For example, the "Huaining County Chronicle" in the fourth year of the Repub

Original name: Suspicious Jin Cha Gu [Huangmen Sijian "Gripping the Lion Upside Down"], Author: Cha Jian

Getting back to the subject, in the third year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty (1853), the "Lion Gripping Stone Archway" was destroyed by war, and now only two of them remain on the south side. On the stone pillars and the south gate, you can still see architectural carvings such as window ribs and cloud and dragon patterns carved on stone squares in the Ming Dynasty. However, Anqing a few cultural scholars "reminisced" and believed that the "inverted lion stone archway" still existed in the early days of liberation, but that the stone archway stone lion did not exist in the 1950s. The two stone pillars on the south side of the archway are dependent on each other, so they escaped a catastrophe and have been preserved to this day.

The author believes that it is credible that the "Shishi Stone Archway" was destroyed by war in the third year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty (1853), because many historical materials have recorded it. During the Keji incident, Liu Shangzhili, in the east of Zitongge Street, was destroyed by war in the 3rd year of Xianfeng , but only two stone pillars and the lions on both sides of the pillars still survived. "In the fourth year of the Republic of China (i.e. 1915), it was earlier than Anqing. After the liberation (that is, 1949), at that time, only "two stone pillars" and "upside-down lions" on both sides of the pillars were left in the stone archway. This is true and can be accepted. As for the "recollections" of a few cultural scholars in Anqing, it is possible that the "recollections" of a few cultural scholars in Anqing may be wrong, or that the local elderly people who visited the place mistook the "stone lions" that still exist in the stone archway as "stone pillars" and then mistook it as "stone archway".

Many old people near the "Shipa Archway" recalled and the elders said that there were stone lions on both sides of the two stone pillars of the stone archway, but they were not lying upside down (lying, crawling). Why is it called upside down (lying, crawling)? )lion? The author has been puzzled for many years. There is an ancient saying: "Those who doubt the present should examine the past." After consulting history books, consulting ancient architecture experts, understanding the history and demonstrating, the author believes that the famous "upside-down lion" in Anqing is not actually a "stone lion", but a "stone lion". It is a variation of the Chinese totem dragon " Suan Ni ". There is a folk saying that "the dragon gave birth to nine sons", which means that the dragon gave birth to nine sons, but none of the nine sons became dragons, and each of them was different.

The saying that the dragon has nine sons has been around for a long time, but there is no explanation about which nine animals they are. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that various theories emerged. Notes by some scholars in the Ming Dynasty, such as Lu Rong's "Miscellaneous Notes on Shuyuan", Li Dongyang's "Huailutang Collection", Yang Shen's "Sheng'an Collection", Li Xu's "Common Writings of the Elder Jie'an" ", Xu Yingqiu's "Yuzhitang Tan Yun", etc., there are many versions with different versions, which are summarized as: "Qiu Niu, Jia Sui, Chaofeng, Pu Lao, Suan Ni, Bi Xi, Biuan , Chi Kiss, Taotie , Qilin , Jiaotu, Earthworm" and so on.

The series of portraits of the Nine Sons of the Dragon: "Suanni" on the left and "Chiki" on the right

Folk saying about the "Nine Sons of the Dragon": "Qiu Niu (the eldest), Yasu (the second), Chaofeng (the third) , Pulao (the fourth), Suanni (the fifth), Bixi (the sixth), Bifan (the seventh), negative Xi (the eighth), Chiqi (the ninth). There is another saying: Bixi (the sixth). The boss), Chiqi (the second child), Pulao (the third child), Biuan (the fourth child), Taotie (the fifth child), Earthworm (the sixth child), Jiazui (the seventh child), Suanni (the eighth child), Jiao Tu (Laojiu)". There is another folk saying: "The four beasts Chi, Qilin, Jian, and Pixiu are also among the nine sons of the dragon."

Longzi, like the dragon, is also gradually formed through continuous development and evolution. Although there are different opinions about Longzi, there is a consensus on one thing: the number of dragons in Longzi is that the dragon has nine sons. "Long Cheng" "Nine sons are different." This has been known since ancient times, but there is an unknown story about how they stayed in the world and performed their own duties, starting with Liu Bowen.

According to legend, Liu Bowen was originally a god in front of the Jade Emperor . At the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the world was in chaos, with constant wars and famine everywhere. The Jade Emperor ordered Liu Bowen to be reincarnated to assist Mingjun in order to rule the world and benefit the people. He also gave him the sword to kill the immortal and commanded the Dragon King of the Four Seas. However, the Dragon King was old and weak and had many affairs, so he sent out his nine sons. The nine dragons all have boundless magic power and vast supernatural powers. They followed Liu Bowen in the war for many years, helped Zhu Yuanzhang win the Ming Dynasty, and helped Zhu Di win the throne.

When they had completed their work and were ready to return to the heavenly court to resume their lives, Zhu Di, the extremely ambitious emperor of the Ming Dynasty, wanted to keep them by his side forever to stabilize the country and dominate the world. So in the name of building the Forbidden City, he took Liu Bowen's Immortal Killing Sword and ordered the Nine Sons. But Jiuzi is still a mythical beast, and he suddenly controls the wind and rain and becomes furious. Zhu Di saw that the Immortal Killing Sword could not frighten the Nine Sons, so he decided to use a trick. He said to Bi Xi among the Nine Sons: "You are extremely powerful and can carry tens of thousands of kilograms of things. If you can carry away this piece of the ancestor's magical power, "I will let you go." Bixi saw that it was a small stone tablet, so he carried it on his back without hesitation, but he could not move even though he tried his best.

It turns out that the stele of divine merits and virtues is used to record the merits (good deeds) performed by the "True Dragon Emperor" in his previous life (the merits are immeasurable). It also contains the jade seals of two generations of emperors, which can suppress gods and ghosts in all directions. Seeing his sixth brother being crushed under the monument, Bazi couldn't bear to leave, so he decided to stay together in the world, but vowed never to reveal his true form. Although Zhu Di kept the nine sons, he only got nine statue-like mythical beasts. After Liu Bowen learned of this, he also abandoned Zhu Di and left his body to return to heaven. Zhu Di regretted it so much that in order to warn future generations not to make the same mistake again, he let the nine sons each perform their own duties, which has been passed down through the ages.

Inverted lion [Huangmen Sijian] The stone archway and the gable wall of the Central Asian store are dependent on each other

The Chinese call themselves "descendants of the dragon" and take "dragon" as their ancestor. The history of "dragon" has a long history in China, covering both north and south. In Sanxing Tala, Inner Mongolia in the north, a jade carving "pig dragon" was discovered in 1971. According to expert research, it was about 6,000 to 7,000 years ago; at the Banpo Yangshao Cultural Site in Xi'an, a "pottery pot with dragon pattern" was unearthed Thousands of miles away, artifacts unearthed from the Liangzhu Culture in Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province are engraved with a connecting pattern that resembles a snake but is not a snake, which is the symbol of the "dragon" totem worship of the ancient Yue people. This shows that there was totem worship of "dragon" at least in the middle Neolithic Age.

The formation of the "dragon" started around the Neolithic Age. After development in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, it was basically formed in the Qin and Han Dynasties. It separated from the specific animal image in nature and became a special animal that combines the spirituality and expertise of various animals. By the Tang Dynasty, "dragon" had become the emperor's patent. The dragon pattern could only be used on the emperor's clothes and utensils, and the "dragon" became a symbol of imperial power. After the Song Dynasty, there were more legends about the history and family of "dragon". In the process of forming its image, "Dragon" has embraced various images of strange beasts. Later, as the image of "dragon" developed, these weird beast statues combined certain characteristics of "dragon", forming the saying that "a dragon has nine sons, each of which is different." But what are the nine sons of a dragon? Who is the boss? Who ranks second? There is no exact record. There are also various opinions among the people, but they all differ.

It is said that once Ming Xiaozong Zhu Youtang once asked Li Dongyang, the well-known scholar of the Ministry of Rites, on a whim: "I heard that the dragon gave birth to nine sons. What are the names of each of the nine sons?" Minato, pulled out a list. According to Li Dongyang's list, the nine sons of the dragon are: "Pa Pi, Chao Feng, Jia Zui, Bi Xi, Jiao Tu, Chi Kiss, Pulao, Suan Ni, and Qi Niu". However, there are far more than just these dragon sons in folklore. Biuan, Pixiu, Taotie, etc. are all said to be the sons of the dragon. As long as you know the formation process of "Dragon gives birth to nine sons", it is not difficult to understand why there are so many sayings about "Dragon gives birth to nine sons". The so-called "dragon gives birth to nine sons" does not mean that the dragon happens to give birth to nine sons. In ancient Chinese traditional culture, nine is often used to express many things and has the supreme status. Nine is an imaginary number and a noble number, so it is used to describe dragons.

Inverted Braised Lion [Huangmen Sijian] The stone foundation of the south and north pillars of the stone archway

Suan Ni (Pinyin: Suān ní, sound: acid mud), also known as: Jin Ni , Ling Ni, Suan Qi. One of the legendary "Nine Sons of a Dragon", he is shaped like a lion and ranks fifth. He likes quietness but does not like movement. He likes to sit and likes fireworks. Therefore, the foot decorations on the Buddha's seat and the incense burner are his statues.According to legend, this kind of suan Ni decorated on the Buddha's seat was introduced to China by Indians in the Han Dynasty. By the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it had been widely used in Buddhist art in my country. This style was created by Chinese folk artists and became a It has a traditional Chinese style and later became Longzi's Lao Wu. It is often placed in front of statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sitting in lotus position or with their feet crossed. Ancient books record that it is a ferocious beast that is similar to a lion and can eat tigers and leopards. It also means that the beasts are mighty and follow them.

The author consulted historical books and the Internet, and found records about "Suanni": "Suanni, the name of the animal, is also called 'Peach Bar'". Even the famous writer, exegesis and Feng Shui scholar Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty, who has the legend that Anqing is known as "the Yicheng of this place", also recorded this beast. For example:

1, Ban Gu, a historian of the Eastern Han Dynasty, compiled "Hanshu · Western Regions Part 1 · Wuyi Mountain Leaving the Country", which records that "the land in Wuyi is hot and flat... but there are Taobao, Shizi and rhinoceros."

2, The Qing Dynasty Wang Xianqian "Hanshu Supplementary Notes: Western Regions Picture Modification" records that "Wuyi Mountain is away from the country in the southern border of present-day Persia."

3. Ban Gu's "Hanshu·Western Regions Biography" records that "Wuyi Mountain is away from the country, and there are peach trees. , Shi (lion) son, rhinoceros. "

4, "Hanshu" Tang Yan Shigu Quote "Meng Kang said: Taoba is called Fuba, which looks like a deer, with a long tail, and one horn may be Tianlu (deer). The two horns may be used to ward off evil spirits. "

5, "Er Ya·Shi Beast" records that "the Suan is like a raccoon cat, eating tigers and leopards."

6, "The Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Ban Chao Biography" compiled by Fan Ye of the Southern Dynasty records that "this is the year of tribute for treasure talismans." Ba, Shi (lion) son. "

7, "The Biography of Emperor Mu·Volume 1" records that "the wild horse travels five hundred miles in Suannikou."

8, Li Xian of the Tang Dynasty quoted from "Xu Hanshu" records that "Fu Ba has a shape similar to a lin. "

9, Eastern Jin Dynasty Guo Pu's note "is the lion's son, and came out of the Western Regions"

10, Eastern Jin's Guo Pu's note "Suan Ni, the lion's son, also eats tigers and leopards"

11, Tang Du Fu. "Tengu Fu" records that "Fuhe Tengu is rugged, unique and beautiful, looks like a Suan Ni, and is as small as an ape."

12. Huilin, an eminent monk of the Tang Dynasty, said, "The Suan Ni is a lion, and it came out of the Western Regions."

13, Pu Songling of the Qing Dynasty "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio - Elephants" records that "when I was young, a Suan Ni came and all the elephants fell down."

The small red building on the northern stone pillar site of the Shishi Archway (there are eight large stone pieces on the ground inside the building, five of which can be seen) )

"Suanni" was also called "Peach Bar" in the Han Dynasty, and evil beasts such as "Peach Bar", "Fu Ba" and "Tian Lu" were called "Fu Ba", and one corner was "Tian Lu" (deer); The two horns are "to ward off evil spirits"; the absence of horns is called "Fu Ba". And "Fu Ba" is "Peach Ba", "Peach Ba", "Fu Ba", "Tian Lu", "Tian Lu", "Wuxie", etc. should be collectively referred to as "Wuxie". There are three general subdivisions of "warding off evil spirits":

1. warding off evil spirits: winged ligers, and some winged lions are called "warding off evil spirits";

2. Tianlu: auspicious animals such as Tianlu and Qilin;

3. peach bark : Fuba or Fuba, a lion-like mythical beast that was transformed from an antelope in the early days.

"Taoba", "Fuba" and "Fuba" in historical records are generally considered by academic circles today to be the name of an exotic animal related to "Tianlu" and "Evil-dispelling". It became famous later than "Qilin", mainly since the Han Dynasty passed through the Western Regions, and is obviously related to the countries in Central Asia and West Asia that were called the Western Regions in ancient times.

In the past, there were two understandings. One was that "Taoba" or "Fuba", "Fuba" and "lion" were two animals. For example, it was believed that "Taoba" was an alias for "Qilin", or that it had no horns. "Qilin" (i.e. Qilin), or guess that "Peach" is some other animal from West Asia and Central Asia. Because Meng Kang interpreted "peach" and "lion" separately, Li Xian also interpreted "fuba" exclusively.

Although the records in ancient books are relatively vague and scholars have many differences in understanding, there are two things that are certain. First, "Taoba" is the same as "Tianlu" and "Wuxie", or at least related (that is, the collective name of "Tianlu" and "Wuxie", or the hornless "Tianlu" and "Wuxie"); Secondly, "Tianlu" and "Evil-dispelling" are found in unearthed objects, and they all appear in the image of pairs of winged lions or lions, which are different from the image of "Qilin" unearthed.It can be seen that "Taoba" is not a "Qilin", nor is it a traditional animal such as a "lion"; it is an auspicious animal that looks like a "lion" and is the predecessor of "Suanni". Transformed by the exotic animal "lion" from the Western Regions, it was called "Taoba Shizi" (or Paiba Shizi) in ancient times. After the changes in Chinese civilization, it became "Tianlu", "Evil-dispelling" and so on.

Brawling the lion upside down [Huangmen Sijian] The window ridges and cloud dragon patterns carved on the stone archway are in the Ming carving style

During the Ming Dynasty, because the words "peach bar master" and "peach baring the lion" were homophonic, Anqing folk called "peach bar" "Shizi", a complex ancient cultural product, has evolved into the easy-to-understand "Pluck a lion upside down". It just so happens that the evolved form of Taoba, "Suanni", is similar in appearance to the "lion", so it is preserved and engraved with "Imperial Edict" and "Edict". Huangmenfang ("Huangmen Si Jian" and "Qingsuo Nayan" (imperial edict, established by the imperial court; Qingsuo, used to refer to the palace; Nayan, another name for the servant)), because of the exquisiteness of the ancient "Suanni" stone carvings, it became The people in the ancient city of Anqing used the common name of "picking a lion upside down" instead of the official name for hundreds of years.

Daopaoshi Street, as the most important main road in the ancient city of Anqing, went through the Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and the Republic of China, and gradually developed into the commercial center in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and modern Anqing (province) city. It has been at least With a history of more than 750 years, it is not only one of the two oldest streets in Anqing Fucheng, but also one of the oldest streets with written records in Anqing Fucheng. Many well-known domestic time-honored brands have settled in this street, such as "Shuanghehe (Liu Mazi), Lao Baocheng, Hu Kaiwen, Lao Lao He Tai, Watsons, Hengdeli, Lide Chang, Zhengtaichang, Baocheng, Baoqing, Lao Fengxiang, Ying Shengtai, Wang Taihe, Wang Xiehe, Weifangcun, Dalu, Liang Yinhe, Tiancheng, Zheng Tongde, Wan Huachun, Li Deyu, Xindetang, Hongzhang, Yongfaxiang, Heniantang, etc. soon fell down Shi Street. It is known as the "No. 1 Street in Anhui Province" (i.e., the No. 1 Commercial Street in Anhui Province).

Inverted Paoshi [Huangmen Sijian] The old site of Mawangpo in the East Jiutou Thirteen Slopes of the Stone Archway

Inverted Paoshi Street is higher in the west and lower in the east. Standing under the "Inverted Pavilion Stone Archway", you can overlook the center of Anqing City to the east. "Four Archways", more than 100 meters east of the stone archway is "Mawang Slope", one of the famous "Nine Heads and Thirteen Slopes" in Anqing Ancient City.

During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, this was the highest military center outside the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom capital Tianjing, the "Taiping Heavenly Kingdom British Palace".

The Hunan Army captured Anqing, and it became the base camp of the Hunan Army, the "Administrative Office". Later, the "Huai Army", an important organization in modern Chinese history, and China's first "steam engine" were born here.

"The Governor's Office in the Prince's Palace" became the birthplace of China's modern industrial civilization, and also became one of the birthplaces of China's Westernization Movement and modern China's civilization. China's modern industry, military industry, machinery industry, manufacturing, shipbuilding, journalism, publishing, printing and other industries all spread from here to the whole country.

Domestic Goods Street in Daopaoshi Historical and Cultural District

"Domestic Goods Street" was originally part of the eastern section of Daopaoshi Street. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was collectively called "Daopaoshi Street"; during the Guangxu period of the late Qing Dynasty, it was called "Sipailou Main Street". At the beginning of the last century, Si Pailou Main Street was renamed "Sipailou West Street".

In the eighth year of the Republic of China (1919), the May Fourth Movement broke out in Beijing. The news spread to Anqing, the capital of Anhui Province, and all walks of life in the provincial capital responded immediately.

html On the morning of May 8, more than 2,000 students in Anqing held a support rally in the Huangjia (Flower) playground, and the call was sent to the whole country.

html On May 10, the Anqing Student League was established; the next day, the Anhui Provincial Student Federation Preparatory Committee was established.

On May 20, the provincial chamber of commerce cooperated with the Anqing Student Federation and made a decision to boycott Japanese goods. Ni Sichong, the governor of Anqing, the Beiyang warlord, ordered a halt to the student movement and sent military police to arrest students who posted slogans and distributed leaflets, sparking public outrage.

html On May 25, the Anhui Provincial Student Federation was established; on the same day, the newly established Anhui Provincial Student Federation decided to set up a domestic product inspection station at the Guest House outside the South Gate of Anqing, the provincial capital, and at the third archway, fourth archway, reverse grilled lion, etc. In the main commercial street, a domestic product sales department is opened.

html On June 6, the Anqing Chamber of Commerce and various business groups formed an inspection team to patrol the streets and strictly boycott Japanese goods.

html From June 8th to 10th, merchants in Anqing went on strike.

html On June 11, the entire city of Anqing went on a general strike. All shops in the streets and alleys were closed. More than 2,000 dock workers also went on strike at the same time. A large-scale campaign to promote domestic products and boycott Japanese products made Anqing the center of political turmoil that attracted national attention. one.

Later, student representatives proposed and with the approval of the Anhui Provincial National Government, the "Sipailou West Street" where merchants gathered was changed to "Domestic Products Street" to commemorate this massive patriotic movement in Anhui and Anqing.

Daopaoshi Pedestrian Street in Daopaoshi Historical and Cultural District

In 1985, Anqing Municipal People's Government transformed "Daopaoshi Ancient Street" into a traditional (commercial) pedestrian street. At that time, city managers lacked awareness of cultural relics protection. In order to make the street The shops on both sides were neatly and brand-newly arranged. Many dilapidated cultural relics and Western-style historical buildings were demolished, and a number of modern brick-concrete structures and traditional antique Ming and Qing Huizhou buildings were built. ". After several months of closure for renovation and restoration, the reopened "Dao Pa Shi Pedestrian Street" gathered merchants and reached its most prosperous peak period since the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Regrettably, in 1987, Anqing City demolished the main building of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom British Prince’s Palace and the Former Site of the Governor’s Administrative Office, which was an important cultural relic and historic site listed in the "Daopao Lion Pedestrian Street" in the early days of liberation.)

In 1986, the Anqing Municipal People's Government started to demolish the "Daopao Lion Pedestrian Street" again. A concrete double-column single-door stone archway was rebuilt at the west entrance of Shijie Street. There is a lion on the east and west sides of each column. A total of four upside-down lions support the pillars of the new archway. Such " Although "picking a lion upside down" is a misunderstanding, it also leaves some legend to this century-old street!

Protection Plan for the Historical and Cultural District of Daopaoshi. Figure 1.

Protection Plan for the Historical and Cultural District of Daopaoshi. Picture 2.

Protection Plan for the Historical and Cultural District of Daopaoshi. Picture 3