"The reeds on the wall are top-heavy and have a shallow foundation; the bamboo shoots in the mountains have sharp mouths, thick skin and hollow bellies." ——Xie Jin
The "top-heavy" nature of reed lies in its "impetuous roots and shallow roots". Without down-to-earth roots, it will not be able to withstand strong winds and waves; bamboo shoots may look sharp and powerful, but they are just hollow flower shelves on the outer wall.
In modern society, there are many "talents and experts" similar to reeds and bamboo shoots, and there are also endless "perfect experts" who are very popular and have been pushed off the altar. In today's technologically advanced world, can experts really solve all "difficult diseases"?
No, if experts in can solve problems with "specialized skills", there will be no such incident of "a lion overturning a man's hatred" that has occurred today. What happened to the lion? What is the relationship with the experts?
1. Cangzhou Iron Lion : origin and casting
The Hebei giant lion mentioned today has experienced thousands of years of wind and rain erosion. From man-made wars thousands of years ago to unexpected natural disasters, in the changing times, this giant lion stands tall and tall. The giant lion with its chest always stands in front of Tianyuan Temple, intact and unmoving.
However, it suddenly fell down under a series of protection by experts. After this fall, it began to corrode continuously. Was the collapse of the giant lion caused by the cleverness of the experts, or was it due to longevity?
First, let’s take a look at the origin of this Hebei giant lion?
The Cangzhou Iron Lion was built in 953 AD. It is located in front of the Kaiyuan Temple in the southeastern suburbs of Cangzhou City, Hebei Province. It is the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva in the Kaiyuan Temple. What makes this lion unique is that it is "big". The "big brother" among many lions. It is 6.264 meters long, 2.981 meters wide, 5.47 meters high and weighs nearly 32 tons. 's size alone is intimidating. Such a huge lion is not easy to complete in modern society with advanced technology. So, how did the ancients cast it in an era of backward technology?
Of course, the wisdom of our ancestors cannot be underestimated. It is really amazing that we were able to carve this huge stone lifelike in a poor and backward era. Through research on this giant lion, it was found that the casting technology of the lion adopted the "block stack casting" technology. There was no advanced technology in ancient times, so the ancients came up with the method of "using iron blocks of about thirty to forty centimeters each, and then pouring them together." This kind of wisdom can be called the leader of Chinese civilization. While
paid attention to the huge size, they also did not forget the "shape and spirit" of the lion. The whole lion looked majestic from a distance and uniquely charming up close. The wavy hair of the giant lion is surprising, and the details are exquisite. Quite rightly, the Diamond Sutra is engraved inside the lion. Being able to create details from the inside out shows that the ancients were striving for perfection and had a practical and capable attitude. It is no wonder that the ancients have left many classics that are difficult to surpass in the course of thousands of years of history. So, what is the profound meaning of Cangzhou Iron Lion? What else stands out?
2. Cangzhou Iron Lion : Meaning and legend
The ancients used their hard work and wisdom to carve this huge stone into a majestic and majestic shape. Therefore, since its completion in the Later Zhou Dynasty, this giant lion has not just been a sculpture, it is more Most of them are a kind of spiritual sustenance for local people.
Of course, there are countless legends about this lion in Cangzhou area. Some people once said: This lion is a mythical beast that can suppress tsunamis and drive away evil spirits. It is also known as the "Zhenhai Roar" ; others say: this iron lion helps Cangzhou people drive away evil dragons and bring evil spirits away. In order to commemorate its achievements, the local people raised money to cast the lion ; some people said: This lion with its eyes glaring is guarding the people of Cangzhou and is the "Suppressor of Cangzhou". lion".
Due to the age, the origin of this lion’s casting has been lost. The only thing that can be determined is that no matter what the reason, this lion is a legend. Not only is it big, but it also carries great spiritual sustenance and cultural heritage. It is regarded as a treasure by the local people. Through natural disasters for thousands of years and frequent wars in the early 19th century, this lion has withstood various hardships. test. So, can it always exist in the world?
3. Cangzhou Iron Lion: Falling to the ground
I thought that in a modern society with a developed economy and abundant materials, this lion would survive longer. As a result, in modern society, this lion fell suddenly, catching people off guard, and the reason behind it is even more controversial.
In 1803, the Cangzhou Iron Lion suddenly collapsed due to excessive wind and waves. At that time, the domestic situation was turbulent and the rulers of the Qing Dynasty were corrupt and incompetent. Many people were too busy to take care of themselves under the oppression of the government. This once-powerful Hebei Cang Lion After the collapse, no one cared about it, and it lay underground for 90 years.
It wasn’t until 1893 that some local people worked together to lift the lion up. Little did he know: this lion began a troubled life.
Due to long-term contact with the ground, some moisture entered the interior of the lion, and the lion's abdomen, tail and other parts had begun to corrode to varying degrees. However, there was no one to take care of it at the time, and the scarred lion just stood in the cold wind. Damage to a small area does not affect the overall beauty.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, my country's cultural relics department paid more and more attention to the protection of material culture. The Hebei Cangshi is the oldest and largest iron-cast lion currently existing in my country. Its historical value is self-evident, and it is naturally included in the list of protected items. .
Later, experts implemented three major methods to protect the giant lion. So what was the effect?
4. Protection by experts
Then, in order to protect the lion, the cultural relics department formulated a careful and rigorous protection plan. However, what they did not expect was that after the plan was implemented, the lion turned out to be "unappreciative" and became more fragile. What measures has the cultural relics department taken?
1. "Settle down" and build a house for the lion
At that time, China and the United States had relatively good relations. In order to protect this iron lion, Chinese experts were very concerned about it. However, due to its huge size, they did not know what measures to take, so they went Consult Soviet experts. Soviet experts did not understand our country's iron-casting technology thousands of years ago. Considering the reasons for its collapse at that time, they suggested that build a pavilion for this iron-cast lion to shelter from wind and rain.
On the one hand, it can prevent the iron lion from being blown down again by wind and rain, on the other hand, it can also protect it from wind and rain. The suggestion of sounds perfect, but it ignores the actual conditions such as local weather and location.
Soon, China learned from the opinions of Soviet experts and began to "build a house" for this huge lion. This pavilion looks majestic and domineering, which is very suitable for the "giant lion" to stay here for a long time. However, Chinese experts ignored ventilation. A lot of water in the iron lion's body cannot evaporate quickly and remains in the body, which accelerates the degree of rust.
Although the pavilion can protect you from wind and rain, as a semi-enclosed environment, doesn't it create a good atmosphere for iron to rust? It is tantamount to self-defeating. The iron lion continues to corrode. Due to its huge size, Chinese experts have not found a suitable solution for the time being, so they just let it go.
The reason why this pavilion was not demolished in time when the problem was discovered was because it was afraid that the person in charge of the relevant department would be held responsible. After all, it took a lot of manpower and financial resources to build the pavilion and it was demolished at any time, which was quite disadvantageous to some people. This is a bitter experience. The rusty iron lion has been rusting in this "love pavilion" for several years.
It was not until 1972 that the relevant departments went to great lengths to dismantle the pavilion. The first method didn't work, so they started a second method to protect the giant lion.
2. "Give a seat" and move it to the pedestal.
Then, experts combined the experience of the pavilion and decided to build a pedestal for it. Since there is no pavilion for protection, let it be exposed to the air to reduce corrosion. Building a pedestal can not only increase the lion's majesty, but also isolate it from ground water.
However, imagination is beautiful, but reality is very skinny. In order to increase the stability of the lion on the pedestal, the relevant departments poured cement into the four legs of the lion. Little did they know: the cement looks stable, but actually contains a lot of water. This is a typical "drinking poison to quench thirst".
Sure enough, not long after, cracks began to appear on the four legs of the giant lion, and the cracks became bigger and bigger. Seeing that the giant lion was fragile, the cultural relics department started the third protection.
3. "Protective frame", set up iron protective frame
Later, they continued to repair the four damaged lion feet, but the repair speed could not keep up with the degree of corrosion. In order to prevent this giant lion from falling down Next, the experts ordered people to build an iron frame around the giant lion. This iron frame completely declared the failure of three protection operations. The giant lion under the iron frame was covered with bruises and had dozens of cracks on its body. The former majestic lion has become like this, and the local residents are naturally angry and complaining: If it were not for blind protection, how could this lion have become a "rusty lion".
Seeing that the lions that had been so painstakingly protected had such an end, the cultural relics department was also anxious. Under the pressure of public opinion, they continued to formulate and study methods of protection and repair. You must know that if cultural relics fall under the protection of cultural relic experts, it will be a big joke.
So, was the final protection successful?
In 2006, they launched high technology. The Chinese Cultural Heritage Research Institute could not bear the giant lion to be destroyed under the "over-protection" of experts, so it conducted careful research on it. After used three-dimensional spectroscopy to analyze the composition of the iron lion, it made an inner liner for the iron lion and removed the iron frame armor surrounding the lion. Only then did it slow down its corrosion. Several years of protection work was considered a success. The dust has settled.
Summary
In general, the protection of giant lions was originally a good intention of the cultural relics department, but due to the excessive pursuit of experts, it took a detour. To be called an expert, there must be something special about an expert, but "egrets chop meat from their legs, mosquitoes rip fat from their bellies" is a compliment to experts.
Some people believe that the reason for the rust of the lion is not necessarily caused by the protection of experts. Perhaps when the lion fell to the ground in 1803, its corrosion was destined. It has nothing to do with experts. Nothing can exist in the world for a long time. What is born must be destroyed. The lion has experienced thousands of years, and its lifespan may have reached this point. Maybe without expert protection, the lion would have fallen to the ground long ago.
Some people also think that it is strange that good lions are filled with cement and iron frames and do not rust. If it were not for the experts' tinkering and failure to formulate a protection plan based on the actual situation, the lions would not have ended up like this.
As the saying goes: masters are among the people, masters are wandering, and clowns are in the palace. Today's society has exposed many ugly images: some people with real knowledge, talent and knowledge are low-key, humble, and unknown, like the popular wandering master Shen Wei; and Those who show off their literature and make high-profile remarks will generally be self-defeating and ugly. The introspection caused by the giant lion is not only a matter of protection methods, but also a professional issue of relevant personnel in relevant departments. Do you think the collapse of the giant lion that has stood for thousands of years has something to do with experts?
reference: "Drunken Taiping"
pictures come from the Internet. If there is any infringement, please contact us to delete it!
