This is a couplet hanging in Wuzhitang, Yanyuan, Changshu City. It was written by Lin Tianren, a researcher at the Palace Museum in Taiwan, China and a visiting professor at the Institute of Humanities of Zhejiang University, and written by Xu Guohuang, a contemporary Chinese Taiwanese painter. In the middle of the couplet is a portrait of Changshu celebrity Jiang Yuanshu . This couplet describes the life and historical achievements of Jiang Yuanshu, a famous official in the Qing Dynasty.
Yanyuan is located in Xinfeng Lane, the ancient city of Changshu. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit for . It is a typical Jiangnan classical cultural garden. Jiang Yuanshu in the couplet is the original owner of Yanyuan. Why do Taiwanese scholars today have such a high opinion of a Changshu person 300 years ago? The main reason is that Jiang Yuanshu, who once served as the prefect of Taiwan, made important contributions to strengthening the Qing court's rule over Taiwan, promoting Taiwan's development, and consolidating the reunification of the motherland.
Yanyuan
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3Jiang Yuanshu (1739-1781), whose courtesy name is Zhongsheng and his nickname is Xiangyan. The Jiang family was a famous family in Changshu in the Qing Dynasty, and was known as the "scholar family and Jinshi family". Since the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, there were more than a dozen people in the family, including Jinshi and . His grandfather, Jiang Tingxi, and his father, Jiang Pu, , were all Grandmasters. Jiang Yuanshu was a juren in the 24th year of Qianlong (1759). Later, he was appointed as the magistrate of Hui'an and Xianyou in Fujian and was awarded the magistrate of Chong'an. He was transferred to Jianyang and Jinjiang , promoted to Tongzhi, and stationed in Xiamen . In the spring of the 40th year of Qianlong (1775), he served as the first magistrate of Taiwan and served as the academician in the following year. He died in Fujian in the 46th year of Qianlong's reign. Jiang Yuanshu has been an official in Taiwan for three years and has made countless honors, building a cross-strait exchange platform, with remarkable political achievements.
In the Fengshen Temple, the Taiwanese people were sent to Fujian Province to serve as local officials in order to commemorate Jiang Yuanshu's statue
After Jiang Yuanshu passed the imperial examination, he was later promoted to the Tongzhi of the Coast Defense and stationed in Xiamen. Xiamen is located at the throat of Penghu and Taiwan, and its strategic position is very important. According to the "Xiamen Chronicle" in the 19th year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty, the Qing government collected Fu Valley in Taiwan and transported it to Fujian as military rations, which was called "Taiwan Transport"; any merchant ships to Taiwan traded with rice grains according to the size of the ship are called "Taiwan Transport". From 1685 to 1784, Xiamen-Tainan was the only ferry crossing between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait (the specific locations are Yushapo, Xiamen Port and Luermen, Tainan). All materials were shipped to , Xiamen Port and then transferred by ship. All of these matters were managed by Xiamen Haifang Tongzhi.
During his tenure, Jiang Yuanshu carefully planned and managed strictly, and repeatedly took measures to facilitate business, which was highly appreciated by superiors and welcomed by the people. In the 39th year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1774), the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Zhongyin , and the governor of Fujian, Yu Wenyi, recommended Jiang Yuanshu to be promoted to magistrate of Taiwan Prefecture, praised:
"This person is smart and capable, and he is in the truth. He has been in Fujian for a long time, and he is currently a place to cross the Taiwan Strait. His voice is similar, and he is also well aware of the customs and customs of the Taiwan land... As the magistrate of the Tongzhi Jiang Yuanshu was promoted to magistrate of Taiwan Prefecture, which is competent, and is actually beneficial to the sea and border."
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3 In the 40th year of Qianlong, Jiang Yuanshu was promoted to magistrate of Taiwan. At that time, the Taiwan Prefecture belonged to Fujian Province, which was under the jurisdiction of Taiwan, , Zhuluo, and Fengshan counties. The population of the entire island was less than 200,000. When Jiang Yuanshu took office, "the people have not yet collected the land and land have not yet been opened", which is a waste of money.
Taiwan people established political ethics for Jiang Yuanshu
After Jiang Yuanshu took office, he worked hard to govern. First, we started to strengthen the defense of Taiwan Island and rebuilt the wooden city, transformed the original single-story city defense into a double-story, planted clumps of vines in the middle, and added enemy building forts in the coastal areas of the west of the city to make up for the shortcomings of the wooden city defense. He also visited his county in person to conduct inspections, and built stones to make forts in dangerous places based on the terrain to prevent pirates from invading. During his tenure as the Tongzhi of Xiamen Coast Defense, Jiang Yuanshu deeply realized that maritime transportation and trade must be based on sea control. Therefore, after he took office, he added building, added forts, rebuilt bridges in the Binhai area, built a Taijun military factory, and built a new Luermen Mansion in a dangerous place to assist in defense and strengthen military strength.1778, he donated to build the Penghu Xiyu Lighthouse, which is the earliest lighthouse in Taiwan, .
Secondly, Jiang Yuanshu took the lead in donating his salary, building a Confucian Temple school, educating the people, and encouraging students to study and take exams. In the past, all Confucian scholars in Penghu had to cross the sea to Taiwan Prefecture to take the imperial examination . The ocean was blocked, and the round trip was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the admission rate was very low, not even one percent. Jiang Yuanshu carried out bold reforms, suggesting that Penghu students take the exam directly locally, and set up a "Pengzi" specializing in , and admitted one of the children's every year. This move shortened the Penghu scholar's schedule for the exam and saved them from the hard work. The scholars of Penghu were excited and were more committed to studying and improving.
Third, promote profits and eliminate disadvantages, and is committed to economic development in Taiwan. Taiwan’s land is divided into two types: land and garden. There are water conservancy irrigation fields, and early plantings are gardens. He formulated measures to guide farmers to raise rice in fields, plant sugarcane in gardens, and also recruit refugees to reclaim wasteland and develop agricultural production. In office for three years, he worked hard, started his business with great success, and his political achievements became more and more successful. In February of the 44th year of Qianlong, when Jiang Yuanshu was introduced to Emperor Qianlong , the emperor commended: "I am promising, the son of Jiang Pu."
Taiwan's "Jiang Gongsheng Temple" stone plaque
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During the three-month period of time in Taiwan, Jiang Yuanshu built county towns, set up buildings, worship palaces, temples, bridges, mansions, lighthouses, funeral houses, barracks, salt farms, docks, factories, and made outstanding achievements. The people regarded him as a god and won the praise of "the people who have served for more than a thousand days, and the people have recovered; the people will prosper, and the people will prosper. They will be very happy every day, and they will be especially impressed by Mr. Jiang."
Jiang Yuanshu statue
During his tenure in Taiwan, Jiang Yuanshu also compiled and painted " Rebuilding the Architectures of Tai County" , which is now in the collection of Taipei Palace Museum , recording a series of construction activities in Taiwan. It can be said that this is an encyclopedia , which is an collection of the achievements of local public construction matters in Taiwan. It integrates precious materials from Taiwan’s history, architecture history, and epigraphy . Taiwanese academic community calls him the "Master of Architectural Aesthetics of the Qing Dynasty" . Through this book, people can have a clearer understanding of Jiang Yuanshu's contributions to the local people during his tenure in Taiwan. Until today, especially in Tainan, many places still retain historical sites related to Jiang Yuanshu.
Jiang Yuanshu's "Repair of Architectures in Tainan" in "The Pictures of the Stone Archway of Tainan"
Jiang Yuanshu is also donating his salary to build Yangjiyuan and Pujitang and to provide support to the widowed, widowed, orphans and disabled poor people. He can be called a true benevolent official. The people of Taiwan loved him very much. When Jiang Yuanshu returned home, the people were reluctant to leave. Local gentlemen and merchants donated money and converted the other hall where he lived into the "Sheng Temple of the Former Prefect Jiang Yuanshu" (the stones of the temple are still left). The people also thanked him for his contribution to the reconstruction of the Tainan Datian Palace, where Jiang Yuanshu's position of longevity was worshipped. Because he is the son of the prime minister, people call him "Prince Jiang". In addition to being kind and respectful, it also symbolizes youth, elegance and promising.
Academic circles believe that Jiang Yuanshu ruled the Taiwan Strait, leaving behind the highest record of local officials in the Qing Dynasty, and as for the number of remains of cultural relics, steles, works, etc., it is the first to none. These also confirm the couplet in Yanyuan today: It is built on the new atmosphere of Yushan and the great achievements of Taijun for four hundred years.
Changshu Yanyuan Wuzhitang
References:
"Changshu City Chronicles" January 2016 Fangzhi Publishing House
"The Ancient Style - Family Rules and Family Constitutions in Changshu History" November 2011 Guangling Bookstore
"Observation" Issue 90 (2021/02) "Taiwan Prefect Jiang Yuanshu stays in the hearts of Taiwanese people" Zhao Lina
"Xiamen Evening News" On May 30, 2019, "Taiwan originally had no magpies, and the sound of magpies erupted after Xiamen officials went to Taiwan! 》
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Author: Changshu Municipal Local Chronicles Office Zhang Jun
Manuscript Source: Changshu Municipal Local Chronicles Office
Review and release: Zhang Yizhe
