A brick on the wall of Jiayuguan has never been passive in the past 500 years, and has become a legend about Jiayuguan. There are various legends about the origin and meaning of this brick, but there are three versions that are the most widely circulated and accepted.
One of the legends called this brick "Shending Brick". Legend has it that the gods in the heavens were amazed when they saw the tall and sturdy city walls of Jiayuguan, and asked curiously: "Why did you build such a city pass?"The people replied, "The tall walls will keep us safe and our families can live in peace." The fairy was moved by such an answer and put down a brick as an agreement, as long as the brick did not move, Jiayuguan would never collapse.
Legend 2 calls this brick "Dinglong brick". According to legendThe Great WallYes, in accordance withDragon VeinThe direction of the construction, that is, that,The Great WallHere's howDragon Vein。As a mythical beast, the dragon is untamed and not easy to be tamed. And this brick can fix the dragon qi and stabilizeDragon Vein, guaranteedNational GamesUnobstructed, the throne is secure.
Legend No. 3 calls this brick "Dingcheng brick". The walls of Jiayuguan are nine meters high, and a lot of masonry is required to build the walls. At that time, the conditions were very limited, and it was all done by manpower, and the masonry had to be fired from a distance of forty miles. In order to solve the transportation problem, goats were ingeniously used to transport masonry. However, in the process of reinforcing the city wall, an old man told the ** in charge of the construction that the city still lacked one thing, that is, "fixed city bricks". * Asked how the old man knew, the old man smiled and replied, "What is the matter with me?"Su WuWhat don't you know?Put this brick on the gate tower of Jiayuguan City, and never move. So the brick was placed on the gate tower and never moved again.
Although these three legends are different, they all express a special meaning and unshakable determination to this brick. They are firmly linked to the fate of Jiayuguan, and the history and construction of Jiayuguan.
Jiayuguan is one of the important passes in ancient China and has a long history. According to historical records, in 1372 A.D., the Ming Hongwu five yearsMing DynastyThe Founding Emperor of the People's Republic of ChinaZhu YuanzhangIt was decided to go on a northern expedition to purge other tribes and countries that threatened the Central Plains. However, the Northern Expedition fell into a protracted war. At this time,Zhu Yuanzhangof subordinatesFeng ShengFound outHexi CorridorThe geographical advantage decided to build Jiayuguan here as a defensive point.
Feng ShengTell you what you've discoveredZhu Yuanzhang, with his approval. As a result, a large number of craftsmen and garrisons were requisitioned to Jiayuguan to build the city wall. InZhu YuanzhangThe eyes, masteryHexi CorridorIt is equivalent to mastering the northwest region, and Jiayuguan will become an impregnable defense gateway and a hub connecting the northwest.
At the beginning of the construction, Jiayuguan was only built by earth ramming, and there was no platform. However, inMing DynastyIn the first year of Zhengde (1506 AD), Li Duancheng was personally responsible for the construction of Jiayuguan and the expansion of Xiluoguan Tower. Li Duancheng was very worried about the scale of Jiayuguan, believing that the existing defense facilities were far from sufficient. So he reported to the imperial court and asked for the continuation of the expansion of Jiayuguan, and obtained the emperor's approval.
The expansion of Jiayuguan was designed by Yi Kaizhan. Yi Kaizhan was a mathematician andArchitectureExpert, he carefully surveyed and surveyed the terrain of Jiayuguan, and put forward a set of multi-angle and multi-faceted defense requirements. He also made a model to calculate the number of bricks needed for the whole project, the number of which is 99,999 III. Legends and symbols in bricks.
This brick, known as the "Shending Brick", "Dinglong Brick" or "Dingcheng Brick", has been endowed with special symbolism and protection in legend. Whether it is as a "god's fixed brick" for the covenant of the gods, or as a stabilityDragon VeinThe "Dinglong Bricks" and the "Dingcheng Bricks" as reinforcements of the city wall all represent the stability and security of Jiayuguan.
In people's hearts, this brick has become the patron saint of Jiayuguan, representing the inviolability of Jiayuguan externally and its internal unity. It is part of the Jiayuguan City Wall and, together with the entire city wall, bears the responsibility of protecting the city. Its existence and legend have become an important part of Jiayuguan's history and culture, and it is also a symbol of respect and respect for the builders and protectors of the past generations.
The legends and symbols of Jiayuguan are rich and diverse, which has deepened people's recognition and love for this pass, and has also become an important resource for Jiayuguan's tourism industry. Both tourists and local residents can learn about and feel the unique cultural heritage and historical charm of Jiayuguan by visiting, listening to stories and enjoying traditional performances.