Leifeng Pagoda inverted snake bubbles (Hangzhou West Lake Travel Notes 3)

In the early spring more than ten years ago, I was walking alone in the West Lake and stopped at the Broken Bridge. In the lingering rain, I seemed to see the tender White Snake and the quirky little Qing girl, walking towards the West Lake from distant legends. They came all the way from Mount Emei, not for the scenery of the West Lake, but for the fate that they must live in for eighteen lifetimes.

The white lady's methods were too sharp. With just one look, she directed Miss Xiaoqing to summon the silk rain all over the sky. She took the opportunity to get under Brother Xu Xian's oil-paper umbrella, their eyes met, and they fell in love at first sight. The oil-paper umbrellas of West Lake have been unique in the world since ancient times. During the plum rain season, West Lake in the rain has always been a world of colorful umbrellas. Xu Xian originally held the umbrella to protect himself from the rain, but he didn't want to get caught by two beauties like flowers.

"The small building listens to the spring rain all night, and the deep alley sells apricot flowers in the Ming Dynasty." When the apricot flowers are in full bloom, the spring rain moistens everything. On the leisurely boat, the passionate white lady and the honest scholar exchange men and women with just a few glances. The dogma of no kiss was torn to pieces. When they broke up, the affectionate White Snake took the love umbrella from Xu Xian's hand, and the earth-shattering love story began.

It was still daylight, and Xu Xian, who had been awake all night, rubbed his red and swollen eyelids and rushed from Qingbomen to Qiantang impatiently with his heavy thoughts. In the warm little house, only Bai Niangzi and Xu Xian were left in a warm mood. The naughty Xiao Qing hid under the window and listened. At this time, Xu Xian was at the age where he was burning with desire, and White Snake was the incarnation of a spiritual snake, one strong and brave, the other graceful. Once the paper on the window between the passionate love between man and woman was pierced, they have been inseparable since then.

Xu Xian was originally a clerk at the "Baohe Tang" in Hangzhou. After marrying the White Snake, his family came to Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province and opened a drug store, becoming the chairman and general manager. The White Snake sat in court in person and cured the disease with medicine, which won praise from the people of the area.

The stubborn old monk Fahai, the abbot of Jinshan Temple, decided to break up the loving couple. How dare men and women have sex despite different paths, this is not only an emotional issue, but also an important political consideration. In an age where politics is concerned, such issues must not be ignored.

Comrade Xu Xian, who had been drunk with ecstasy soup, unswervingly chose Fahai in the big decision of right and wrong. Regardless of the thousand-year promise, he used despicable means to trick the White Snake into drinking the strong wine realgar. The white lady is so helpless. If she doesn't go to hell for love, who will go to hell? The strong alcohol burned Rouchang, and she revealed her true colors. Comrade Xu Xian, the fragile drugstore owner, was frightened by the long red tail of the giant snake in front of him. He fainted with a roar, his life hanging by a thread.

What a white lady, for the sake of the thousand-year love in her heart, she risked her life and went through many dangers. She went to Penglai Fairy Island alone and stole the fairy grass to save Xu Xian. Comrade Xu Xian, who was hopeless, did not want to repent and once again walked into the trap set by Fa Hai. In order to once again rescue her lost husband from the monk Fahai, the pregnant White Lady had no choice but to join forces with the girl Qing'er to fight against Fahai. They invited soldiers and crab generals to reverse the flow of the Yangtze River, flooding the Jinshan Mountains, angering the heavens, and rushing under A disaster caused by the collapse of the sky.

White Snake, who is about to go to the execution ground, unexpectedly meets Comrade Xu Xian who has lost his soul by the long bridge in the wind and rain. The past events came to mind, this lake's clear water can accommodate the stars, sun and moon, why can't it accommodate this unparalleled love?

In the cold rain, beside the long bridge, White Snake and Xu Xian faced each other in silence. At this time, on the other side of the mountain, on the grassy beach of Xixi Wetland, a shepherd boy with a flute on his back was singing loudly: "In the first month of the year, the plum blossoms bloomed all over the forest. Xu Xian went to the West Lake for a spring outing. The White Lady fell in love with her at the first sight, and Xiao Qing started to do it. Dark clouds. In February, the apricot blossoms are as white as silver, and the boat rolls to Yongjinmen. Bai Niangniang goes ashore to borrow an umbrella, and Xu Xian asks for it to get married. "

The beautiful singing awakened Xu Xian. He repented and vowed to White Snake: From now on, I will accompany you through the dawn wind and the waning moon, and I will accompany you through the setting sun like blood. You are a lake of clear water, and I transform into the majestic mountains. You are the beautiful lotus of a lake, and I am the purple smoke wandering around it. The sea can dry up, and the rocks can rot. I love you, and it will never change. In this way, Bai Niangzi and Xu Xian put aside their previous differences, reconciled, welcomed a baby, and reunited their families.

It's a shame that Fa Hai would not let it go. This time he brought in Bodhisattva Wei Tuo, who has boundless power in the Buddhist world, and restrained the White Snake alive under the Lei Feng Pagoda, ruining a happy marriage with blood. When I was very young, I heard the story of "The Legend of White Snake" from my elders, and I always hated Fahai. Many, many years ago, when I was looking back on my childhood memories, I adapted a nursery rhyme to express my feelings of love and hate.

Pull a big saw,

Pull a big saw,

Pick up a girl and exchange for a son-in-law,

Singing opera in front of grandma's door.

There is really a big show going on outside the door.

Xu Xian met the white snake on a broken bridge,

All the shemales are the Queen of Fire,

Why are the fairies more beautiful?

The pagoda calmed the White Snake,

Fahai's "Bald Ladle" is so annoying,

Trying to capture the old thief Jinshan Temple,

I just hate that there is no way to recover.

I went to Nanshan,

I learn martial arts,

Catch "Bald Ladle" and send him to hell,

There will be no more tragedy in the world.

I once listened to Mr. Xia Yan's "The Legend of the White Snake" by Mr. Xia Yan. On the stage, the miserable Bai Suzhen held the baby in her arms and sang in a trembling voice: "kiss my dear child's cheek, and shed tears every now and then. My heart is shaking only for your father, The dressing table is not next to him, but the lotus platform. We love each other again in the Broken Bridge Pavilion. I gave birth to you, a little darling, in the midst of adversity. Let’s just say that after all the hardships, the troubles will be over. I will raise my beloved son without any illness or disaster... Who would have thought that this thief Fahai would still be there, and he would be in trouble. I want to separate my husband, mother and son, saying that Buddhism is a merciful sect, and I don’t care about you, a one-month-old baby. What will I do if I leave my mother?"

That heart-wrenching lyrics made me burst into tears. I hate the sanctimonious monk Fa Hai, and sympathize with Bai Suzhen who just wants to live an ordinary life, and the girl Qing'er who risked her life to accompany him.

Mr. Xia Yan once served as the Vice Minister of Culture of the People's Republic of China. He is an opera writer and has adapted novels such as "Blessing", "Lin's Shop" and "Eternal Life in the Fire" into modern movies. He himself spent eight years and seven months in "guardianship" during the Cultural Revolution, leaving him with an incurable disability. After his comeback, he was elected as the chairman of the China Film Association and won the honorary title of "Film Artist with Outstanding Contribution" awarded by the State Council. Regardless of his political stance, his cry for love and his accusation of power in "The Legend of White Snake" indeed reflect the value orientation of an ordinary kind-hearted person.

Mr. Xia Yan is from Hangzhou. He put a very real Bai Suzhen on the stage of the drama, which made countless people shed tears. The reason why I have such a high opinion of Mr. Xia Yan is because I once saw such a passage in a book. At the beginning of the change of political power, Zhang Ailing was invited to attend a meeting. As soon as she entered the meeting place, she was surprised to find that All the people she knew well were dressed in the same new-age public clothes and scorned her with the same accent. Inexplicable fear immediately surged into Zhang Ailing's heart, and she was determined to leave this place that would throw her into the abyss at any time. It is said that the person who later provided her with a pass to study in Hong Kong was Mr. Xia Yan.

I forgot who once told me that the best place to see the remaining snow on the broken bridge is the Baochu Pagoda, which is far away from the Lei Feng Pagoda. After the snow has passed and the weather cleared, I climbed up to Baoshi Mountain and overlooked the silver-covered West Lake. From a distance, I saw that the snow and ice had melted on the sunny side of the bridge, but the shady side of the bridge was still covered with snow. The bridge seemed to be broken but not broken, looming.

The bridge is not broken, people are gone, and the cold wind corrodes the bones where the heart is broken. Is Bai Suzhen's innocent soul still trapped in the endless darkness at the bottom of Leifeng Tower? I firmly believe that the beautiful and kind-hearted White Snake should have been rescued by the young girl Xiaoqing who learned good skills before the Leifeng Pagoda collapsed. The green smoke that rushed out when the Leifeng Pagoda collapsed should be the same devil as the 108 Tiangang Tiangang who were suppressed by Zhang Tianshi in the deep well of Longhu Mountain during the Song Dynasty. They were accidentally released into the world by the high officials of the Celestial Dynasty.

Many years ago, on a whim, I wrote a short poem for each of my favorite famous women in history, whether in mythology or reality, including White Snake and Xiao Qing.

Bai Suzhen

It took hundreds of years to build the same ferry boat,

Why is it so difficult to be a human being?

West Lake is full of wind, willows and peach blossoms,

It’s just that men are too lingering!

Fa Hai is old and bald,

His nature is too ferocious,

One finger of magic bullet,

It ruined a great marriage!

Xu Xian is by no means a good boy.

IQ is really pitiful,

The ears are too soft,

How can you easily believe the villain's lies?

Living a hard life under Leifeng Pagoda,

There is nothing more lonely than a cold heart,

Where is the flying snow on the broken bridge now?

Looking back a thousand years ago!

Miss Xiao Qing

It’s the same stormy day in West Lake,

But take that good thing,

Cheaper

Suzhen, that little snake fairy.

Sister’s wonderful hand can bring you back to youth,

I can also twist sand into elixir.

See them turned upside down,

Why can't I be the best?

Water floods Jinshan Temple,

Throw away the bricks on Leifeng Pagoda,

As long as my loved ones are safe,

Even if it means jumping over fire and sea!

The Leifeng Pagoda where Fahai held Bai Suzhen down is located on Leifeng Mountain on the shore of the West Lake. This pagoda was built by the King of Wuyue to celebrate the birth of his beloved concubine. The beauty of Leifeng in the sunset has become an eternal masterpiece. However, the famous Leifeng Pagoda suffered many hardships. During the Xuanhe period of the Northern Song Dynasty, the leader of the peasant uprising Fang La Shuaizhong occupied Hangzhou and fought a bloody battle with the 100,000 troops who came to rescue the Northern Song Dynasty. During the confrontation between the two sides, the Leifeng Pagoda was severely damaged.

In the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Song soldiers took the Qiantang River as their position and launched a tug-of-war with the Jin soldiers who were marching south. The already dilapidated Leifeng Pagoda was further damaged. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates invaded Hangzhou and set fire to the pagoda. The fire destroyed all the wooden corridors in the pagoda, leaving only the brick core. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, because it was widely believed that the bricks of the Leifeng Pagoda had the effect of warding off evil spirits, some elegant Hangzhou people with the note "Hang'erfeng, a handful of green onions, clusters of flowers, and nothing inside" came one after another and basically hollowed out the bricks of the Leifeng Pagoda, resulting in the pagoda that has stood for thousands of years. Leifeng Pagoda is crumbling.

In this way, at 1:40 pm on September 25, 1924, Leifeng Pagoda finally collapsed under the weight. For a time, the sun was covered with dust and crows flew into the sky. In the wisps of smoke and dust, it didn't matter whether there was the soul of the White Snake. The gentle and affectionate White Snake had already become a fairy in people's hearts. The story on the Broken Bridge in the West Lake along with The names of her and Leifeng Pagoda will be sung for thousands of years.

In China, no pagoda has been as concerned by people of all dynasties as Leifeng Pagoda. When Leifeng Pagoda collapsed, Chen Zengshou, who had been Wanrong's teacher, lived in seclusion next to the tower. After hearing the loud noise, what he thought of was not Bai Suzhen's thousand-year injustice, but the end of the Qing Dynasty. When he was sad, he wrote a poem "Huanxisha": "I repaired to Nanping to count the evening bells. Every day became a thunder peak at dawn and dusk. It is difficult to paint in different shades of yellow. The sky and water are desolate through the ages. The setting sun is red in my life. Who will crush it? to the void”. This is an elegy for a declining dynasty, and what cannot be stopped is the wheel of history that is rolling forward.

The collapse of Leifeng Pagoda was at the beginning of the 20th century, a time of great turmoil in China. In the early years of the Republic of China, the modern era, the gathering of heroes, the beautiful West Lake, and the soaring Hangzhou once led the hope of the nation. However, although the imperial system that has been inherited for thousands of years has withdrawn from the stage of history, the road to democratic republic is still so bumpy, and its arduous steps exceed the initial imagination of people with lofty ideals.

Facing the West Lake, my thoughts once again drifted back to this broken bridge with falling snow, which once gave birth to the purest and noblest love in people's minds. A non-mainstream woman, beautiful, gentle, upright and fearless. For the pursuit of humanity and the publicity of love, she is willing to pay the price of her life and even give up thousands of years of practice. This woman does not have too many extravagant hopes. She just wants to face a man sincerely and live an ordinary life with love. Such a small wish is not allowed by the world and power. For the orthodox preachers of martial arts Not tolerated.

Seventy years after the collapse of Leifeng Pagoda, a new tower rebuilt according to the original appearance of the ancient Leifeng Pagoda was built on the south bank of West Lake. In June, not long after the new tower was built, I took a modern elevator to the top of the tower with my friends. We climbed up and looked around. We had a panoramic view of the mountains, the water, and the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou. In the gentle breeze, I seemed to have crossed the thousand-year-old barrier and saw the legendary boat, covered with misty spring rain, slowly heading towards Qingbo Gate.

The boat with no roof, the blue sky and the bright sun, the lovers embracing under the oil paper umbrella, are they Xu Xian and White Snake back then? What is also lingering in my ears is the song that I have listened to thousands of times and I am not tired of it: "The beautiful scenery of the West Lake in March, the spring rain is like wine and the willows are like smoke. We are destined to meet each other thousands of miles away, but we are not destined to be opposite each other. It's hard to hold hands, but after ten years of cultivation, we can cross the same boat, and after a hundred years of cultivation, we can sleep together on the same pillow. If there is good luck in a thousand years, we will be together in front of our eyes..."

——To be continued