Witness Dayu's flood control! The Feng River where the Book of Songs was born

Fenghe River, also known as "Fengshui" in ancient times, originates from the deep Fengyu Valley at the northern foot of Qinling Mountains, meanders to Xianyang, and finally merges into the embrace of Weihe River. It is 82 kilometers long. It is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization and a well-deserved historical river.

"The Feng River flows eastward, it is the achievement of Yu" (The Book of Songs, Da Ya, King Wen You Sheng), the Feng River witnessed the heroic deeds of Yu the Great in controlling floods thousands of years ago. He replaced blocking with dredging, and opened the precedent for developing water conservancy and benefiting the people.

King Wen of Zhou moved the capital to Fengyi on the west bank of the Feng River, and King Wu of Zhou began to build Haojing on the east bank of the Feng River. Feng and Hao face each other across the river, dominating the east and west, forming a unique twin capital pattern in Chinese history. Since the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties, many capitals have been located in the Feng River basin, making it an indispensable part of Chinese civilization.

The Land of Clay

Laozi once praised the water of Feng River as "10 ren deep, but it is not affected by dust and dirt. Gold and iron are in it, and their shapes can be seen outside." This refers to the clearness of the water of Feng River. Dongfang Shuo also said: "The land between Feng and Hao is called fat soil, and its value is one gold per mu." The land of Feng and Hao is fertile and enjoys the reputation of "fat soil".

With its fertile land and abundant products, this land has been visited by human beings for a long time. Archaeological excavations have confirmed that the banks of the Feng River are one of the most concentrated areas of Neolithic relics in Guanzhong. Hou Ji, the founder of agriculture, taught people how to cultivate and grow grains here. The Feng River can be called the ancient mother river of Guanzhong.

During the Tang Dynasty, water from the Taiping River, a tributary of the Feng River, was diverted for irrigation, resulting in a bumper harvest of grains every year. “We are delighted at the harvest of grains and admire the work of nature.” (From Wei Yingwu’s “Reply to Chang Xiaoshudang”).

By the 1940s, Mr. Li Yizhi built the "Eight Benefits of Guanzhong", among which the Fenghui Canal, which diverted water from the Feng River, irrigated tens of thousands of acres of farmland, greatly improving local agricultural production conditions.

The water of Fenghe River has created many charming scenes. The lotus in Lingzhao Pond has long been famous, and is praised as "the morning dew is rich among the green calyxes, and the afternoon breeze is pleasant" (from Wu Tingzhi's "Twelve Scenes of Ganting"). During the Ming Dynasty, "Fengshui Bibo" was listed as one of the eight scenic spots in Xianyang: "Ripples of Fengshui come from Hushan, and the clear waves are like a mirror." And "Fengdi Elm and Willow" is praised as one of the ten scenic spots in Xianyang: "The catkins of elm trees are soft and soft, hanging down the long dike and the clear water is far away."

Fenghe Yuji

Hu County on the west bank of the Feng River was once the territory of Chong State in the ancient Yao and Shun periods. Dayu’s father Gun (gǔn) once served as Chongbo here.

According to legend, Dayu's father Gun started to control floods during the reign of Emperor Yao. He tried methods such as "filling up floods" and "filling up floods with soil", but failed after nine years. After Emperor Shun ascended to the throne, he appointed Gun's son Yu to take over the important task of flood control. After accepting the order, Yu summarized his father's experience of failed flood control and changed the method of filling up and diking to block water and build a three-ren city. He advocated that while building dikes to prevent flooding, we should follow the flow of water and change the strategy of blocking to digging and dredging the river.

In the process of controlling the Feng River, Yu first concentrated all the turbulent river water after flowing out of the valley into one place in the Feng River channel to eliminate the trend of waterlogging all over the field. He then dredged the river channel and reinforced the river embankment. In addition, he also designed a strategy of implementing a double-channel diversion in the middle and lower reaches when the river water surged to slow down the water flow.

Fengshui flows out from Fengyukou, one of the "72 valleys" of Qinling Mountains, and splits into two streams at Laohekou, one to the west and the other to the east. It is said that this is the canal mouth dug by Dayu when he was controlling floods, which effectively solved the problem of Weishui River backflowing into Fengshui during heavy rains and floods, forming a unique hydrological landscape and opening a precedent for promoting water conservancy and benefiting people's livelihood.

There is still a village called "Sanguo Village" in Hu County. Legend has it that this is the hometown of Dayu who "passed by his home three times without entering" when he was controlling floods. "Mencius: Li Lou Xia" records: "When Yu and Ji were at peace, they passed by their home three times without entering." The name "Sanguo Village" came from this and is still used today.

On the bank of the Feng River near Keshengzhuang Village in Chang'an District, adjacent to Huyi District, there is a rammed earth platform called "Yu Ji Tomb". It is said to be a tomb built by the people to commemorate Dayu's control of the floods in the Feng River. Next to the tomb is the "Yu Ji Terrace".

The Book of Songs: Fengshui

The long history has given birth to the splendid culture along the Fenghe River.

The Book of Songs, Da Ya, records: "King Wen received the mandate and made military achievements. He conquered Chong and built Feng." Two thousand years ago, the Western Zhou Dynasty established the two capitals of Feng and Hao on the banks of the Feng River, and set up poetry collectors to collect folk customs from all over the country along the Feng River. After screening, compiling, and composing, these works were played before the emperor to observe the people's sentiments. Relying on the civilized atmosphere of the Zhou Dynasty that advocated etiquette, the Feng River gave birth to a kind of elegant and simple temperament.

"Reeds grow green, white dew turns to frost. My beloved is on the other side of the water." The content of the Book of Songs, the earliest collection of poems in my country, is mostly from the Fenghe River area. In the two major sections of "Ya" and "Song", it can be confirmed that 132 poems were written on the banks of the Fenghe River, accounting for 43% of the entire Book of Songs. Therefore, the Fenghe River is known as the "River of the Book of Songs and the Source of Rites and Music", and its cultural status is irreplaceable.

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Farewell to the Holy Land

After King Ping moved east, Fengjing and Haojing gradually declined. When the Qin Dynasty rose to power, Fengjing and Haojing were incorporated into the imperial gardens, and a large area of ​​land in the upper and middle reaches of the Fenghe River was incorporated into the Shanglin Garden, becoming a royal forbidden area.

The two banks of the Feng River have been thriving for thousands of years, with towns and cities dotted around and talented people everywhere. From the Han Dynasty to the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, literati and poets used gorgeous poems to describe the scenery on both sides of the Feng River, leaving behind countless historical stories that have been passed down through the ages. The Feng River Basin is therefore also a highland for Han Fu and Tang poetry.

"The branches are winding and purple, and the leaves are dense and green" (from "Willow Fu" by Mei Cheng in Volume 4 of "Xijing Miscellaneous Records"). Since then, for three thousand years, Fenghe River has become a holy place for literati and poets to express their feelings and bid farewell.

"On the last day of spring at Diantou by the Fengshui River, I see you off on horseback to be exiled to Tongchuan." (From Bai Juyi's "Farewell to Weizhi on Fengshang, March 30th of the Tenth Year, March of the Fourteenth Year")), in that year, Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen met and parted on Fengshang, and the scene evoked their emotions, leaving behind a farewell poem with profound artistic conception and rich emotion.
Another Tang Dynasty poet, Wei Yingwu, also chose to settle in Fengshang, and was full of emotion for the four seasons here: "Only ask the birds to sing, it is still like the east of Fengshui" ("Remembering the Secluded Residence on Fengshang"), "I feel sad about the season, looking towards Linfeng" ("Written on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month on Fengshang, Sent to Cui Zhubu Zhuo Er and Li Duanxi"). Fenghe River, like a scroll of historical poetry, has witnessed countless joys and sorrows in the world.

Fenghe River New Chapter

At the confluence of Fenghe River and Fuhe River is the famous water conservancy project in Shaanxi Province - Fenghui Canal. In the mid-1940s, water conservancy giant Mr. Li Yizhi built a water-blocking dam here to allow the water of Fenghe River to nourish the city of Xi'an. Above the dam, the green waves are rippling, the greenery is lush, and the sound of water is like thunder, stirring people's hearts. Ducks are playing in the water, water birds are flying by, and fishermen are fishing in groups of two or three in the deep shade of willows, forming a flowing landscape painting that is refreshing and unforgettable.

In recent years, the water affairs department of Xi'an has ingeniously built the "Yizhi Lake Park" on the east bank of the river, integrating water storage and sightseeing, adding new and beautiful scenery to the Fenghe River. In 2019, Xi'an launched a regional water management project, and the river and lake water system protection and management project was fully launched. The Fenghe River has been rejuvenated, with clear water and green banks, showing the beauty of ecology.

Although Zhou is an old country, its destiny is to reform. Standing on the bank of Feng River, the smoke of history passes by, the ancient poems are melodious in the ears, and the breeze of ancient times touches the heartstrings. Today, this land is a blend of modern technology and humanistic wisdom, washing away the dust of the years and composing a new poetic chapter!