Tuesday, October 23, 2007

China Gourmet Trip (8) - 9/25 Yangzhou 揚州

After an exotic and full lunch, we met our local guide and went on a sightseeing tour of local attractions. Our first stop was the famous Shou Xi Hu(瘦西湖), also known as "Slender West Lake".

The lake lies in the southwest of Yangzhou and gets its name because its outline is long and narrow. It is a man-made lake where beautiful views and historic points coexist.

Walking along the lake, one can see many elegant styles of architectures. There are artistic kiosks, pleasant pavilions, and small bridges arching over gently flowing streams. The entire area is full of poetic romance, and dating from the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), numerous poems have been inspired by its scenery. Famous poets of the period wrote about the beautiful lake, thus adding to its cultural importance. Some key points of interest include the Xiaojin Hill(小金山), the White Pagoda(白塔), the Five Pavilion Bridge(五亭橋), the 24 Bridge(二十四橋), and many others. 【揚州瘦西湖】 地處江蘇省中部的「揚州」,始建於二千四百多年前的春秋時期,素來是人文薈萃、風物繁華之地。李白膾炙人口的千古絕唱:《 故人西辭黃鶴樓,煙花三月下揚州 》為這座古城平添了無限風韻,而史可法的抗清堅守,導致清軍屠城的《 揚州十日》,更讓揚州在歷史上留下不可磨滅的印記,燦爛的歷史文化給揚州留下了大量的名勝古跡和豐富的旅遊資源,而「瘦西湖」,就是古城揚州的代表。

「瘦西湖」以『瘦』為特徵,湖面狹長,全長四公里多,綠柳垂岸掩映,拱橋情趣盎然,園林建築古樸多姿,引人入勝,清代錢塘詩人汪沆將瘦西湖與杭州西湖作了對比,寫道:《 垂楊不斷接殘蕪,雁齒虹橋儼畫圖。也是銷金一鍋子,故應喚作瘦西湖。》瘦西湖由此而得名。

「青山隱隱水迢迢,秋盡江南草未凋,二十四橋明月夜,玉人何處教吹簫。」用來形容有月亮城之稱的揚州,唐代杜牧的這首詩是最好不過了,特別是想要一訪所謂的「二十四橋」,那就更不能錯過藉由揚州古運河所營造的「瘦西湖」。

瘦西湖是中國湖上園林的代表,原來是一條河流,經過歷代修建,才變成今天風光如畫的樣子。清朝時,康熙、乾隆都曾到揚州,當地的豪富為了迎接皇帝的駕臨,在湖區兩岸營造了《 兩堤花柳全依水,一路樓台直到山 》的湖區勝境。歷史上著名文人李白、劉禹錫、白居易、杜牧、歐陽修、蘇軾等都曾在這裡留下眾多膾炙人口、流傳千古的篇章,為瘦西湖憑添了耀眼的濃墨色彩,瘦西湖正因其悠久、豐富的人文景觀、秀麗典雅的自然風韻,成為揚州最著名的遊覽勝地。
The highest scenic spot in the lake, Xiaojin Hill(小金山) offers a breathtaking panorama of the lake from the kiosk on top of the hill. Most of the architectures and rockeries on the hill are remains of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911).
The vistas of the park are especially scenic with the large temple of the White Pagoda(白塔) towering in the distance above the willows and pavilions of the garden. A boat tour through the length of the lake is perfect to watch the scenery and drooping willows float past.
The most famous symbol of the park is its Five Pavilion Bridge(五亭橋). It is a wide bridge across one of the narrow parts of the lake, and is covered by five pavilions. Scholars of traditional architecture think this is one of the most striking bridges in China because it combines the monumental structure of a bridge with the lightness and elegance of the inter-linking traditional pavilions. 五亭橋為瘦西湖之代表性的湖中指標,也是為迎駕乾隆而建造的,橋上築有三大亭兩小亭,造形飛簷高翹,金碧輝煌。橋下共有十五個相通的橋洞,滿月之夜每個橋洞各映著一輪皎月,互相輝映照耀,蔚為奇觀,比西湖的三潭印月還要巧妙。
Our second stop took us to Da Ming Temple(大明寺). Located north of Slender West Lake, Da Ming Temple dates back more than 1,500 years, although it has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times throughout history. The highlight is the Japanese style memorial hall for the monk Jian Zhen(鑑真紀念堂), who traveled and spread the message of Buddhism to Japan 6 times during the Tang Dynasty. Other highlights include Ping-San-Tang(平山堂) and the 10-story Qiling Pagoda(棲靈塔).
【揚州大明古寺】大明寺位於揚州市西北崗山中峰上五亭橋北,建於在南朝劉宋孝武帝大明年間(西元457-464年)而得名,到現在已有1530多年,是揚州的著名千年古剎。

大明寺為唐朝之鑑真和尚所居,在此住持,弘揚戒律。鑒真和尚14歲出家,20歲開始,先後6次東渡日本傳佛道,促成了日本佛教律宗一脈。北宋慶歷年間,歐陽修任揚州太守時建平山堂。大明寺寺名在清乾隆三十年(1765),乾隆帝巡游揚州時,去“大明”之名,改題法淨寺。乾隆改寺名的目的是避免清朝之漢人思念大明王朝。至西元1980年,鑑真和尚由日本移靈運回中國,寺名被改回為大明寺。沿著數百級舒緩石階登上大明寺前的廣場,迎面是一座庄嚴典雅的牌樓。牌樓為紀念靈塔和棲靈寺而建。中門之上面南有篆書“栖靈遺址”四字,為清光緒年間鹽運使姚煜手書。大明寺的山門殿兼作天王殿,正門上額“大明寺”三字是全國政協副主席、中國佛教協會會長趙朴初集隋代《龍藏寺碑》而鐫,字体古風流溢。大雄寶殿是寺的中心建築,釋迦牟尼端坐其中,背面為觀音群像。寺內有奇岩怪石組成的西園,及唐朝陸羽曾讚美的名泉-第五泉,且大明寺之壁畫彌足珍貴。
大明寺古剎名僧輩出,其中唐代律學大師鑑真最為著名。
仙人舊館位于大明寺西側,院牆上有一八角形門洞,上嵌:“仙人舊館”磚額,此額乃歐陽裔孫,星悟禪師所題。 仙人舊館由平山堂、谷林堂、歐陽文忠公祠三部分組成。
【歐陽修簡介】 歐陽修江西吉水人,生于北宋景德四年(1007),卒干熙宁五年 (1072)。字永叔,別號醉翁、六一居士,謚“文忠”。北宋文學家、史學家、詩文革新運動的領袖,唐宋八大家之一。歐陽修于慶歷二年(1042),入京知諫院諫官,參與范仲淹的"慶歷新政"失敗後遭貶謫,于慶歷五年貶為滁州太守。慶歷八年知揚州。 進入仙人舊館,便是古風流溢的【平山堂】,此堂于宋慶歷八年,歐陽修知揚州時所建。42歲的歐陽修到楊州後,政務龐雜,但綱目不亂,關心民瘼,秤擊暴斂,深受百姓愛戴。 歐公在公務之餘,寄情山水詩酒,築平山堂作講學、游宴之所,數月而成。平山堂前筑石台,圍以欄檻,歐陽修親植柳樹,時稱“歐公柳”。
因望江南諸山,含青吐翠,飛撲于眉睫而恰與堂平;加之歐公內心所思,江南及各路諸才子,若可攀躋,寄此情于此景之中,故定堂名為“平山堂”。北檐下有清光緒二年(1876)林肇元所題匾額:“遠山來與此堂平”亦點明含義。
【棲靈塔簡介】 隋文帝仁壽元年(601)于大明寺內建棲靈塔,塔高九層,雄踞蜀岡,塔內供奉佛骨,謂之佛祖即在此處。隋唐時期,揚州的政治經濟發展甚快,已成為全國第三大都會,繁華僅次于長安、洛陽。唐代著名詩人李白、劉禹錫、白居易等均曾登臨棲靈塔賦詩贊頌。可惜在唐武宗會昌三年(843)一代名勝古跡化為焦土。古往今來觀光者無不感喟悵惘。

1980年,鑑真大師塑像回揚州“探親”,各界人士倡議重建棲靈塔。1988年,大明寺方丈瑞祥法師在該寺東園選址重建棲靈塔并立奠基石。于199312月7日正式動工打樁,工程樁柱36根,另有錨固樁9很。每根樁徑為0.9米,樁深25米。 棲靈塔設計,塔身方形、底層面積484平方米。 九級佛塔置于承台之上,塔下設地宮,主体結構為鋼筋混凝土,木構樓閣式,總建築面積1865平方米。風格仿唐。塔高各層不一,總高度為70米。該塔設計氣勢雄偉,建成後雄踞蜀岡,揚州景觀盡收眼底。

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