I was also sorting out the documents recently and saw the final paper for the public elective course I did last semester. The scene of sitting at my desk and staying up all night writing furiously came to my mind, especially when I later learned that everyone basically did this kind of paper homework for such a large class. After "Dang" came, I was even more moved by my pure and sincere academic spirit and tireless hard work! T0T (Hey, be exaggerated, be funny, don’t take offense) But to be honest, the article "Why..." written for "Appreciation of Ancient Chinese Architecture and Gardens" at that time said that we should be free to discuss any issues involved in the course. The semi-thesis closing paper - "Why should we thank those royal nobles who built large-scale construction projects and wasted people and money" is purely because I am still ignorant about how to appreciate Chinese ancient buildings and gardens. I was in a hazy state of understanding and chose to avoid direct "confrontation" and adopt roundabout tactics of playing side kicks. I didn't expect that the teacher could put aside the serious academic appreciation and not care about it, and could actually appreciate what seemed to be some "crooked ways" The personalized article was given a high score of 98, which really flattered me! While I am overjoyed, let me share it with you:)
Why should we thank those royal nobles who have carried out large-scale construction projects and wasted money and people?
It is very interesting. I often go to places of interest for sightseeing. Or when reading a travel article, first listen to the tour guide or read the author's ingenious conception of the grandeur, exquisite layout, rich connotation and profound meaning of those ancient buildings, and can't help but express their heartfelt words endlessly, pouring out incomparable surprises and admiration, and then I admired and admired the wisdom and greatness of those working people in ancient times so much that I wished I could immediately kneel down and kowtow and go home to set up a memorial tablet... Then, the words changed and the writing changed, and I couldn't help but care about the suffering and sympathy of the working people. Their tragic experience further lamented the extravagant and corrupt world customs at that time, lashed out at the old cruel and barbaric system of oppression and exploitation, and strongly condemned the cruel, tyrannical and arrogant royal nobles who only pursued pleasure and did not care about the lives of the people. So at this time, I couldn't help but think that if there were not these "historical sinners" who built large-scale construction projects and wasted money and people, the working people would have spontaneously and proactively condensed their wisdom and sweat in this way for our descendants to admire. ? Do we still have anything to talk about these topics today? And now, would it be possible for me to sit here and write the final thesis for this elective course "Appreciation of Ancient Architecture and Gardens"?
The answer seems to be, maybe, possibly, definitely, definitely, no. Therefore, I think it is still necessary to redress the grievances, correct the names of those poor royal nobles who have been wronged and have been spurned by others for thousands of years, and thank them. Because of them, our lovely ancestors, after all, left us a rich and precious legacy - both materially and spiritually, in history, politics, economy, science and technology, and cultural life. And in the long history, we, whether we are predecessors, present people, or future generations, have indeed benefited, are currently, and will benefit a lot from it.
To create these architectural miracles requires creative and reasonable design, high-quality materials, and superb and advanced technology and craftsmanship. In other words, these large-scale civil projects created a market demand for first-rate architectural elements, i.e. a production motive. Precisely because of its high standards and strict requirements, there has been further reform, innovation and improvement research in pursuit of more original design concepts, better selection of materials, and more exquisite and complex technological processes, which has led to the admiration and sigh we have today. Just imagine, if every emperor only asked for a humble room, would we still have the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Old Summer Palace and other amazing large royal buildings today? !
We should not ignore its positive functionality in some of the so-called "feng shui" and "face" projects carried out by emperors of the past dynasties.
Although they dug the Grand Canal, built the moat, and built the Great Wall without leaving any trace, to some extent, it was still out of the pursuit of utilitarian purposes of making themselves famous through these large-scale engineering buildings, but we cannot deny that many To a large extent, these large projects have also benefited the people because of their practical functions such as water conservancy, flood discharge, irrigation, navigation, and defense against enemies.
It is precisely because of these massive civil construction projects that literati at home and abroad now have a place where they can pay homage to their ancestors and use the scenery to express their emotions. They have materials for creation, romance and legend. Or the possibility of thrilling stories happening; it is precisely because of those tyrants and royal families that the vindictive poets, writers and critics have objects to express their righteous indignation, criticize and indulge in. Think about it, without these palaces, gardens, mansions, mausoleums and temples, how much would our splendid Chinese culture be eclipsed? How deserted will our colorful and bustling literary world be?
Important and large-scale ancient buildings bear witness to history, record history, and carry history. The level of economic development at that time, the degree of scientific and technological progress, people's living habits, religious beliefs and ideas, the hierarchy of superiority and inferiority... too many social background and humanistic factors were included and permeated. It can be said that every ancient building is actually a history book. It uses the form of architecture instead of written materials to faithfully and vividly display historical images and features in front of the world. It is precisely because of their important historical significance that so many people have devoted themselves to their investigation and research, in order to read the information and solve the mysteries of the hidden period, and thus derived various disciplines related to them.
In addition to its academic function, it also has the function of providing a recreational place and a taste of life for future generations. When you have free time, or take a break from your busy schedule, go to those places of interest, whether it is purely for sightseeing or to pay homage to your ancestors. The more tourists, the more tourists will increase the popularity of these places, and invisibly promote the prosperity and healthy development of tourist attractions. , contributing its own modest strength to the steady growth of the national economy. For oneself, it can not only adjust the tense life, but also cultivate one's moral character, cultivate one's sentiments, accept the influence of culture, and be elegant along the way.
As for them being willing to suffer eternal infamy in exchange for the blessings of future generations, that is their noble side of putting others before themselves. It's just that their good deeds are more hidden, almost covered up by the appearance of luxury, pampering and enjoyment. Or to put it another way, an aggressive war may benefit future generations by expanding the territory and increasing resources, but in the end it also requires countless sacrifices and a heavy price, and the chance of winning is not 100%. But why does that win the praise of many foolish and loyal people? In contrast, the ancient decision-makers who took the path of healthy and sustainable development of large-scale construction at the same or even smaller cost always received only scoldings, while those who were praised were only passive labor and even resistance to trouble and destruction. working people? ! They chose to spend their money on building these pleasant palaces and gardens instead of forming an army to develop weapons and engage in an arms race. From today's perspective, can it also be seen as a way to love peace and abandon war? What about action? Compared with those imperialists who vigorously build armies and develop weapons to invade other countries, aren't our monarchs and nobles much more environmentally friendly, peaceful, kind and upright? ! So I couldn’t help but start thinking: Should we apply for additional Nobel Peace Prizes for these kind and lovely late kings and nobles to repay their kindness? !