Fangta Garden ticket price: 15 yuan/person
Fangta is the "Xingshengjiao Temple Tower", named after the Xingshengjiao Temple next to the tower. It stands in the center of the park and on the north bank of the garden lake. It was built in the Xining and Yuan Dynasties of the Northern Song Dynasty (1068-1094), more than 900 years ago. The tower is 42.65 meters high and has 9 floors. It is made into a square shape after the Tang Dynasty brick tower, so it is commonly known as the square tower. The square tower is a brick and wood structure, pavilion style. Each side of the outer wall of the brick body is 6 meters wide. There are corridors around it. The upper floors shrink layer by layer. The outer wall of the brick body is divided into three rooms by brick columns. There is a pot door in the middle and a pot door inside. Square room with wooden ladders connecting each floor. The top of the tower is an eight-meter-high tower brake composed of a raspberry, a phase wheel, and a vase. There are four iron cables that are dragged from the spire to the eaves of the ninth floor, called wind and wave cables. There are copper bells tied to the four corners of the eaves of the tower, which are called "warning birds". The bells ring when the wind blows, which is pleasant to the ear. They are placed to prevent birds from falling into the tower and making nests. Climb up the square tower and look around, and you will have a panoramic view of the ancient city of Songjiang. The fact that the square tower can stand for thousands of years without falling down is inseparable from its scientific and ingenious structure. First of all, there are a lot of wood materials in the square tower body. In addition to the external stairs, flat seats, tower eaves, and brackets, there are also three wooden hoops on each floor of the tower body. This practice is prohibited in construction because wood is not allowed to be sandwiched in the building structure (between bricks, stones and other materials), because wood is perishable and will cause the building to become loose. But all the remaining wood of the square tower (referring to the originals from the Song Dynasty) is not eaten by insects, rotten, or even termites. This is a miracle. (During the renovation of the square tower, a Japanese professor was deeply surprised to see the rot resistance of the wood and said that this is a priceless treasure left by your ancestors.) During the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese bombs exploded next to the square tower, but they did not repair the square tower. The tower blew up, another miracle. According to the analysis of two professors, Chen Congzhou and Lu Binjie of Tongji University, the wood must have undergone anti-corrosion and pliability treatment. It will not rot for thousands of years and will not be knocked down by bombardment. This must be related to it.
Secondly, during the renovation of the square tower in 1974, it was discovered that the foundation of the square tower was made of wooden piles. The ancestors used the properties of wood to "dry for a thousand years, wet for a thousand years, dry and wet for two or three years" ( According to the principle of carpentry proverb), the square tower was successfully built, which has survived for thousands of years and has a very small tilt (53 cm tilted to the northwest).
Thirdly, the base of the square tower is different. It tilts to the southeast. The highest point of the northwest corner is 40 centimeters, while the southeast corner is only 20 centimeters. People standing in the tower will clearly feel the ground. tilt. Is this the negligence of our ancestors when they built the pagoda? In fact, this reflects the wisdom of ancient craftsmen. Because Songjiang faces the sea to the east and there are more southeasterly winds and typhoons in summer, the tower base is intentionally tilted toward the southeast. Shen Kuo of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote a story in his book "Mengxi Bi Tan", saying that there once was an old tower builder. In his later years, he built such a leaning tower. Everyone could not understand it and asked him why he built it like this. What about a tower? He said: "We people can no longer see that this tower will become a straight tower in two hundred years and will never tilt again." It can be seen that the square tower is exactly the same as the tower built by the old carpenter. It was built on the basis of a series of studies on the local meteorology, geology, tower shape, materials, production, etc. Therefore, it can be seen that the value of this tower is great.
The square pagoda is renowned in the southeast for its "beauty" and is extremely artistic. The square tower is characterized by its long and thin body and wide eaves. Its shape is like a graceful and graceful girl in a long skirt. A "Bamboo Branch Poetry" written by Huang Ting, a poet from Songjiang in the Qing Dynasty, praised the square pagoda in this way: "There are thirty-six floating pictures on the seashore, how can they be as exquisite as the square pagoda". Two sentences vividly describe the artistic characteristics of the square tower.
There is also a beautiful legend about the construction of the Square Tower. (See legends)
The artistic treatment of the square tower is not limited to the tower body and tower eaves. It also has many special treatments. For example, in order to improve the beauty of the tower body, the complex outside of the tower body is removed, and the stairs are All are designed in the tower body. The line connecting each eaves corner from the second floor to the ninth floor of the tower eaves forms a parabolic arc, which is called "Rolling Brake". Its pagoda is also unique. Like the pagoda body, it is more slender than other pagodas.
The historical value of the Square Tower is immeasurable. Chen Congzhou, a professor at Tongji University, said in his book "The Tower of Jiangsu": "Songjiang Square Tower is the representative representative of similar towers from the Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty.
"This means that it follows the shape of the Tang Dynasty tower built in the Northern Song Dynasty, and this tower is a typical Tang Dynasty pavilion-style brick and wood structure tower in terms of shape, materials, technology and construction. In view of this main In 1996, the Xingshengjiao Temple Pagoda was declared a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. Over the past few hundred years, the square pagoda has undergone many major renovations. Renovation. In the sixth year of Dade (1302), a hurricane blew down the pagoda wheel and destroyed the railings. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the temple was destroyed by war, and only the pagoda and bell tower survived. In 1370, the monks built a confession hall next to the pagoda, which was called "Xingsheng Pagoda Courtyard". In the 12th year of Zhengtong in the Ming Dynasty (1447), the governor Zhou Chen donated money for the reconstruction during the Wanli period (1573-1619). When repairing the pagoda, monks broke their arms to show their piety. It was repaired many times in the 17th year of Shunzhi (1660), the 35th year of Qianlong (1770) and the Daoguang period (1821-1850). In the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), most of the Chenghuang Temple was bombed and burned by the Japanese army. Only the pagoda and the screen wall in front of the temple survived.
Before liberation, the pagoda was destroyed. Cracks appeared in the brick body, and all the wooden structures in the tower were damaged. In 1963, the Shanghai Municipal Cultural Relics Management Committee conducted a comprehensive investigation of the structure and damage of the square tower. In 1973, the "Songjiang Xingshengjiao Temple Tower Repair Plan" was formulated. The renovation work was started and completed in 1977. During this overhaul, the core wood of the tower was replaced, the tower brakes were removed, the phase wheels were repaired, and the stairs, floor slabs, flat seats, waist eaves and the "stick-seeking style" commonly used in Northern Song Dynasty buildings were repaired. "The railings were rebuilt and the corridor was rebuilt. During this period, it was discovered that between the two sets of brackets under the eaves of the west wall of the third floor, on the triangular wall called the arch eye, there were two colorful murals of Buddha statues from the Song Dynasty. At the same time, the 177 brackets that had been preserved were examined. During the sorting and identification, 111 of them were found to be originals from the Song Dynasty. Relevant experts admitted that there are many brick and wood pagodas in Jiangnan, but it is extremely rare to retain so many brackets from the Song Dynasty. What is more valuable is that in this restoration, archaeologists In the middle part of the ground floor of the tower, 1.5 square meters of brick surface was uncovered, and a brick underground palace was excavated. A white marble letter engraved with a dragon pattern and two tigers were engraved on both ends was unearthed. On the cover was a white marble letter. The bronze Bodhisattva is sitting cross-legged facing north, surrounded by 42 Song Dynasty coins. When he opens the stone letter, there is a lacquer box inside, which contains a bronze Buddha statue wrapped in silk, two silver boxes, and a pair of relics. The precious cultural relics are now collected by the Shanghai Museum.
Adjacent to the west side of the Changlang, it is a Ming Dynasty building with a simple style. It was originally built by Zhu Chun from Huating (Songjiang) in the early Qing Dynasty and returned to his hometown after serving as governor of Jiangxi. I bought a house near the bridge and moved it to Fangta Garden in 1984. The hall is five rooms wide and seven bays deep. It has a unique feature: "one beam and four columns" are made of very rare and high-quality wood. "Golden Nanmu", so the people also call this hall "Nanmu Hall". The structure of the hall is simple, smooth and elegant, and the furnishings are indeed typical Ming Dynasty architecture in Songjiang area.
In 1990, Lanrui Hall was opened It is the "Ming Zhu Shunshui Memorial Hall". Chen Congzhou, a professor at Tongji University in Shanghai, wrote "Preserving the past to reflect the present" written by Chen Congzhou, which hangs high above the gate opposite the hall, with far-reaching implications. Zhu Shunshui's name was Zhiyu, and his courtesy name was Chuyu. After arriving in Japan, he was given the courtesy name Luyu and his nickname was Shunshui. A native of the Ming Dynasty, he was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang. When he was young, he moved from Yuyao to Qiantang to Songjiang with a talent for managing the world. He passed the examination as a Confucian student in Songjiang and studied under the disciples of Zhu Yongyou and Zhang Kentang, members of several societies. Zhu Yongyou, a native of Huating, Songjiang, a hero who fought against the Qing Dynasty, once lived in Fangta Garden. He often taught his students to "become a man through knowledge." Later, Zhu Shunshui worshiped Wu Zhongluan as his teacher. Admiral Su Song and other officials recommended him as "the number one all-rounder in civil and military affairs" to serve in the Ministry of Rites, but he resolutely refused. Later, the imperial court issued several imperial edicts, but they refused. Later, he went to Japan because he and Chen Zilong, the leader of several societies, failed to organize the rebel army to fight against the Qing Dynasty. Tokugawa Kunimitsu, the lord of the Mito domain in Japan, treated him as a guest teacher and arranged for him to give lectures and teach apprentices, introducing them to Chinese architecture, utensils, clothing and other techniques, and drawing models to help them understand the principles of structure and production. . Later, Japan compiled the "History of Great Japan" and specially invited Zhu Shunshui to participate.
The "Mito School" (i.e. "Tianbao School") that later developed around this book reflected the legacy of Zhu Shunshui's theory and influenced it until the "Meiji Restoration". Zhu Shunshui's works have remained in Japan and have been compiled and published one after another. They have been widely circulated and effectively promoted the development of Japanese academics. In the 21st year of Kangxi (1682), Zhu Shunshui passed away in Nagasaki, Japan, at the age of eighty-three. He was given the posthumous title of "Mr. Wen Gong" in Japan, and a temple was built to worship him. To this day, there are still many Japanese folk memorials to Zhu Shunshui. Activity. In July 1985, Lanruitang was announced as a cultural relic protection unit in Songjiang County.
Shanghai Fangta Tianfei Palace, formerly known as Shunji Temple, was originally located in the Shiliupu area of ??Xiaodongmen, Shanghai. It was destroyed in the third year of Xianfeng (1853) and relocated in the ninth year of Guangxu (1883). The bridge embankment of Henan Road on North Suzhou Road in Shanghai was rebuilt, and the temple was named "Tianfei Palace". In the late 1970s, due to the needs of Shanghai's municipal construction, the "Tianfei Palace" was moved to the Songjiang Square Pagoda Garden in Shanghai and was named "Tianfei Palace".
Fangta Tianfei Palace is the only surviving Mazu temple relic in Shanghai today. It is located in the northeast corner of the central square of Fangta Garden. The main hall is handsome, with cornices and corners, a broad base, wide steps, and a It is towering, five couplets wide, with lingering corridors, thick beams and pillars, majestic and majestic, majestic and forbidding, and retains the solemn atmosphere of a temple. It has an area of ??330 square meters and a height of 17 meters. It has a brick and wood structure with exquisite and gorgeous carvings, reflecting the characteristics of late Qing Dynasty architecture. There are plaques and couplets written by contemporary calligraphers such as Wu Jianxian, Chen Peiqiu and Zhou Hui hanging in the hall.
Tianfei Palace is also called "Tianhou Palace", and the southeast coastal area is called "Mazu Temple", "Empress Temple", etc. Mazu actually existed, named Lin Mo, also known as Lin Moniang among the people. She was from Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian. Her father was Lin Yuan, the inspector of Meizhou City. She was the youngest daughter and was born in the first year of Jianlong in the Northern Song Dynasty (960). Lin Mo was spinning at home during his lifetime. He had a "miraculous appearance", knew water, knew witchcraft, and had a chivalrous heart. He often personally sailed or organized the rescue of ships and people in distress at sea, and rescued hundreds of people in his short life. In the fourth year of Yongxi reign (987), when he was 28 years old, he sacrificed his life while rescuing compatriots who were shipwrecked. The people in Fujian respected her very much and built a temple in Meizhou to worship Mazu and commemorate her. As a result, Meizhou Mazu Temple became the ancestral temple of more than 4,000 Mazu temples around the world. Soon, the people also called Mazu the God of the Sea, and the imperial court named Mazu the Concubine of Heaven. Since the fifth year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty (1123), all emperors of the past dynasties have had the title of _. During the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, he was bestowed with the title of "Shunji", and later with the title of "Mrs. Ling Zhao Hui Ying Chong Fu Meili"; the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty believed that Lin Mo's "powerful spirit is outstanding, and her fulfillment is obvious", and he was named the "Famous Heavenly Concubine who protects the country" "; In the Ming Dynasty, the title was granted four times. In the fifth year of Yongle, Zheng He went to the West as an envoy and had a smooth journey, so he asked for the temple to be built; in the 19th year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Emperor wanted to unify Taiwan and sent Shi Lang from Quanzhou to the expedition. Shi Lang prayed to Mazu for help. , As a result, the warship crossed the Taiwan Strait very smoothly. It seemed that with divine help, Kangxi was named "The Wonderful Spirit Zhaoying Hongren Puji Tianfei who protects the country and shelters the people", and was later named the Queen of Heaven by the Jin Dynasty. During the reign of Daoguang, she was again named the "Mother of Heaven".
In October 1993, Fangta Tianfei Palace was announced as a cultural relic protection unit in Songjiang County. In 2001, the Fangta Tianfei Palace underwent major renovations. In 2002, the cultural connotation and facilities of Pujiang Mazu in Fangta Tianfei Palace were restored, and on September 28 of the same year, the "Pujiang Mazu Consecration Ceremony" and the "Shanghai Fangta Tianfei Palace Opening Ceremony" were held.
Fangzhaobi is a unique architectural form in China influenced by Feng Shui consciousness, which is called "screen wall" or "screen wall". Feng Shui pays attention to the guidance of Qi. Qi should not flow directly into the hall or bedroom, otherwise it will be unlucky. The way to avoid gas flushing is to put a wall in front of the house door. In order to maintain "smooth air", this wall cannot be closed, so the architectural form of screen wall is formed. The screen wall has the function of blocking the wind and blocking the sight. If the wall is decorated, it will create a contrasting effect.
In the square pagoda garden, on the north side of the pagoda, there is a huge brick screen wall facing north. The wall was built in the third year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1370). It was originally a screen wall in front of the Songjiang Prefecture City God's Temple. It has a history of more than 630 years and is the oldest, most exquisite and most complete large-scale brick carving in Shanghai and even in the country. .
The screen wall is 6.1 meters wide, 4.7 meters high, about 30 square meters, and is carved from nearly a hundred fine mud and green bricks.
There are eight small seal script characters engraved between the brackets under the eaves of the screen wall: "The weather is good and the weather is good, the country is peaceful and the people are safe." On the middle pillar, there are characters and stories engraved. The left side of the middle between the two ends is carved with the green dragon, the eastern protective god, and the right side is carved with the western protective god, the white tiger. The carving techniques include relief, openwork, openwork and hollow carving. The carved mythical beasts, animals, utensils, flowers and pattern lines are clearly layered and the knife skills are smooth and mature. In the middle of the wall, there is a monster with antlers, a lion's tail, an ox's hooves, and a dragon and lin engraved on it. Like the legendary dragon, phoenix, and turtle, it is a figment of people's imagination and is named "犭 greed". There are ganoderma lucidum grasses, money trees, birds and animals, ingots, etc. carved around the temple. The horn is upright, its eyes are like copper bells, its mouth is big and sharp, its four feet are stepping on ingots, corals, Ruyi, and jade cups. It raises its mouth and wants to fly into the air with its four feet and swallow the rising sun rising from the sea level in front of it. There are also auspicious scenes carved on the screen wall: a phoenix in the upper left corner holds a scroll in its mouth, which means: "The Heavenly Book of Dedication"; in the lower left corner, next to the lotus, there is a vase with three halberds inserted, and a sheng beside the vase. , the homophonic suggestion is "three levels in life"; there is a monkey sitting on the tree, and a golden seal is hung on the branch, which means "the seal of seal"; it also means "the fish jumps over the dragon's gate" and "the eight immortals cross the sea" which means the rise to prosperity. etc., with vivid shapes, exquisite carvings and strong three-dimensional effect. The entire relief embodies the magnificent artistic level of ancient Songjiang from the picture conception, structural layout to brick-making technology and carving art. It can be described as exquisite and rare, and it is truly a "pearl". As a representative work of brick carving craftsmanship in the early Ming Dynasty, this screen wall is included in the book "History of Ancient Chinese Architecture and Technology".
Zhaobi also has a vivid legend. (See legends) Folks use this legend to teach future generations not to be greedy. Those who are greedy will destroy themselves like "greedy". Therefore, in ancient times, every official who took office in Songjiang went to the Fuchenghuang Temple to pay homage to Zhaobi, saying that he would serve the people and not be a corrupt official during his tenure. Although this statement has no official historical records, it expresses the people of Songjiang's hope that Songjiang's parents will be honest and honest and do good things for the people. It also embodies the Taoist idea of ??"persuading people to do good".