0 1 Ancient Yangzhou had a high political status. Yangzhou used to be the capital of many countries, such as the ancient Han capital in the Western Zhou Dynasty and the capital of five vassal states in the Han Dynasty. A place that can be used as the national capital, as a political, economic and cultural center, is of course very prosperous.
In particular, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal dug by Yang Di has made Yangzhou an important hub city for communication between the North and the South, and its economy is more prosperous. According to records, Emperor Yang Di worked in Yangzhou on the spot for three times, and repeatedly promoted Yangzhou's status, making it one of the three major capitals. The city at the foot of the son of heaven is naturally more famous and richer than other places.
It is precisely because of Yangzhou's wealth that it has been deeply loved by emperors since ancient times, and a group of favored princes will be awarded Yangzhou. The more attention paid by the imperial court, the more developed this place is, with frequent economy and convenient transportation, which is more conducive to economic and cultural exchanges with other places, forming a virtuous circle of development and getting better and better.
The Tang Dynasty was the highest historical position of Yangzhou, even surpassing Chang 'an and Luoyang. At that time, Yangzhou was the only city that never sleeps in the Tang Dynasty, and its prosperity could be imagined. Even foreign envoys sent to the Tang Dynasty often stayed in Yangzhou, which became the first international metropolis at that time.
Yangzhou in ancient times was the most prosperous place in the south of the Yangtze River, with the most luxurious life. According to Taiping Guangji, in the Tang Dynasty, Yangzhou was full of shops, merchants like clouds, restaurants dancing and pavilions everywhere. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a large number of businessmen gathered in the salt area of Huaihe River, forming a group of businessmen with Shaanxi, Shanxi and Huizhou as the main bodies. Due to the status of the Grand Canal as a transportation hub, merchants gathered in Yangzhou, making Yangzhou a gathering place for salt products and rich in wealth. This shows the prosperity of ancient Yangzhou commerce.
We can also get a glimpse of the prosperity of Yangzhou from Duke Lushan, which is a place with developed commerce and trade. There are many brothels, black tea plays and rich powder here, which gave birth to the clever legend Wei Xiaobao.
Du Mu has a poem saying: "I feel the dream of Yangzhou in ten years and get the name of a brothel." The ancients said that the happiness of life is nothing more than "riding a crane to the state for 100 thousand yuan." It also tells a real reason why poets in the Tang Dynasty are nostalgic for Yangzhou.
According to incomplete statistics, there are 150 poets in the Tang poetry, who wrote more than 400 poems related to Yangzhou, such as "An old friend stayed in the Yellow Crane Tower in the west, fireworks went down to Yangzhou in March", "Spring tides in the sea, bright moon on the sea", "Twenty-four bridges on a moonlit night, where can jade people teach to play the flute" and so on. These famous Yangzhou poems are like endorsements specially made for ancient Yangzhou, which shows the popularity of ancient Yangzhou.
As a romantic place, ancient Yangzhou attracted countless great talents and poets from the Tang Dynasty. They can not only find a sense of belonging in Yangzhou, but also linger in Liuxiang Yanhua Lane, spreading the unhappiness accumulated in their hearts. Here, the most typical is Du Mu, a great poet who is famous for his talent and romantic style.
Feel the charm of ancient Yangzhou from Du Mu's several Yangzhou poems. According to historical records, Du Mu is "bohemian", which is really unbearable for a scholar. A more elegant explanation is that Du Mu is an unrestrained and even a bit savage person. The word "debauchery" mostly matches the romantic nature. Probably because he misses the beauty of Yangzhou and the beautiful women there too much.
Look at a short message from Du Mu, and poke the Yangzhou magistrate for Korea first:
Castle peak is vaguely green water thousands of miles away, and the vegetation in the south of the Yangtze River has not withered in autumn.
Where does the Jade Man teach oral sex at Bridge 24 on a moonlit night?
This poem was written by Du Mu for Yangzhou. The first two poems are about scenery, saying that Yangzhou is a city surrounded by green mountains. Even in late autumn, the flowers and trees here will not wither, which shows the beauty of Yangzhou city. The "Twenty-four Bridges" in the last two sentences is a major landscape in Yangzhou. It is said that when the bright moon was reflected on the 24th Bridge, I suddenly thought of the beautiful woman who taught him to play the flute. Through such a short poem, the poet expressed his nostalgia for the beautiful scenery of Yangzhou.
In addition, Du Fu wrote in "Two Farewells, Part I":
13 years of good posture is light, living like a scepter in bud in early February.
In Yangzhou, the spring breeze blows all over Sanli Long Street. With beaded curtains, no one can match her beauty.
This poem is about a girl who has just turned thirteen. She has a beautiful figure and generous manners. She is as delicate as a spring bud. Even if you look all over the Shili Long Street in Yangzhou City, there are still beautiful women who roll up bead curtains, and they can't compare with this girl. This poem by Du Mu tells the fact that Yangzhou was rich in beautiful women in the Tang Dynasty.
After Du Fu left Yangzhou, he wrote a farewell to recall his wasted years in Yangzhou ten years ago:
Down and out, rivers and lakes carry restaurants, and Chu has a thin waist and a light palm.
Yangzhou's ten years, like a dream, wake up, but in the brothel women this is a fickle reputation.
In this poem, the poet tells himself that when life is down and out, he drinks wine every day to drown his sorrows, while watching songs and dances, he holds the waist of a beautiful woman. During his ten years in Yangzhou, it seems that he had a long dream and had emotional entanglements with many prostitutes. In the end, he just got a reputation as a fickle heartbreaker. Du Mu's Farewell is a recollection of what he did in Yangzhou, and it also reflects a life phenomenon in Yangzhou at that time.
From the above, it can be seen that Yangzhou in ancient times was a "famous place in Huaizuo" and also a place where scholars gathered. There is a saying in Liang Yinyun's novel Wu Shuren in the Southern Dynasties: "I have money and ride a crane to the country." Imagine Yangzhou, what a charming place it is.
It is precisely because of the preference of the royal family, the gathering of businessmen and the favor of literati that the political status, economic strength and cultural background of ancient Yangzhou have played an advantage, and literati have recorded many famous articles for Yangzhou, making Yangzhou beautiful and prosperous. This is enough to prove the fact that ancient Yangzhou is deeply loved.