Entering the Dong village, you can often see a very chic wind and rain bridge. When it comes to wind and rain bridge, there is a myth and legend.
Anciently, there is no equalization of the village, the Dong family lived in the hillside, a small cottage, only a dozen families. There was a small cottage with a descendant, named Buka, married a wife, named Peiguan. The husband and wife were so in love that they were almost inseparable. Two people work back, a pick firewood, a load of grass, a carry hoe, a cattle, always followed by back and forth. This Peiguan was so beautiful that when the couple crossed the bridge, the fish in the river leapt out of the water to see them.
One morning, the river suddenly surged. Mr. and Mrs. Buka were in a hurry to go to the west mountain to work, and they could not care less, and went to the small wooden bridge in front of the village. Just as they walked to the center of the bridge, suddenly blew a gust of wind, scraping the Buka can not open their eyes, Peiguan "ouch" fell into the river. Buka opened his eyes to see, his wife disappeared, know scrape down the river, he jumped headfirst into the water, dive into the river. However, back and forth to look for a few rounds are not found. Folks know, also rushed to help him look for, looking for a long time, still can not find Peiguan. What's going on here?
There was a crab spirit deep in the bay, and it swept Peiguan into a cavern at the bottom of the river. All of a sudden, the crab spirit turned into a beautiful descendant and wanted Peiguan to be his wife, but Peiguan refused and slapped him. He immediately showed his fierce face and threatened Pei Guan. Peiguan cried and cursed, and the sound of his cries and curses traveled from the bottom of the river to the ears of a flowery dragon upstream.
Then the wind and rain came, and the waves rolled in, and a flower dragon was seen in the waves, looking east and west with its head held high. The dragon looked to the left, the wave hit to the left, the left side of the mountain collapsed, the dragon looked to the right, the wave rushed to the right, the right side of the shore cracked. The small wooden bridge has long been swept away by the waves. The people were frightened. But the dragon's head came to the beach side of Buka, the dragon's head even nodded a few times the waves calmed down. Then the flower dragon made a circle on the water and rushed to the bottom of the river. Then, from the water out of a stream of black smoke, rose into the air into a cloud, the flower dragon rushed into the air, flopping body, the black cloud down, finally pressed it to show its original shape. It turned out to be the drum tower top so big black crab. The black crab panicked and fled, climbed to the cliff three feet high. The flower dragon went down to the water and turned over, the dragon tail swung, and swept the crab down to the water. This several rounds, the crab is exhausted, wobbly crawling to the bamboo forest, want to use the bamboo to block the flower dragon. But the flower dragon jumped up, opened its mouth to spray water, spraying the bamboo forest piece by piece down, the crab fell into the river. Flower Dragon closely chased to the bottom of the water, the waves rolled down the river, then no longer see the black crab showed up. Later, not far from the river bay, revealing a crab-shaped black stone, is the flower dragon to the crab essence of the town. This stone, later people called it the crab stone.
When the river had calmed down, a woman's voice was heard calling from the opposite bank. Buka took a look and it was none other than his wife. Buka called a few people to swim over immediately. After getting ashore, Peiguan said to Buka, "Thanks to Flower Dragon's rescue!" Everyone realized that it was the Flower Dragon who had saved her, and they were all very grateful to the Flower Dragon. At that moment, the Flower Dragon flew back upstream, nodding to the people from time to time.
This story soon spread throughout the Dong village. The people of the small wooden bridge near the water was converted into a large wooden bridge like the air promenade, and the four center pillars of the bridge were carved with the pattern of the flower dragon, wishing that the flower dragon would always be there. After the completion of the large wooden bridge in the air promenade style, a grand celebration ceremony was held, very lively. At this time, colorful clouds in the sky, shaped like a long dragon, haze, people look closely, it is the flower dragon back to visit everyone. Therefore, the later called this bridge for the Dragon Bridge. Some places also called the flower bridge, but also because the bridge can be sheltered from the wind and rain, so it is also called wind and rain bridge.
2. Legend of Huixian Bridge
Huixian Bridge is on the Nationality Road in Yuzhong District, in the center of the square in front of the present-day Huixian Building. The bridge disappeared early, and my uncle came to Chongqing in the early 1920s to work as a laborer, and never saw the bridge. However, the place name of Huixianqiao existed until the 80s of last century.
Anciently, the city of Chongqing is not very populated, Daliangzi (now Xinhua Road) area is still a forest. A small stream flowed down from Daliangzi, approximately along present-day Zhengyang Street, through Dayanggou, to Hongyadong, and into the Jialing River. Huixian Bridge was a bridge over this stream, probably less than 10 meters long. The reason why it is called Huixian Bridge is that legend has it that someone met a fairy here. However, there are several versions of the legend.
One version is that an old man opened a cold tavern at the end of the bridge, and often a Taoist priest from Laojun Cave on the south bank came to drink in his tavern. He invited the old man to go to Laojun Cave to play. When the old man went there, the Taoist priest treated him to a bowl of douhua, which the two of them could never finish. In the afternoon, the old man returned to the tavern, the wife was surprised, said: "How come you do not come back for many years, yo?" The old man said: "You fainted yo, I just play half a day." But when he looked in the mirror, he grew a long white beard. The old man realized that the Taoist priest he met was a fairy. The rumor spread, so people called the bridge in front of the tavern "the Bridge of the Immortals".
There is also a story that a girl who lived below Hongyadong often went to the Jialing River to wash her clothes. One time, the clothes she was washing were washed away by the river. There is a single fisherman on the river saw, rowing fishing boat to go to her back. They became familiar with each other. One day, the girl's mother died of illness, the girl did not have the money to bury, anxious to jump into the river. The fisherman saved her, and said to her, "I caught a pick of gold armor carp, and I'll pick them up and sell them right away, and then I'll go and buy a birthday suit and a coffin." However, he picked the fish into the city, just went to the bridge, the lively gold armor carp are all dead hard, but also sell what money yo! The fish farmer was so anxious that he jumped up and down on the bridge and cried. At this time, he heard a voice from the land temple: "Quickly get out of the way, eight holes fairy is coming!" He looked up and saw that there were eight beggars, but he didn't care, he knelt down and begged the immortals to help. The leader was a crippled old man on iron crutches, saying, "We are all beggars, we have nothing to eat, where can we help you yo!" That carry a sword of the caller picked up a weight of stone thrown into the fishing Lang's fish basket, said: "Your fish are all alive, do not quickly take it to sell?" The fishmonger took a hard look. He threw the stone into another basket, and the fish came to life. When he looked again, all the beggars were gone. So the fisherman sold it for a good price, buried the girl's mother, and then married the girl and settled down at this bridge. The bridge was named Huixianqiao (Bridge of the Immortals).
3. The Legend of Zhaozhou Bridge
Anciently, Zhaozhou was now Zhao County in Hebei Province. Zhaozhou had two stone bridges, one in the south of the city and one in the west. The big stone bridge in the south of the city looks like a rainbow over the river, magnificent and majestic. Folk legend has it that this big stone bridge is Lu Ban repair; west of the city of small stone bridge, look like a small white dragon floating on the water, alive, legend has it that this small stone bridge is Lu Ban's sister Lu Jiang repair. These two bridges have been repaired well! The stage staged "Little Cattle", there is also this lyrics: "Zhaozhou stone bridge Lu Ban grandfather repair, jade railing saints stay, Zhang Guolao donkey ride on the bridge to go, Chai Wang Wang cart rolled a ditch." Here sings the legend of Lu Ban repair Zhaozhou Bridge.
Legend has it that Lu Ban and his sister traveled around the world, went to Zhaozhou, a white Xiao River blocked the way. On the river side of the carts, tandem, onion sellers, garlic sellers, horseback riding to catch the exams, pulling donkeys to catch the meeting of the hustle and bustle, scrambling to cross the river into the city. There were only two small boats swinging around in the river, and they could not pass a few people for half a day. When Lu Ban saw this, he asked, "Why don't you build a bridge over the river?" People said, "The river is wide, the water is deep, the waves are fast, who dares to repair it, and we can't find such a skillful craftsman even if we hit the lantern!" Lu Ban listened to his heart, and discussed with his sister, Lu Jiang, to build two bridges for the pedestrians.
Lu Ban said to his sister, "Let's build the big stone bridge first and the small stone bridge later!"
Lu Jiang said, "OK!"
Lu Ban said; "Building bridges is hard work, don't be afraid to suffer!"
Lu Jiang said, "I'm not afraid!"
Lu Ban said; "It is good that you are not afraid. Your heart is stupid and your hands are clumsy, if you are afraid of suffering again, you will be in trouble." This sentence made Lu Jiang upset. She said defiantly: "You do not think that my heart is stupid hand clumsy, this day, we separate repair, you repair big, I repair small, and you race
a race, see who repair fast, good repair."
Lu Ban said, "Okay, let's race! When will the work begin and when will it be finished?" Lu Jiang said: "The stars out of darkness to start work, the chicken call day dawn to finish." The word was finalized, and the siblings split up to get ready.
Lu Ban did not panic and slipped to the west toward the mountains. When Lu Jiang reached the west side of the city, she hurriedly got her hands dirty. She repaired while thinking: do not need to be busy, must pull you down. Sure enough, before the third watch was over, the small stone bridge was repaired. Then she quietly ran to the south of the city to see what her brother had repaired. To the south of the city to see, the river is not even a bridge shadow. Lu Ban was not at the river either. She thought to herself that her brother had lost this time. But turned his head, west of Taihang Mountain, a man driving a flock of sheep, jumping and scurrying down the mountain. Waiting to get closer to see, the original sheep driving is her brother. Which is to drive the sheep ah, clearly driven to a piece of snow like white, like jade as smooth stone, these stones to the river, a blink of an eye into a processed variety of stone. There are square bridge foundation stones, rectangular bridge deck stones, crescent-shaped arch ring stones, and beautiful railings. Beautiful columns, where the bridge, everything. Lu Jiang look at the heart of a shock, so good stone bridge to build up how strong ah! In contrast, they built that can not, need to quickly think of remedies. It is too late to rebuild, just in the carving on the efforts to cover him! She quietly went back to the west side of the city to start, in the railing engraved Pangu open heaven, Dayu water, and engraved the cowherd and the weaving maiden, the phoenix and the sunrise. What rare birds and animals, exotic flowers and plants, are carved like the real thing. Carved birds can fly, carved flowers scented. She herself looked at this exquisite carving satisfied, and ran to the south of the city to peep at Lu Ban. At first glance, she exclaimed. The rainbow in the sky, how to fall on the river? Fixed attention and then a closer look, it turned out that the brother to build a bridge, just missing a good bridge on the last pillar of the lookout. Her brother won a bet, so she played a joke with him. She dodged squatting behind the willow tree, pinching the throat and stretching the neck, "coo-coo-coo -" learned a chicken call. She screamed, led to the nearby people's home chickens also screamed. Lu Ban heard the chickens, rushed to the last pillar to the bridge, the bridge is also considered to be completed.
The two bridges, a small one and a large one, are very beautiful. Lu Ban's big stone bridge, majestic, durable; Lu Jiang repair small stone bridge, delicate, beautiful and delightful. Zhaozhou built two bridges in one night, and the next day it was a sensation in the nearby state government offices and counties. Everyone watched and praised. The skilled craftsmen came here to learn their crafts, and the skillful girls came here to describe their patterns. People came to visit every day, like running water. This strange thing soon spread to the Peng Cai immortal island immortal Zhang Guolao's ears. Zhang Guolao didn't believe it, he thought Lu Ban had such a great ability! He invited Mr. Chai to go and see for himself. Zhang Guolao rode a small black donkey, Chai Wang Wang pushed a one-wheeled cart, the two came to Zhaozhou stone bridge, just met Lu Ban is standing on the bridge, looking at the pedestrians laughing! Zhang Guolao asked Lu Ban: "This bridge is you repair?" Lu Ban said: "Yes, what's wrong with it?" Zhang Guolao pointed to the little black donkey and Master Chai's one-wheeled cart and said, "If we cross the bridge, will it stand up?" Lu Ban gave them a glance and said, "If a big mule and a big horse, and a golden carriage and a silver carriage can pass through, can't your little donkey and broken cart pass through?" When Zhang Guolao heard this, he thought that he was talking too much, so he used magic to gather the sun and the moon, and put them in the pouch on the donkey's back, with the sun on the left side and the moon on the right side. Master Chai also used magic to gather the five famous mountains and mounted them on the cart. The two men smiled a little, pushing the donkey to the bridge. As soon as they got on the bridge, they looked at the bridge and saw it lolling. Lu Ban hurriedly jumped to the bridge, raised his right hand to hold the bridge, save the bridge.
The two men passed, Zhang Guolao looked back at the bridge to the Chai King said: "No wonder people praise, Lu Ban repair this bridge is really the world's best." Master Chai nodded his head and gave a thumbs up to Lu Ban, who had only just returned to the bridge. Lu Ban looked at their backs and said in his heart, "These two people are not simple!"
Now, Zhaozhou stone bridge deck, there are still Zhang Guolao riding a donkey stepped on the hoofprints and Chai Wang cart rolled a ditch. To Zhaozhou stone bridge to go to the people, can be seen, the bridge below the original also left a big handprint Lu Ban master bridge, now can not see.
(P.S.: According to historical sources, Zhaozhou Bridge is designed and built by Li Chun, an artisan of the Sui Dynasty).