Qingshuihe County is located at the junction of the Loess Plateau and Inner Mongolia Plateau, where farming civilization and nomadic civilization meet, and the magical 40 degrees north latitude passes through the territory, giving birth to unique natural and human scenery. The passage of time did not wash away the footprints left by ancient trilobites here, nor did it wash away the foundation of the Millennium Great Wall, but left a magnificent canyon spectacle. For thousands of years, people have thrived in this beautiful land, surrounded by mountains and waters, and experienced four seasons of sunrise and sunset. During a long historical period in China, nomadic people in the north often invaded the farming people in the Central Plains, so wars between the two sides were quite frequent. Qingshui River is located in the transitional zone between farming and nomadism in geography, economy, climate and ecology, and has been the core frontier in past dynasties.
As far back as the Zhou Dynasty 3000 years ago, Qingshuihe area was once a secluded country in the north of the Zhou Dynasty, and it was also the border between the Zhou Dynasty and the grassland people. At that time, General Nanzhong was sent here by the Zhou Emperor to fight against the Huns, and achieved great victory. In order to better resist the Huns, General Nanzhong built many interconnected castles and beacon towers here. The castle was used to station troops, and the beacon tower was used to contact and alarm, which became the key to winning in South China and the embryonic form of the Great Wall in later generations.
It was not until the Qin Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago that Qingshuihe became Ling Zhen County, one of the 34 counties built by Qin Shihuang along the Yellow River. The city walls made of rammed earth are still faintly visible. Qin Shihuang also connected the Great Wall built by Zhao and Yan to form the famous Great Wall of Wan Li.
In the second year of Yuanshuo, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty set up Shuofang County in Hetaoye District, where 100,000 immigrants came to settle down and carry out agricultural development. Su Jian was also ordered to assemble 100,000 people to build Shuofang City and repair the old Great Wall in Wan Li.
When we face the ancient Great Wall in Qin and Han Dynasties and the Jinjie Trench in Jin Dynasty, and look back at the whole human history, we find that the construction of the Great Wall is not unique to China. In distant Europe, Alexander the Great of Greece also built a Yugoslav capital. In 122, the Roman Empire built a section of Hadrian's Great Wall, which was 15 feet high and 80 miles long. Unfortunately, Hadrian's Great Wall failed to resist the migration of Huns. After more than a thousand years, the whole of Europe was washed to pieces by the Huns, and it was never unified again, and it was always in a state of division.
The Ming Dynasty was the dynasty that built the Great Wall for the longest time, and the Qingshuihe Great Wall was also built at this time. The Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty started from Xiyang County in the east and reached the Yellow River in the west, which was the first line of defense against Mongolian fighters in the Ming Dynasty. The second Great Wall is the south of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty. Compared with the Yinshan Great Wall in Qin and Han Dynasties, the Ming Great Wall retreated southward by 160 km, regaining the balance of confrontation and defense. In Kouzishang Village, Qingshuihe County, there are three sites of the Great Wall, namely Laoerbian, Xinerbian and Neibian, which gather at the top of Yajiaodun Mountain in the north of Kouzishang Village. Fort Wu Yanjing in Kouzishang Village has now become the villagers' farmland. It was once one of the military fortresses in the defense system of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty. In those days, it was generally used for the training of 100 soldiers, and it was also the duty of stationing. The military household system was first implemented in the Ming Dynasty. It is hereditary to be a soldier and defend our country. Military households have obtained a certain amount of land, and they don't have to pay taxes when they are not fighting, and they have always been dominated by the state. These soldiers stationed at the border of the Great Wall became the main composition of the early personnel of Qingshuihe. With the continuous proliferation of border guards, many villages of different sizes began to appear along the Great Wall, and Kouzishang Village was one of them.
The site of the Great Wall at Hongmenkou in the Ming Dynasty is still preserved in Baobei Township, Qingshuihe. More than 400 years ago, it was the first Great Wall Pass to open trade with Mongolia in the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, under the planning of cabinet ministers Gao Gong, Zhang and others, the Ming Dynasty reached an agreement with Mongolia to seal the king, pass tribute and change the city, which was called "the sum of Qin Long" in history. Since then, eleven trading ports have been opened between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia, ending the hostile state between the Ming Dynasty and Mongolia for nearly 200 years. With the official opening of the city, Qingshuihe County became lively. In addition to the main horse trade, cattle, sheep and other livestock, as well as tea and grain in the Central Plains, are also very popular. After a hundred years of war, peace finally came to the Great Wall, and the trade function of the Great Wall began to appear, which became the witness of the integration of the two civilizations. The development of society and civilization makes people understand that war is not the primary purpose, but peace and development are the fundamental interests of the nation.
After the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, with the unification of the Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan nationalities in China and the complete integration of all ethnic groups in China, the Great Wall lost its border defense significance, and the history of building the Great Wall ended.
Qingshuihe witnessed the history of the Chinese nation's continuous construction of the Great Wall for thousands of years. The Great Wall helped the Chinese nation resist foreign invasion, and Chinese civilization lasted for thousands of years, which enabled China to maintain national unity after thousands of different dynasties. The Great Wall has also become a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation and an important legacy of China's history. In 1980s, Qingshuihe people began to organize the Great Wall Guards spontaneously, whose main duty was to prevent man-made destruction of the Great Wall. On June 5438+February 1 day, 2006, since the implementation of the Regulations on the Protection of the Great Wall, Qingshuihe 150 km Great Wall has been carefully cared for by 30 great wall caring volunteers, patrolling the Great Wall day after day, deepening their understanding and love for the Great Wall.
In A.D. 1697, Sixiang, who was only 18 years old in Kangxi, married Dundobulji, the future heir of Khalkha Mongolia. The emperors of the Qing dynasty hoped that all ethnic groups could be more closely integrated through close and distant relations. From Kangxi to the last years of Guangxu, 39 princesses were married to Mongolia, and these princesses who were married to Mongolia were given a place of support by the emperor (also called rouge land or Tom land) for their livelihood.
Princess Kangxi was the first princess in the Qing Dynasty to marry the Mongolian prince in Mobei. Kangxi gave the land of Qingshuiying (now Qingshuihe) in Inner Mongolia to Princess Kangxi, who had 48,375 mu of fertile land and 88 cows in Qingshuiying. At present, there is still a merit monument in the village of Kouzi, Qingshuihe, which records that Huifang implements the policy of benevolence and tax reduction and exemption here. In Qingshuihe County, there are four or five such monuments, which record the policies and measures of Si Xiang's land reclamation in Qingshuihe County. Since then, Qingshuihe County has gradually become an important agricultural production area on the grassland. Kangxi was very satisfied with Huei-fang's actions in the frontier and named her "Princess Jing Ke". In the forty-sixth year of Kangxi, Emperor Kangxi visited the north and came to Huifang to live in the Princess House of Guihua City to show his concern and love for his daughter. After Yongzheng acceded to the throne, he named her "Gulun Princess Kejing" and praised her efforts to stabilize the border. The four princesses brought 200 years of peace to Qingshui River, which not only promoted the development of farming civilization here, but also greatly promoted the integration of all ethnic groups.
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with the smoke dispersed at the border of the Great Wall, more and more Great Wall people began to make a living outside the Great Wall in a peaceful environment. "Walking to the West Exit" sung by Qingshuihe tells the history that people in the Great Wall Pass were forced by their livelihood to open up wasteland in Inner Mongolia outside the Great Wall Pass for a living. The Red Gate of Qingshui River was once one of the main passes to the west. In the process of westward advancement, the inside and outside of the Great Wall are more closely linked, and the integration of grassland and the Central Plains is carried out in a wider range. Not only customs and lifestyles, but also various art forms such as traditional Chinese opera and ceramic paper-cutting are combined with local characteristics, forming the folk culture and art with local color in Qingshui River.
More than 400 years ago, some porcelain makers in Shanxi crossed the Great Wall at Hongmenkou and came to Heifangou area of Qingshuihe River. They found that there are high-quality kaolin and a lot of coal here, which are very suitable for firing ceramics, so they built a kiln-fired porcelain here. The fireworks in the porcelain kiln have continued to this day, forming a unique Qingshuihe porcelain art. In Heifangou, a ravine less than 2,500 meters, 25 ancient kiln sites in Ming and Qing Dynasties are still well preserved. It is conceivable that the Qingshuihe ceramics industry flourished in those years. "Jingdezhen in the south and Qingshui River in the north" is the reputation of Qingshui River as "the porcelain capital beyond the Great Wall".
In the former site of the Party branch in Laoniupo Township, Qingshuihe County, we can see the glorious history of the unity of all ethnic groups in Han and Mongolia against Japan. This party branch, founded in 1937, was one of the earliest rural party organizations established in the Mongolian-Jin border region during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period. Laoniupo, which connects Jinsui Anti-Japanese Base and Daqingshan Anti-Japanese Base, is the front position of the anti-Japanese struggle in southern Suiyuan, and also an important passage from Yan 'an, the revolutionary holy land, to Su Meng. Qingshuihe people formed the Great Wall of Faith here to resist and counterattack the Japanese invaders.
After a long history, today's Qingshuihe people have started a new life in this rich land, and they are still sticking to the rich nostalgia and culture from generation to generation. The Yellow River water irrigates the fertile land of Qingshuihe River, and the rich products and the wisdom of Qingshuihe people have given birth to a unique food culture. Every local food retains the local memory of Qingshuihe people.
Unlike the sandy riverbed in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, the riverbed in Laoniuwan is hard and smooth stone, and the Yellow River carp here have to swim constantly, so their bodies are small but their meat is tender. Stewed wild Yellow River carp is a famous dish in Laoniuwan. After fresh carp is cut open and washed, the whole carp is put into a special broth and simmered for one hour. The aroma is delicious and smooth.
Every year from the sixth day to the eighth day of the seventh lunar month, a unique temple fair is held in Dongergou Village, Qingshuihe. More than 500 years ago, the ancestors of the village migrated here from Shanxi. As the years passed, people gradually spread their branches and leaves. In order to stick to this nostalgia, the village agreed to return to the village in July of the lunar calendar every year. No matter where you are, you should go back to your hometown to worship your ancestors and talk to * * * about the nostalgia. This special tradition has lasted for more than 300 years. The three main contents of Dong 'ergou Temple Fair are theatre, banquet and mule market. The banquet mobilized by the whole village is the focus of the temple fair, and stewed mutton and cakes are essential protagonists.
Most of the sheep in Qingshuihe are kept in the mountains, eating grass and drinking spring water, so the meat is delicate. Cut fresh mutton into pieces, stir-fry in a big wooden pot, put ginger slices and scallion in a stew pot, heat it with strong fire and simmer it with low fire. The fat of mutton is gradually released in the soup, and the mutton becomes tender and memorable.
Qingshuihe people have an almost paranoid love for eating cakes, and golden sticky glutinous rice is the standard of excellent cakes. Qingshuihe River is a gold producing area of small fragrant rice, millet and other miscellaneous grains because of its long sunshine time and large temperature difference between morning and evening. The cakes in Qingshuihe are made of millet. First, add a small amount of water to the millet flour several times and knead it evenly into granules. After steaming, the viscosity is greatly increased, and then repeatedly beating while it is hot, the millet cake with tight gluten is ready. There are many ways to eat cake. You can dip the cake in the soup of stewed mutton and eat it together. You can also wrap stuffing in cakes, fry them in oil until golden brown, and eat fried cakes, which means "from now on."
Naked oats are one of the main crops in Qingshuihe River, and oat flour is the daily staple food of Qingshuihe people. To make oat flour well, we should pay attention to "three-cooked oats", stir-fry before grinding and steam after scalding. Boiled water and good oat noodles are rubbed, kneaded, twisted, pressed and pressed in the hands of housewives in Qingshuihe, forming different shapes and tastes such as long strips, short strips, leaves and nests. You can also make seven or eight kinds of pasta with vegetables such as potatoes, which makes people sincerely sigh the folk wisdom in food.
People in Qingshuihe often plant a sea red fruit tree in the yard when their daughter is born. The sea red fruit tree grows with the children year after year. Every spring in Xia Zhishi, Haihong fruit trees are full of brilliant red flowers, and every household is full of flowers; Every October or so, the sea red fruit is full of branches and every family is red. Sea red fruit is rich in calcium and is called "the king of calcium". Fresh sea red fruit tastes sour. People will soak the sea red in cold water first, then soak it in cold water. After low temperature, organic acids were degraded, and fructose crystallization improved the sweetness of sea red fruit. The fruit becomes soft and delicious, and the pulp liquefies into juice. After eating, you can eat it in all seasons.
This land is dedicated to the industrious people of Qingshuihe. When they work and harvest in the land, they feel that people are naturally connected with the land, mixed with time, joy, diligence and wisdom, leaving the most unforgettable and moving memories in their hearts.
Qingshuihe people, like all people in China, are good at creating the ultimate delicious food with simple ingredients. Tofu plays an important role in Qingshuihe people's recipes. The tofu in Qingshuihe River is firm and mellow, which is first attributed to the excellent local water quality and unique sheep eye beans. Sheep eye bean is a kind of black bean which is a specialty of Qingshuihe River. After soaking and peeling, grind it into slurry, add good acid slurry water to the cooked slurry, and then pour it into the tank for compaction. This kind of tofu is a little sweet.
Bean noodle is a favorite breakfast food of Qingshuihe people, and it is a kind of pasta made of peas. Grind peas into flour first, then mix three parts of bean flour with one part of white flour, stir them with warm water until they are thick, stir the noodles out of the ribs, knead them into soft dough with high viscosity, put the mixed noodles in a sipping bed and squeeze them into lumps, and strips of bean flour fall into the hot water in the pot from the holes in the sipping bed, then take them out and put them in a bowl after cooking, and then put them in the broth and pour them with SAO Zi. In the cold autumn and winter season, eating a bowl of warm bean noodles warms the heart and stomach, and the chill disappears.
Long bean noodles are also the favorite food of Qingshuihe people. Pea is also its raw material, and Artemisia seed is another raw material. Artemisia sphaerocephala seed is a common wild fruit in Qingshuihe River, which has a faint bitter taste and fragrance. First, the Artemisia argyi seeds are mixed with water to form a gel, and then kneaded with pea flour to increase the gluten of the bean flour. Roll the bean flour into thin bean flour, cut it into strips, cook it in a pot, pour in minced meat and taste it slowly. Smooth, tender and fragrant, it reminds people of the deep homesickness.
Gourmet makeup points out the happy life of Qingshuihe people, and also adds the deep nostalgia of Qingshuihe people. Such a day, such a deep feeling, is like the Yellow River flowing slowly, like the Great Wall standing for thousands of years, like the missing full moon, which has been installed in life and in people's hearts for thousands of years. Time goes back to the previous four seasons, and Qingshui River has experienced numerous historical tests until today. She is so kind and familiar, because she is ourselves, a self who has always yearned for beauty and created beauty through hardships. Life follows its own trajectory, and tomorrow is another day, which is difficult and calm because of yesterday.
After the founding of New China, the face of Qingshui River has undergone earth-shaking changes. Today, the forest coverage rate of Qingshuihe River has reached 32.9%, making it a national model county for greening. Qingshuihe County, an ancient bunker in the border town of Shanxi and Mongolia, is now on a new journey to build a well-off society in an all-round way. The Mongolian Plateau and the Loess Plateau have made her tall and straight, and she is confident. The integration of grassland culture and Central Plains culture makes her both tough and calm. She is simple, hardworking and kind. She witnessed the change of time; She guards the happiness of the people; She talked about yesterday, today and a beautiful tomorrow.