Westlake fishing raft
West outskirt of Chaozhou is close to cucurbit hill, hill reflect water, landscape is very beautiful. Ever a visitor visit Chaozhou Westlake and plaint: ¡°hometown has no this good lake¡±. Also has ¡°lake picture¡± on the hill, from this can see the beauty of Westlake.
Chaozhou is consisting of cucurbit hill and Westlake. Since Tang and Song dynasty till now, Chaozhou people used to talk about ¡°ramble¡±, ¡°Westlake fishing raft¡± story when in leisure time, which is pass down from ¡°talk about ancient¡±.
Long time ago, there is a Zhang Laoda living by selling fish, every afternoon he go to ¡°virgin fount ¡° to hear story to learn some interesting story and anecdote. Once he pass by lake hotel, see a fish named ¡°fish tiger¡± writhe in the Westlake deep pool, it is pity that he doesn¡¯t¡¯ bring fishing tool, and not know well about watercraft, only can go to ¡°virgin fount ¡°to hear sotry.
Next morning, Zhang Laoda go to market to stock, fish storehouse is full of fish, should buy which kind of fish he has no idea. Suddenly he think about the fish he saw yesterday, so he choose that kind of fish, he can not expect that day he sell very well. Since then, Zhang Laoda go to see fish kind in deep pool and can get benefit on selling fish. After become rich, Zhang Laoda set spirit board at home, written ¡°Westlake fish pool¡±, oblate with burning joss stick, invoke business is well. So, ¡°Westlake sight in nowadays¡± ever considered ¡°Westlake fish pool¡± also has reason.
And one day Zhang Laoda sell out his fish, and it is still a long time to have lunch, so he go to the fish pool to see fish kind, strange! Water is clear and has no fish, only see a treasure pearl shine. After go home he tell neighbor Li Loshan about this, let him go to the pool to get the pearl. Li Laoshan is living on find out snail, familiar with watercraft. His wife is going to birth child and his house has no rice, so he intends to get money on the risk of death. Under the guide of Zhang Laoda, Li Laoshan risks his life dive into deep pool and finally takes out the pearl. They decide to sell this pearl to the boss of curio store. Curio store run this business for about tens of years, and still never see this before and very happy. But he considers that this two people don¡¯t know the treasure and say: ¡°this is a fake pearl, cost five liang silver at most.¡± Li Laoshan is anger and say; ¡°fake? This is get from Westlake fish pool!¡± after hearing this, rich man add five, Li Laoshan say he won¡¯t sell it and ask back about it, rich man doesn¡¯t give back, and three man make a racket, at this time official come, and he recognize this pearl is very rare and ask the reason, ¡°take them to the county court!¡±
When reach court magistrate speak to the rich man: ¡°this is calm city treasure, you dare to buy it? Consider you are a business man, not punish you, go back!¡± rich man go home. Magistrate speak to Zhang Laoda: ¡°you abet Li Laoshan thieve the treasure pearl, and whole city will suffer disaster! Do you know? Zhgn Laoda beg for mercy, magistrate punish him ten liang silver. And speak to Li Laosan: ¡°consider you are a poor person, I give you five liang silver and take the pearl to the former place to avoid the dragon king become anger, chao people suffer disaster.¡± Li Laoshan kotow and thank.
 interval of several days just fifth of May in old calendar, magistrate ask Li Laoshan to the Westlake, and invite many esquire to audit. He speaks to Li Laoshan: ¡°yesterday city-protect dragon king entrust a dream to me, say use pearly to teach his son to play water, but your wife going to give birth, your hand and leg is not clean, so I use red flower, immortal grass to wash the pearl and envelop with read satin, now you take it back!¡±
Li Laoshan get the red satin and bite it in the mouth, and jump into the lake and lay back the pearl, just climb up to the bank, magistrate ask solider beat him to death and threaten: ¡°if not beat him to death, he will come back and take it tomorrow, the whole city will suffer disaster.¡± In deed, the pearl return to the pool is fake, the real one is kept by the magistrate and hide it in the bottom of the chest.
After some days, magistrate bring the pearl go home, unawares that come across gale and sea, whole family turn over into the river and feed the fish, that true pearl return to the dragon king.
It is strange that since has that pearl, fish in the river become more and more, and fish in Westlake also has the taste of brook fish and pool fish, ¡°fresh but not has the raw smell¡±, so fisher man come to the lake. At that time, Westlake is quiet and lots of luxuriant trees, delicate pavilion mirror in the lake, raft appears and disappear in the lake light and hill color. Fish man cast to fish, gather at bank after fruitful results, air net and clothes, drink and talk, full of happiness.
From Rainbow Bridge bestride Westlake; take the meaning of ¡°ferry like rainbow¡±. Early nation period, warlord Hong Zhaoling, called ¡°Chao Batian¡±, renamed rainbow bridge into ¡°Hong Bridge¡±; forcibly Westlake as private, fix as ¡°Hong garden¡±; and set his stone image in lotus pool. This impudence action that attempt to forcibly Westlake is not allowed by people, later his stone image is removed.
Hanbi pavilion locates at the lakefront of Chaozhou Westlake Park, country revolution army east expedition two times in modern history, Zhou Enlai,, Zhou¡¡Yiqun ever residence here. October 1925 first expedition, country revolution army first army corps commander, east expedition army corps commander in chief Jieshi Jiang ever lived in Chaozhou, at that time he appeared as ¡°left¡± clique, often rise with the lark come here, hold Zhongzheng sword, read the will of premier Sun Yat-sen loudly. In 1927, the¡°August 1st¡± Nanchang riser trans-fight in Yue, Zhou Enlai, De Zhu, He long, Ye Ting, Liu Bocheng, Guo Moruo come into Chaozhou, withdraw until 30th, total 7 days, history call ¡° Chaozhou seven days red¡±. Ceiba in front of pavilion named as Hero Tree reputedly already has more than 400 years age. Now Hanbi pavilion is rank as Chaozhou patriotism education base.
|
