🌟 Zhongmu: A Poetic Dwelling Place Spanning a Thousand Years
📜Zhongmu's Past and Present
Unfold the scroll of history, and Zhongmu, this county town, silently tells stories of over 2500 years. This was originally Putianze of the State of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period. Zhongmu County was established during the Han Dynasty, and Wang Wei, a Tang Dynasty poet, once wrote the line "Putian is full of desolate mist" here. Today's Zhongmu not only retains the historical charm of Central Plains culture but also radiates the vibrant vitality of a modern new countryside.
🏡Only Humble Abode · Courtyard
Amidst thousands of years of cultural accumulation, the most literati-like and elegant is this courtyard, named after Liu Yuxi's "Ode to the Humble Abode". Pushing open the old wooden door, it's as if one can see the scene described by Liu Yuxi: "Moss stains the steps green, grass hues tint the curtain blue." The pomegranate tree in the courtyard is already a century old, its flowers blooming like fire in early summer. Local elders say this is a remnant of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Zhongmu".
1️⃣ Legend of the Han Well
There is an ancient Han Dynasty well in the courtyard, and its water is still clear, cool, and sweet. Legend has it that during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, when Cao Cao stationed his troops in Zhongmu, his soldiers drank and rested here. What's more interesting is that the wellhead still retains the indentations left by ropes when ancient people drew water. Touching these marks, it's as if one can hear the echoes of history.
2️⃣ Literati Gatherings
This was once a gathering place for literati and refined scholars of Zhongmu during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is said that the county magistrate at that time often invited literati here on summer evenings to compose poems and couplets. The manuscripts of their poems are still preserved in the county museum. On the pillars of the pavilion in the courtyard, one can still faintly discern the lines "I raise my cup to invite the bright moon, and with my shadow, we become three."
3️⃣ Ginkgo Secrets
The most astonishing is the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree in the courtyard, its trunk inscribed with calligraphy by a Tang Dynasty poet. When golden leaves flutter down in autumn, locals hold an "Ancient Charm of Ginkgo Leaves" event. They enjoy tea and admire the moon under the ginkgo tree, experiencing the poetic mood of "fallen leaves cover the steps, red and unswept."
✨
As I stood in this courtyard, looking at the pomegranate tree and old ginkgo that have traversed ancient and modern times, I suddenly understood the meaning of "Herein lies true meaning, but when I try to express it, I forget the words." Only Humble Abode · Courtyard, with its mottled brick walls and ancient eaves, tells the untold poetic stories of Zhongmu. There are no grand buildings here, but there is the most moving pulse of history.
Post by Henry Oliver~Gray36 | Jul 25, 2025
