书圣故里
绍兴历史悠久，人文荟萃，文化底蕴深厚，被誉为名士之乡，文物之邦。从越王勾践建城、范蠡筑城开始，已有2500多年建城史，至今城址未变。绍兴市经过市政府多年的整修，现在已经形成了八大历史街区。而书圣故里是其中规模最大、保存最完整的历史街区。它在2015年时被选为首批中国历史文化街区，总占地面积0.8平方公里，核心区域0.45平方公里。这里不仅有书圣王羲之的故宅，还有学界泰斗蔡元培的故居，同时也是儒学家刘宗周、思想家黄宗羲的讲学求学圣地。
Wang Xizhi’s Native Place
As a historic and cultural city with a long history, Shaoxing, enjoys rich human and cultural heritage, which is known as the home to many notables and cultural relics. The site of downtown Shaoxing has remained unchanged for more 2500 years, since Fan Li (BC536- BC448), a strategist, began to built it under the order of Gou Jian (BC520- BC464), the king of Yue State. As a result of years of renovation by Shaoxing municipal government, it has developed into eight historic neighborhoods, among which Wang Xizhi’s Native Place is the largest and best preserved one. It was selected as the first group of Chinese historic and cultural neighborhoods in 2015, covering a total area of 0.8 square kilometers with the core area of 0.45 square kilometers. There are not only the former residence of Wang Xizhi (303-361), a famed calligraphist in Eastern Jin dynasty, honored as the Sage of Calligraphy, but also the former residence of Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940), president of Peking University, a leading scholar in the academic circles. At the same time, it is also where many scholars once lectured and studied, such as Liu Zongzhou (1578-1645), a famous Confucian scholar in Ming Dynasty and Huang Zongxi (1610-1695), a historian and thinker in the late Qing Dynasty.
古时的绍兴曾被誉为东方威尼斯。境内水道纵横，有水乡之誉。因水而有桥，因桥必有景，美名桥乡。据1993年统计，绍兴共有石桥10610座，也被美誉为万桥市。在绍兴书圣故里不足三百米的蕺山主街上就有四座石桥。从南到北，首先看到的是探花桥，相传是绍兴府余姚县谢丕在明正德年间得中探花时所建立。站在探花桥上，放眼望去，清一色的白墙黑瓦错落有致，古式台门、里弄小巷、石桥流水与传统民居自然融合，让景区充满了浓郁的江南气息。
The city is crisscrossed by water ways, so it was called the Venice in the East. As a water town, it is featured with bridges and scenery, which earn itself the name of Home of Bridges. According to the statistics in 1993, it is home to 10,610 stone bridges, so it is honored as a city of thousands of bridges. Less than 300 meters from Wang Xizi’s Native Place, there are four stone bridges on Jishan Main Street. From south to north, the first is the Tanhua (Tanhua means the third place in imperial examination) bridge, which is said to be built by Xie Pi, from Yuyao County, Shaoxing Prefecture during 1506-1521, when he won the third place in imperial examination in Ming Dynasty. Looking around on the bridge, you can see the typical views of a water town in the southern China -- white walls, black tiles, classic gates of influential families, lanes, alleys, stone bridges, flowing water, which are naturally integrated with traditional folk residences in the neighborhood.
相传，因王羲之帮老婆婆题扇大卖而得题扇桥名。现在的这座桥是清道光八年（1828年）重建的，是一座单孔石拱桥。王羲之帮老婆婆题扇大卖后，老婆婆却经常在桥头等候让他题字，王羲之从远处见到时，连忙溜到一条小弄堂里躲着，等到老婆婆走了才回家。所以后人便称这条小弄堂为“躲婆弄”。站在题扇桥上，可以看到另两座古桥：首先看到的这座是蕺坊桥，建在蕺山山脚下，连接河两边的手工作坊而得名。绍兴方言“蕺”和“七”谐音，所以排进了“十桥”童谣。远处的那座是咸宁桥，是一座以年号命名的石桥，咸宁是西晋的年号。景区与古居住区融合在一起，漫步其中既可以感受悠闲的慢生活，又可以体验最纯粹的市井生活。
The second bridge is Tishan (which means inscribing on the fan) bridge. It is said that it got its name for once Wang Xizhi helped a old lady sell her fans on the bridge by inscribing on the fans with his autograph. The present bridge was rebuilt in the eighth year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1828), which is a single-hole stone arch bridge. After that, the lady often waited there asking for his inscription. When seeing her afar, he would slipped into a small alley nearby to avoid her until she was gone. Therefore, this alley was named "duoponong" alley, which means avoiding the old lady. Standing on Tishan bridge, you can see the other two ancient bridges -- Jifang bridge and Xianning bridge. The former is located at the foot of Jishan hill and connects the manual workshops on both sides of the river. Shaoxing dialect "Ji" and "Qi" are homophonic, so they are listed in the "ten bridges" nursery rhyme. The latter one, Xianning bridge, is a stone bridge named after the year of reign, which is the reign title of Western Jin Dynasty. The scenic spot is integrated with the ancient residential area. Walking in it you can not only feel the leisurely and slower pace of life, but also experience the real life.
蕺山书院前身为相韩旧塾。南宋乾道年间，山阴学者韩度及其孙韩性在蕺山讲学，创蕺山相韩旧塾，元代大画家王冕曾在此蒙学。后为明代著名儒学大师刘宗周讲学授徒之地，曾在此地前后招生200余人，培养了一大批杰出的人才，被学生尊称为蕺山先生，这里也被称为蕺山书院，同时也是蕺山学派的发祥地。在蕺山学派的弟子中，以黄宗羲和陈确最有影响。清末时，书院改为山阴县学堂，徐锡麟曾执教于此。范文澜、陈建功、徐钦文等人先后在此就读。
Jishan Academy was formerly known as Xianghan School, an old styled private school, established in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), by Han Du, a Shanyin (now Shaoxing) scholar and his grandson Han Xing. Wang Mian, a great painter of the Yuan Dynasty, once studied here. Later, it was the place where Liu Zongzhou, a famous Confucian master in the Ming Dynasty taught, who enrolled a total of more 200 students and trained a large number of outstanding talents. So he was honored as Mr. Jishan by his students, and the school was also known as Jishan Academy, which was also the birthplace of Jishan school of thoughts. Among the followers Huang Zongxi （1610-1695）and Chen Que（1604 -1677） were the most influential. During the late years of Qing Dynasty, the Academy was converted to Shanyin County School, where Xu Xilin（1873-1907）, a famous anti-feudalism revolutionary once taught. Also associated with the school are a number of famous figures in modern Chinese history, including Fan Wenlan, a historian, Chen Jiangong, a mathematician and Xu Qinwen, a writer. They once studied here.
文笔塔位于蕺山山顶，原名“王家塔”，建于清初，1937年因侵华日军建碉堡而被毁，现在这座是2003年底在“王家塔”原址重建的风水塔。它是蕺山的标志性建筑，与府山飞翼楼、塔山应天塔形成“三塔鼎立”之势，构成绍兴古城高处的美丽画面。
Wenbi Tower, also known as “Wang’s Tower” is located at the top of the Jishan hill. The tower was built in the early years of Qing Dynasty, which was ruined when Japanese invaded China in 1937, who built the blockhouse on it. The present one was built in 2003, which is a land mark of Shaoxing, especially together with other two historic towers at a distance in downtown Shaoxing -- Feiyi Tower on Fushan hill and Yingtian Tower on Tashan hill. The three towers together contribute to the beautiful skylines in the city.
戒珠讲寺位于西街72号，原为“书圣”王羲之的故宅。王羲之为什么舍宅为寺呢？相传，有天他在家赏玩一颗明珠时，一位僧人前来拜访。王羲之随手将珠子放在案桌上招待客人。这时，又有一位朋友来访，他便请僧人在此稍候。回来时却发现珠子不见了，于是怀疑是僧人拿走了。虽不便明说，但面露鄙夷之色。僧人深感委屈，却有口难辩，最终悬梁自尽。数日后，王羲之家的大白鹅也死了，刨开一看，原来是鹅误吞了珠子，他心中十分悔恨，从此戒掉玩珠的爱好。为了提醒自己不要随便怀疑别人，他舍宅为寺以纪念这位僧人。从唐代开始被定名“戒珠寺”，沿用至今。
Jiezhu Temple, located at No. 72, West Street near the southern foot of the Jishan hill, originally was a villa of Wang Xizhi, the Sage of Calligraphy. But why did he converted it into a temple? There is a sad story behind it. Wang Xizhi was a fan of pearls. Legend holds it that on one occasion Wang found one of his precious pearls missing and was suspicious of the visiting monk for the theft. Feeling deeply wronged and humiliated, the monk hanged himself to vindicate his innocence. Days after, it was found by chance that it was his goose that had swallowed the pearl. Contrition sent him converting the villa to a temple and he gave up the hobby of collecting pearls ever since. The temple was called “Jiezhu Temple” from Tang Dynasty on, which means quitting the habit of collecting pearls.
王羲之故宅右前方有一口水池，便是墨池，位于蕺山街和西街交界处。相传，王羲之勤练书法，在水池里经常洗笔洗砚，池水尽墨，终于练成了妍美流畅的新体。墨池经1983年修复，基本恢复了原貌。
On the right front of Wang Xizhi's former residence is a pool known as the Ink Pool, lying at the junction of Jishan Street and the West Street. It is said it was where he washed his brush pens and ink stone. For he practiced calligraphy so hard that the pool became dark finally, and an elegant and smooth style of calligraphy of his was created. The ink pool was repaired in 1983 and basically restored to its original appearance.
王羲之陈列馆位于斜桥弄8号，主要陈列王羲之与王献之“二王”的名作和历代受“二王”作品影响的书法名家作品。陈列馆内设王羲之书法名作展厅，王羲之生平事迹展厅、历代法帖名作展厅。
Wang Xizhi Gallery is located at No. 8, Xiqiao Lane, which mainly displays the famous works of Wang Xizhi and his son,Wang Xianzhi, also a calligraphist and the works of other famous calligraphers influenced by the works of “Two Wangs”. The Gallery has three exhibition halls, which exhibit Wang Xizhi's famous calligraphic works, Wang Xizhi's life stories and other famous calligraphic works of different periods respectively.
