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.
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.
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 street life.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
