Shouyang Misty Rain

Shouxian, historically known as Shouchun, Shouyang, and Shouzhou, was relocated here in the 22nd year of King Kao Lie of Chu (241 BC). It has been a prefecture 10 times and repeatedly served as the administrative center of the prefecture. The ancient city has a roughly square plan, with city walls measuring 7,141 meters in circumference, 8.3 meters in height, with a base width of 18-22 meters and a top width of 4-10 meters. The walls were built with rammed earth and faced with bricks on the outside. The lower part of the outer wall has a 2-meter-high stone base, and the entire structure inclines inward, with each layer neatly tapered. The current city walls were rebuilt by Xu Jun, the military governor of Jiankang, in the 12th year of Ningzong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1206). The bricks often bear the inscription 'Built by Military Governor Xu of Jiankang'. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, the walls have been continuously repaired and are one of the seven most well-preserved ancient city walls in China. To the southeast outside the city lies a moat, about 60 meters wide, to the north is the Fei River, and to the west, it connects to Shouxi Lake. The outer wall's base is reinforced with a stone embankment about 8 meters wide. The city has four gates: Binyang in the east, Tongfei in the south, Dinghu in the west, and Jinghuai in the north. All four gates have protective barbican gates. The outer gate of the west gate faces north, the outer gate of the north gate faces west, and the inner and outer gates of the east gate are staggered, leading to the saying 'crooked gate and winding path', which serves both military defense and flood control purposes. On the northern part of the city, there are two water discharge sluices on the east and west sides, which can drain accumulated water from inside the city. During floods, closing them prevents a single drop from entering. At the same time, the water level can be observed through the sluice, comparing the difference between the inside and outside of the city. Above the sluice walls, the inscriptions 'Chongyong Zhanliu' and 'Jintang Gonggu' are engraved. Above the sluice is a crescent-shaped dam, level with the city wall, which not only facilitates the drainage of accumulated water inside the city but also prevents the backflow of external water into the city during the flood season. In 1991, the ancient city withstood the siege of a once-in-a-century flood, once again demonstrating its special function. Legends closely associated with the city wall, such as 'Deep Affection of Licking Calves', 'Liu Ren Providing for the Dead and Defending the City', 'Drum and Gong Face to Face', 'People Inside the Gate', and 'Human Greed is Never Satisfied', are passed down around the city. In the Huai region, the story of 'Zhao Kuangyin Trapped in Southern Tang' is also widely told, and the traditional pastry of Shouxian, 'Da Jiu Jia', originated from this story. The ancient city is surrounded by rivers and mountains, with the Fei River winding around it. When Wang Anshi visited the ancient city during the Song Dynasty, he wrote the poem 'Evening View from Shouyang City': 'Chu mountains pile high beside the Huai waters, worthy of Wang Wei's artistic fame. A line of white birds in the sky mirrors the water, green reeds form a thousand barriers like flat clouds.' Zhang Wenqian's 'Two Quatrains on Shouyang Tower' includes the lines: 'The long Huai flows endlessly, a traveler ascends Shouyang Tower alone'; 'The Huai's waters flow unceasingly, below the tower travelers pass, above the tower the Huai flows.' Su Shi also passed by and wrote 'Below Shouyang Bank': 'East and west of the street, green tents are pitched, north and south of the pond, green platforms rise, a solitary figure comes with leftover wine, by chance hears the first call of the oriole.' The main attractions within the ancient city include: Baoying Zen Temple, Shouchun Town General Military Office, Shouzhou Prefecture Gate Tower, Christian Church, Confucian Temple, Ancient Mosque, and Shi Gong Ancestral Hall. Baoying Zen Temple is located near Binyang Gate, with the biggest highlights being the two ancient ginkgo trees in front of the Mahavira Hall and the clay sculptures of the Eighteen Arhats inside. Shouchun Town General Military Office, Shouzhou Prefecture Gate Tower, and Christian Church are close to each other, and only the exteriors of the buildings can be seen. The General Military Office is particularly indescribable; once you step over the high threshold, there is nothing... The Confucian Temple and Shi Gong Ancestral Hall were under renovation at the time, and the Ancient Mosque generally imitates the palace-style architecture of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing, making it one of the most intact and stylistically unique Islamic buildings in East China. Transportation within the city is not very convenient, as the bus takes a big detour. And at the beginning of this year, Shouxian completely withdrew shared bicycles, causing even more inconvenience. The official response stated: The integration of urban and rural public transport has already started, and as the project progresses, taking the bus will become increasingly convenient; residents can also choose to take taxis, ride bicycles, etc.; if driving, there are fixed parking lots within the city, and a temporary large parking lot at the south gate of the county town, which can meet the parking needs of residents. This response completely ignores the needs of tourists; after walking through the four city gates, one's legs are almost worn out. Transportation is the most direct reflection of a city's management level, and Shouxian is currently striving for a 5A rating. Just on this point alone, there is still a long way to go.