The seven-character quatrains praising Dingzhou are as follows:
The seven-character quatrains praising Dingzhou (1)
The auspicious clouds present blessings to Hongyi, and the pure rhyme blows the ancient land. . The plum blossoms sing elegantly, and all the wise men play the flute.
Inheriting the quintessence of the country is unparalleled, and imparting the culture and habits of talented people. The beautiful Dingzhou teacher is a model, and the city of poetry raises flags.
Seven-Character Quatrains in Praise of Dingzhou (2)
The autumn air is crisp and colorful clouds are turning, and the capital of my hometown is surrounded by auspicious elephants. The spring in the Yao Hall is early, and the beauty of the palace is spreading.
The leaders of Yan and Zhao praised the Yingshi, and the glorious gods praised Jun Xian. Looking at the glorious place of the chanting altar, the tragic songs are generous and easy to pass on.
Knowledge expansion:
The ancient city of Dingzhou has a long history, and the prototype of the city already appeared in the Shang Dynasty. During the reign of Duke Huan of Qi, the famous Prime Minister Guan Zhong once built a city here. By the Spring and Autumn Period (414 BC), it became the old capital of Zhongshan Kingdom. In the Han Dynasty, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty named his prince Liu Sheng the King of Zhongshan, and this became the ancient capital of princes and kings.
During the Sixteenth Kingdom of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Later Yan used Zhongshan as its capital. Later, Tuoba Gui, Emperor Daowu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, destroyed Later Yan and changed this place from Anzhou to Dingzhou, so from A.D. Dingzhou was established in 400 years ago.
The Kaiyuan Temple in Dingzhou was built in the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, while the Dingzhou Tower was built in the fourth year of Xianping, Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty. Dingzhou Pagoda looks like a pagoda built by a Buddhist temple, but in fact it also has the function of predicting enemies. This tower is a tower within a tower. There is a passage between the two floors of the tower. You can climb directly to the top of the building, overlooking the entire Dingzhou City, and you can also look north at the Song and Liao border.
After Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng succeeded to the throne, wars broke out frequently. Empress Dowager Xiao of the Liao Kingdom commanded the Liao army to continuously invade the Song Kingdom. Dingzhou was at the border of the Song and Liao Dynasties at that time, and its strategic position was very important. Song Qi, a famous politician in the Northern Song Dynasty, has a famous saying: "Heshuo is the foundation of the world, and calmness is the foundation of Heshuo." This means that the Hebei region was the foundation of the Northern Song Dynasty, and Zhengding and Dingzhou were the foundation of Hebei. Think about this important strategic position.
The Dingzhou Tower can be used to observe the movements of the Liao army. Since its construction, this tower has been the tallest building in China in the 11th century AD, with a height of 83.7 meters. It is also the tallest tower in China today.