=Coordinates=

Time: May 5, 2018

Location: Gangtou Village, Sanshui District, Foshan City

Personnel : Team leader Guan Sheng, supervisor Ruan Sheng, supervisors Liang and Li

Itinerary: Gangtou Village part (Lord’s Mansion-Jiumudun-Haitianmen-Side Pavilion-Jianmei Gate-Jiu Gangtou Primary School-Yongjian Ancestral Hall-Daoji Ancestral Hall-Chunzhai Study Room-Nangang Ancestral Hall-Gengfu Pavilion-Haitian Tongqu-Diwei Stele Pavilion)

=Overview=

<. p> As mentioned last time, I was invited by Ruan Sheng, an expert on historical architecture, and followed Guan Sheng, a cultural preservation enthusiast, to search for dragons in Bainigangtou Village, Sanshui District. First, we visited the Lord's Mansion of Liang Shiyi, and then we planned to go to the Liang Family Cemetery to carve a monument and visit Gangtou Primary School. If I have time left, I will visit the village.

=Transportation=

Transportation in the village can only rely on two feet.

There may be bicycles for free in a corner, but it may be more inconvenient in fields and undulating villages.

=Map=

Since Guan Sheng has been here once before, we saved the time of asking for directions. There is a map of the village's location in the Lord's Mansion, and we took a photo of it for reference.

Many people come to Gangtou Village purely to admire the buildings related to Liang Shiyi. As a supervisor, I focus more on the local geographical characteristics and humanistic background.

There is a KT board hanging on the wall of the Lord's Mansion. After reading it, I felt that the three characteristics on it were extracted very well, so I took a photo of it for your reference.

There is an old legend: "Before there were three rivers, there was Qionggang first." This shows that Gangtou Village is indeed very old, and what it says in its thousand-year history is true.

There are three surnames in Gangtou Village: Liang, Lin, and Xian. Liang has the largest population.

According to 2016 statistics, the most common surname in Foshan is "Liang". However, among the other districts, the number of people with the surname Liang ranks second. The number one ranking is entirely due to the data of Sanshui District. The large population of the Liang family in Gangtou Village indicates that this ethnic group became prosperous earlier and owned more assets in the local area.

The article counts the number of people who have obtained fame in Gangtou Village. The quantity and quality are really impressive. It can be said that this village has a legacy of outstanding talents. Note that the earliest records of fame and achievements are from the late Ming Dynasty. This is the opportunity given by history.

It should be noted that in the early Ming Dynasty, there were many northerners, so naturally there were more northerners who passed the imperial examination and became officials. By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, in order to break the clique among ministers, the emperor appointed a large number of officials from the south. Therefore, more scholars from the south passed the imperial examination and entered the court than those from the north. At that time, Liu Xiankai and Lun Wenxu both ranked first in the scientific examination, and the examiner Liang Chu decided that Lun Wenxu, who was also from Cantonese, would be the top candidate. In the late Ming Dynasty, the emperor used power and tactics to allow northerners to regain high positions, but they could no longer curb the southerners' advantage in the examination room.

The prosperity of a village must be related to the prosperity of the main ethnic group in ancient times. The prosperity of an ethnic group requires several conditions, such as talent, unity, resources, and excellent traditions. It seems that Gangtou Village has all of them. In the past, the Liang clan focused on farming and studying, so they seized the opportunity of the times and became prosperous. After the clan prospered, they fed back the village with culture. These experiences are worthy of modern people learning from.

After coming out of the Lord's Mansion, the two ancient tomb sect masters formed a team to find Liang Shiyi's grave. Although the two seniors said that they were not very interested in ancient tombs, all I heard along the way was their past dragon-hunting experiences. They were all familiar with the tombs of local celebrities in Foshan. Compared with them, I am an ordinary person. I don’t even know where the tombs of celebrities in my family are.

Liang Shiyi's Lord's Mansion is on the edge of the village. You can reach the fields by walking a few steps along the road next to the house. This narrow dirt road can only be used by one vehicle, but there are many large trucks running on it. It would be quite dangerous if we walked at night. Fortunately, we came early today and the weather was good enough. Today happens to be the Beginning of Summer, so I wonder if they chose this day specifically.

There are farmlands on both sides of the path, and everything you see is green. Forgive me for not being able to continue being pretentious or take pictures, because the smell of natural fertilizers exposed to the sun is very intoxicating. As long as everyone knows that the land in Sanshui is fertile, I praise Sanshui’s agricultural products.

Provincial cultural protection unit, indicating that it is highly valued.

To popularize some knowledge, cultural relics protection units are protected by law and must be protected according to their original appearance. Any changes and restorations must undergo strict review procedures.

As far as we know, although the unit name is based on the tomb of Liang Shiyi, the entire Jiu Mu Dun is actually a group of family tombs. Jiumu Dun is a raised mound with a ring of large trees, which is very conspicuous among the surrounding farmland and fish ponds.

We walked for about fifteen minutes and arrived in front of the cemetery. Judging from the cleanliness of the dirt road, it seemed that someone had tidied it up not long ago. This place is called Jiu Mu Dun, which means it is a mound with a radius of nine acres.

Standing in the middle of the cemetery, there is an archway in front of you, and then a sacred road leading directly to the tomb of Mr. Liang Shiyi. The couplets on the archway are nothing special, so there is nothing special to say. It is said that the four characters "Liang Jiacheng" were written by the famous calligrapher Ye Gongchuo, and the meaning is self-evident. The dark side is Duan Qirui's inscription "Generals Lianhui", which connotates the scenery of Liang Shiyi and his brothers, one as prime minister and the other as general.

The archway and Shinto should have been built after Liang Shiyi's death in 1933, which has a history of more than 90 years. Out of respect for the ancestors, we only took pictures as far as the archway. After entering the park, we only paid homage and visited. The photos quoted later were borrowed from the Internet.

Tombs of ancient people usually have epitaphs, which record the owner’s life story, family background, and the remembrance of future generations. However, Liang Shiyi was considered a modern person and no epitaph was found. There is a stone tablet on the right side of the steps in front of the archway. The small words on it record how Liang Shiyi's descendants organized their relatives and worked with the villagers in the name of the government to repair the cemetery in 2003. The inscriptions on the upper half of the stele reflect that Sanshui was still a county in the 1980s, and Liang Shiyi's tomb had been designated as a key cultural preservation unit in the county. This shows that conservation work is carried out from generation to generation.

Epitaphs generally consist of two parts: the epitaph and the inscription. Most of the records are written in prose, describing the deceased's name, place of origin, and life story; while the inscriptions are summarized in verse, mainly evaluating the deceased's life. -- Baidu said.

The pair of stone lions guarding the Shinto are obviously not the same species as the pair in the Lord's Mansion.

Liang Shiyi and his son have run banks, so they should know a lot about stone lions.

Photos found online.

From this perspective, this cemetery has excellent feng shui, at least in the eyes of living people.

The cemetery faces south, which shows that the owner is devoted to the capital of the country. This is the external manifestation of the spirit of never forgetting the country in his heart.

Liang Shiyi was officially admitted to the court through the imperial examination, not entirely because of his father's protection. Because Cixi disliked people named Liang and disliked him, she sent him to build the railway. Unexpectedly, Liang Shiyi accomplished this task.

Later, Yuan Shikai searched for talents everywhere for his great cause, and Liang Shiyi went to join him, but he ran into trouble. Knowing that Yuan Shikai needed economic and diplomatic talents, Liang Shiyi worked hard in this area and later was reused. I have to say that Liang Shiyi is indeed a genius, and he can become a talent by self-taught.

Liang Shiyi once went to India as an envoy to investigate the British opium industry, and played a major role in the anti-smoking cause in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. His contribution in the economic field is even greater. What is rare is that he has kept himself clean and has no financial stains.

According to official records, Liang Shiyi served as the supervisor of the Beijing-Hankong Railway, Shanghai-Nanjing Railway and other five railways in 1907. His efficient management led to a sharp increase in railway profits and earned him the reputation of the "Five-Road God of Wealth". Later he served as assistant manager of the Bank of Communications, presided over the establishment of the Bank of Communications, and served as director of the General Administration of Railways. In 1911, Liang Shiyi signed the edict forcing the Qing emperor to abdicate. He was awarded the title of *** and a hero by Yuan Shikai, and was entrusted with the position of Minister of Postal Communications. In 1912, he served as Secretary-General of the Presidential Office of Yuan Shikai and Prime Minister of the Bank of Communications, and was awarded the title of "Honoured Two".

After Yuan Shikai's death, he was wanted as the culprit of Hong Xian. But without this God of Wealth, the Beiyang government's financial situation has always been poor, and there are strong calls for him to come back. At the end of 1921, President Xu Shichang appointed him as Prime Minister, a move that was also approved by the Feng clan. During his tenure as an official in the Beiyang government, he had three ups and downs due to being framed, and was forced to flee overseas three times. But without him, the Beiyang government's economy could not be developed. Therefore, after Liang Shiyi fled, the Beiyang government tried to revive him every time. As for the economy, we had to ask him to come back to take charge of the overall situation again and again.

There are two black stone tablets on the left side of the cemetery, one beside Liang Zhijian’s tomb and the other in the Bajiao Pavilion. Liang Zhijian, Liang Shiyi's father, was a Guanglu doctor in the late Qing Dynasty. He was a well-known local progressive literati who once participated in the bus petition. Engraved on the stone tablet is an epitaph written by the descendants of the Liang family, telling the story of Liang Zhijian's life. There were signs of damage on the inscription, but I didn’t read it carefully and forgot the content.

In the Octagonal Pavilion is the Shinto stele from Liang Shiyi's tomb, the content of which is similar to an epitaph. The article begins with a record of Liang Shiyi's origins and an anecdote that Cixi suspected that he was related to Liang Qichao. It also records that he built railways, went on diplomatic missions to foreign countries, banned smoking, participated in the establishment of the new army, etc., and later participated in many major events, such as the negotiations for World War I and other world events at that time. At the end of the inscription, it talks about Liang Shiyi's last wish: not to have a grand burial, not to choose a feng shui place, and not to choose a day to bury him in his home.

I feel sad when I pass by the tomb in the ruins, and I feel excited when I look at the mausoleum in the garden.

When you think of Liang Shiyi's behavior and thoughts, you can completely think of him as a modern person. Economically, he focused on industry to rejuvenate the country, building roads, opening banks and factories, and issuing national bonds to raise funds for infrastructure construction. In education, he advocates applying what he has learned and promoting new education. There are various signs that his knowledge and wisdom have transcended the limitations of the times.

The more I understand, the more I am in awe of the perseverance of my predecessors in marching forward, and the more I feel reverence.

I remember book friend Lao Tan said in "Historical Records" that most of the people who can leave their names in history have outstanding qualities. People who can become the protagonists in historical stories are even more heroic. Assuming Yuan Shikai succeeds, the founding father Liang Shiyi will be a legendary example for future generations. And assuming Liang Shiyi can live long enough to establish the People's Republic of China, who says he can't be a member of the CPPCC? The world's evaluation of him will not stop at being a rebellious sinner. Fortunately, now that a dynasty has passed, the world can look at that period of history and characters more objectively.

At present, there are the tombs of two brothers, Liang Zhijian and Liang Shiyi, in the cemetery. Liang Shiyi’s two sons have five tombs, all of which are buried together by husband and wife. It is said that people in these generations have married at least three wives, which really corresponds to their status.

The feng shui of the cemetery is very good, especially the big tree behind Liang Shiyi's tomb, which is like a canopy. This is an excellent pattern to provide shade for the descendants. I have no intention of joining the Ancient Tomb Sect, so I won’t do more research on the regulations of these tombs. I am also baffled by these things.

Gangtou Ancient Village is one of the two retro cultural towns to be built in Sanshui District. The other is the "Lingnan Ancient Town" where Daqitou Ancient Village in Fan Lake is located.

From the planning map, red represents existing monuments and gray represents lost monuments. From this point of view, there are still a lot of preserved monuments, and the monuments in Gangtou Village are very close to each other, and the agglomeration effect is very strong. I walked half a circle in the village and saw a circle of ancient buildings surrounding the pond. This is a landscape with great overall development value.

There are also some ancient building complexes in Zhangcha Village and Dafu Village that I visited in the past, but the geographical location and transportation are not as good as Gangtou Village. Moreover, Gangtou Village has a profound cultural foundation and is dotted with book schools and private schools. It is highly feasible to build a project with a traditional education theme centered on the old Gangtou Primary School.

At the third stop, we were going to find the 100-year-old Gangtou Primary School. We asked for directions and came to a gatehouse. The stone tablet above the door reads "See the beautiful gate at Gangtou", and the couplet reads "Seeing the full mountain light becomes a living painting, and the beautiful smoke scenery becomes a new poem". The contrast is quite neat.

It is worth noting that the materials used for the gate tower are very characteristic of Foshan and are all locally produced. This seems to be a product of the 1990s, and 90% of the collage porcelain paintings are products of the American Ceramics Factory of that year. On the roof is a ceramic sculpture of two dragons playing with a pearl, which is obviously a product of Buddhist pottery. There are several pictures made of porcelain pieces with no connotation. They are not very rare things. This is a very characteristic building of the times. Although its beauty is average, it still has the value of protection.

This is a building with great characteristics of the times. It cannot be older than the 1970s at the earliest. It should not be the Gangtou No. 1 School we are looking for. But when we walked around to the other side, we saw colorful paintings on the wall and the words "Everything is for the children". This is really a primary school building.

Gangtou Primary School was built in 1910 and is now over 100 years old. Hanging on the wall are KT boards that tell the story of history. The stories, characters, and thoughts on them all fully reflect the accumulation of a century-old university.

The school song of Gangtou Primary School is hung on the wall. The words are full of love for the land and water, and the ambition to devote oneself to building society. Try singing along with the musical notation, as if you can see the ancestors handing over their hopes to future generations.

Facing the school is a large assembly hall that was converted from an ancestral hall. When we went in, we saw that it was really huge and could accommodate thousands of people. However, the school's sports ground is outside the school.

From the cultural relics sign hanging in front of the door, I learned that the building in front of me was transformed from several large ancestral halls. Judging from the layout, it was originally an ancestral hall with three rooms and two roads. However, the building has undergone many modifications, and the original appearance can only be restored based on experience.

The right wing of the building is currently used as a dormitory for security guards. It is said that it has also been used as a stage, so you can see two small ticket windows.

Viewed from the front, this building no longer looks like an ancestral hall. The style is a bit Western-style during the Republic of China, but also has a shadow of Soviet style.

The very huge assembly hall is decorated with red five-stars, which could have accommodated the entire village during the meeting. There are many rooms renovated from old buildings on both sides of the auditorium, marked as voting rooms, meeting rooms, activity rooms, etc.

There are many dragon boats parked in one corner, and they don’t feel like they occupy space at all. If you have space, you can do whatever you want.

Gangtou Village will use a large piece of land near the village center as education and sports land.

Next to the stadium is a lotus pond, full of water lilies. There are trees lining the pond, and under the trees there are rows of stone chairs for villagers to rest.

Along the village pond, there are ancient buildings on three sides. There are ancestral halls for the three surnames on the two longitudinal sides of the pond. The side we were walking on seemed to be the ancestral halls of the Liang family.

Since the entrance of the ancestral temple of the same clan and the direction of the gate tower must be on the same meridian, any ancestral temple with the same direction must have the same surname. Although this row of four ancestral temples are all three rooms with two entrances, there are differences in materials and building heights, reflecting the differences in strength between these families.

Judging from the red hangings, the tribesmen in this ancestral hall had just married a new bride and had a big banquet here. But won’t putting up banners in this way damage the gray plastic? The gray sculpture painting should be the story of Confucius asking Laozi for advice.

Forget it, we have the same surname and are closely related to each other, so I won’t say much more.

Chunzhai Study Room. In ancient times, there was no specialized school. Generally, educated people were invited to be private tutors to teach children knowledge. Some families with educated scholars would open schools in ancestral halls and let their children go to school for free. This was called "free learning." The supporting facilities include "yitian", which is land put together by the landlords in the village for the poor family members to cultivate and study.

The name of this ancestral hall is the study room. It should be the ancestral hall of a large family, which held a righteous school here. The exterior walls are made of water-milled bricks, using the nine-shun-one-ding method. There are many gray sculptures on the wall. Although they have all been demolished, it is speculated that this family must have been quite powerful. The height of this ancestral hall is also higher than others. Needless to say, it must have been a high-ranking official. No wonder it was damaged a lot.

In front of the ancestral hall is a row of stone chairs, where villagers have enjoyed the cool air and talked about current affairs for hundreds of years.

The pond is turquoise and bottomless. It also served as a fire-fighting function back then, and it still plays an important role in the village today.

When I was tired from walking, I sat down and chatted with the villagers. The cool breeze blowing behind my back was quite comfortable. Villagers told us that the village has raised funds to rebuild cultural monuments, and developers may invest here.

Gangtou Village has a high greening rate, good air quality, and fertile land. Therefore, the average life span of the villagers is long. It is really a geomantic treasure.

On the way back, we drove from the embankment to the national highway. The journey was filled with peaceful pastoral scenery. There are fish ponds dotted among the green farmland, and occasionally you can see some woods. There may be ancient tombs there, but we don't intend to disturb them.

I happened to see a stele pavilion at the entrance of a village. I got out of the car and looked at it, and it turned out to be the embankment construction stele that Guan Sheng was looking for. Judging from the text on the stele, this is an inscription from the 22nd year of the Republic of China. I didn't look carefully, but it probably has something to do with Liang Shiyi.

I heard that the village in front of this is called Xialiang Village, which makes people wonder if there is another Shangliang Village. The Liang clan has been in Guangdong for more than thirty generations since they crossed to the south of Zhuji. Their descendants have prospered because of their ability to work hard, study hard, and be flexible and flexible.

The famous Liang celebrities in modern times, Liang Qichao and Liang Shiyi, all come from the same origin and inherit the same cultural genes.

According to expanded investigation, Liang Shiyi’s descendants are now reproducing in the United States and Hong Kong, and return to their hometown to worship their ancestors every year during the Qingming Festival. The 20th generation of men in the Liang family have regular names, all with the character "ding", such as Dingyue, Dingqi, Dingmin, Dingshu, etc., which fully embodies the spirit of integrating the family and the country. Including Liang Shiyi's two daughters, many of his nephews studied abroad and returned to China to work in the banking, railway, electrical, and civil engineering industries. It is often said on the Internet that Liang Qichao is one of the nine outstanding men in his profession. In fact, the descendants of Liang Shiyi's family are not afraid to give in too much.

I participated in this dragon hunt to find the reason for the prosperity of a family.

After combining the collected information with the actual objects, I generally made my own analysis. The prosperity and decline of the Liang family are marked by the times. In the early days, the Liang family made their fortune through military exploits. During the heyday of the feudal dynasty, they sought fame through classics. In modern times, they relied on culture and business. Only by complying with the trend of the times and adjusting to social needs can we stay on the leading edge of the trend.

Finally, I ended with a photo taken by Uncle Min.

This ancient house has been eroded by plants. Although it is very desolate, it can be regarded as new hope growing from old things. In the upper right corner of the picture is the most luxurious villa in the village, which is in sharp contrast to the old house.

Under the same sky, old and new things coexist, each with its own mission of the times. Whether an old building can be preserved depends on what it has carried and what it can carry now. Not everything old must be retained, it depends on how it can play a role in the new era.

=Gangtou Xunlong End=