Legends of ancient China society

Legend of Emperor Yandi Shennong and Shennongjia

Shennongjia in western Hubei is not only famous at home and abroad for its ancient history, vast forests, exotic species, vast landscapes, simple folk customs and mysterious natural mysteries, but also known as "green treasure house", "animal and plant kingdom", "scientific maze" and "national treasure of China". Moreover, it is also the ancestor of the Chinese nation-Shennong, Yan Di, a sacred place for long-term activities and benefits to the people, and has become a "blessed land" that more than one billion China people at home and abroad yearn for.

The tide of reform and opening up has opened the mysterious and closed door of Shennongjia, and more and more Chinese and foreign guests come to visit, travel, inspect and explore the mystery. People often ask with great interest: Has Shennong really been to Shennongjia? What's his connection with Shennongjia? How did Shennongjia get its name?

One of the most striking features of Shennongjia is extremely mythical, mysterious, colorful and full of fun!

Legend has it that Yandi Shennong is the sage emperor among the three emperors and five emperors in ancient times and the embodiment of the Chinese nation. Many historical books in China, such as Zuo Zhuan, Book of Rites, Hanshu, Jingzhou Ji, Emperor Century, Water Mirror Zhu, National Records, Geography of Han and Tang Dynasties, History of Taoism and History of Qing Dynasty, all think that the birthplace of Yan Emperor Shennong is Lishan, Lieshan or Lieshan. According to the records of Suizhou Annals of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty, there are Shennong Temple, Shennong Well and Yan Di Temple on Lieshan Mountain. According to legend, Shennong was born in Shennong Cave in the middle of the five mountains in Lishan Town. There is an ancient temple near Shennong Cave, which contains statues of Fu, Shennong and Xuanyuan. Lishan Town, Suizhou City is only 200 kilometers away from Shennongjia forest area. The former is the hometown of Shennongjia, and the latter is the place where Shennongjia lived for a long time. So far, the folk customs, dialects and legends about Shennong in the two places are generally similar. These two places are one of the cradles of Yanhuang culture.

Shennongjia has many names. Only the names collected by the author are Shenlong Mountain, Shennongjia Mountain, Laojun Mountain, Nanshan Mountain, Jingshan Mountain, Woong San, Taiyangshan Mountain, savage mountain, Mucheng, Shenlong, Shenlongjia, Shennongjia, Forest Frame, Bashan Old Forest, Nanshan Old Forest, Central Mountain, Roof of Central China, First Peak of Central China, East Daba Mountain, Main Peak of Daba Mountain and First Mountain. However, the name Shennongjia is not found in Historical Records and Twenty-five History. Shennongjia was not mentioned in the Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Geographical Names of China published by the Commercial Press in May, 193 1. 1in may, 970, the State Council officially approved the designation of 24 communes, two medicinal plants and one farm in fangxian county, xingshan county and Badong county in northwest Hubei province as the administrative area of Shennongjia forest region, which is directly under the Hubei provincial people's government. Fangxian County, Xingshan County and Badong County were the locations of Peng Tribe, Houyi State and State from the Three Emperors and Five Emperors to the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the Spring and Autumn Period, they belonged to Bi and Yonghe, and in the Warring States Period, they belonged to the State of Chu after its demise in 634 BC. It can be seen that before the Spring and Autumn Period, Shennongjia was located in the marginal zone between many countries and was an island in the "wild land"; In addition, this area is thousands of miles above sea level and inaccessible. It has been in a primitive closed state for a long time, becoming a forgotten corner, or being regarded as an unreachable place, "hidden in the mountains and unknown."

The earliest name of Shennongjia was "Woong San". Shan Hai Jing? The Nine Classics in the Middle Ages said, "It is 150 miles east, and its name is Woong San. There is a cave, a bear's cave, and there will always be a man of God in it. It is open in summer and closed in winter ... Woong San, Diye "(from Wang Niansun School). Some scholars believe that the "Woong San" mentioned in Shan Hai Jing, according to its name, location and orientation, is now Shennongjia (see Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences Press, a new exploration of 1986 edition). Interestingly, after investigation, contemporary scientists believe that Shennongjia has not only found a large number of bears, but also the largest variety, which deserves to be called the "bear kingdom" of China. Among them, the "God Man" is the "Shan Gui" in Qu Yuan's poem Shan Gui, that is, the tall "savage" in Shennongjia, which once caused a sensation all over the world. "Woong San, the emperor also" means that Shennongjia is the holy land of the ancient emperor, and this emperor should refer to Emperor Yan Shennong.

Historical records? "Chu Jiazhi" records: In the 1 1 century BC, Zhou Chengwang sealed Xiong Yi in Chu (about equivalent to the southern slope of Shennongjia forest area, Xingshan County, Zigui County and the north bank of the Yangtze River). "Xiong Yi was built in Jingshan Mountain, and his green light was exposed, which enabled him to trudge in Shan Ye." Zuozhuan? In the twelfth year of Gong Xuan, Xiong Yi, the former king of Chu, also appreciated his hard-working entrepreneurial spirit of "opening mountains and clearing forests". At that time, Gujing Mountain included the whole Shennongjia forest area and Fangxian, Xingshan, Badong, Zigui, Baokang and other places. China Idiom Dictionary, published by Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House 1987, thinks that the idiom "Lu Lanlun" means to open up wasteland with rags, and later describes the hardships of starting a business. It is definitely more dangerous for Shennong, who is about two thousand years earlier than Xiong Yi, to start a business in Shennongjia to collect herbs. Shennongjia, as the territory of Shennong's travel and entrepreneurship, has a lofty position. "Woong San is the emperor" refers to this historical fact. At the same time, the name "Shennongjia" implies the arduous pioneering process of Shennongjia in Shennongjia and the mountains in northwest Hubei.

The name "Shennongjia" did not officially appear in local chronicles until the Qing Dynasty. "The highest point of Laojun Mountain is Shennongjia, with steep cliffs, dense forests and few people," said the "Xingshan County Records" compiled during Tongzhi period of Qing Dynasty. "Shennongjia has snow all year round." Subsequently published "Hubei Tongzhi? Geography? "Mountains and Rivers IV" describes: "Laojun Mountain, 80 miles west of Xingshan County, is a senior three student in thousands of feet (Qingyi Tongzhi). The highest point of the mountain is Shennongjia. The cliff is steep and there are no traces of people. Every new year's eve, I smell firecrackers and the natives are full. "Xingshan County Records, which was rebuilt in the early years of the Republic of China, also said:" Laojun Mountain is extremely cold, with many frozen roofs, and most residents use wood for it. Red snake, five inches long; There are unicorns, such as antelopes, weighing 1000 kg. Beasts were seen in the early years of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty ... There is a view of the old gentleman on the mountain, and there are footprints of adults (that is, tall "savage") next to it, which is one foot long and six inches wide "; Shennongjia is in the northwest of the county, which is the highest mountain in the county. Shennongjia Mountain is from Sichuan ... Shennongjia Mountain is the county. "

"The highest mountain is called Shennongjia", which refers to Laojun Mountain (its main peak is 2936 meters above sea level), Shennongding in the west (3 105.4 meters above sea level), Great Shennongjia 3052.7 meters, Small Shennongjia (3005 meters above sea level) and other peaks.

According to folklore, the old gentleman came to Shennongjia from the Heavenly Palace in ancient times to refine the elixir of life, and built a metallurgical furnace with Shennong in Yan Di to smelt steel and make farm tools for the benefit of the people. Later, people built the laojunmiao (the view of the old gentleman) here, to worship the statue of the old gentleman in Taishang and the statue of Shennong. This mountain is called Laojun Mountain; The mountain higher than Laojun Mountain is called Shennong Mountain. This incident is enough to show that in the eyes of the people, Shennong has the greatest contribution and the highest reputation, far exceeding the gods in the sky. Unfortunately, these temples were destroyed in modern times. What is particularly interesting is that through the investigation in recent years, dozens of miles of forests from Laojun Mountain in Shennongjia to Luosong River are rich in copper, gold and iron ore, and some ancient people have discovered the remains of mining and smelting minerals here. During the eight-year Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese invaders failed to enter Shennongjia; However, before this, Japanese geologist Mi Shan Lianghui came to Wan Li, not far from Laojun Mountain in Shennongjia, and built a mining mine to extract copper and gold by water separation. 1936, local villagers expelled Mishan Lianghui to protect Shennongjia resources. In a word, legend and reality have basically confirmed that Shennong came to Shennongjia to smelt steel and make farm tools in ancient times, which is not completely groundless.

Shennongjia's folklore about Shennongjia is extremely colorful, and most middle-aged and elderly people can tell several stories about Yandi Shennongjia. The deeds of Yandi Shennong in collecting herbs, punishing evil and promoting good, and making profits for the people are widely known here. The book Shennongjia Folk Tales published by 1990 alone contains dozens of legendary stories related to Shennongjia. These legends and stories show that Shennong once traveled all over Qian Shan Wanshui, Shennongjia: he built a wooden nest for ordinary people to live in; He set up shelves to collect medicines, compile medical books and treat people; He fights with wild animals, punishes the wicked and preaches human justice; He taught people to grow crops, raise silkworms, spin, plant trees, pick tea, make pottery, make rice hulls, raise livestock, create market trade, make harps, create songs and dances, and have fun with the people. As a result, a peaceful and prosperous era emerged.

In Shennongjia, there is a widely spread story: once, Shennong was poisoned while collecting medicines, and his life was dying. He conveniently tore off some leaves from the bushes beside him and chewed them down to quench his thirst. Miracle appeared, and these leaves saved Shennong's life. Therefore, Shennong named this leaf "tea" and advocated planting tea and drinking tea. Modern science has proved that tea tannin and other substances in tea can really resist bacteria, sterilize, diminish inflammation, detoxify and prevent cancer. However, some scholars believe that there can be no wild tea trees in Shennongjia, only in Yunnan Province. The legend that Shennongjia meets tea to detoxify in Shennongjia is nonsense.

Are there any wild tea trees in Shennongjia? During the Seventh Five-Year Plan period, the results of the first scientific and technological research project "Investigation of Crop Germplasm Resources in Shennongjia" showed that there were indeed a large number of wild tea trees in the virgin forests of Honghua Township (now Muyu Town), Guxia Township and Wanchaoshan Mountain in Xingshan County in Shennongjia forest area. The largest tea tree was more than three meters high and belonged to wild shrub-type big leaf tea, which was another new type of wild tea tree in China, which greatly deviated the origin of wild tea trees in China from 22 degrees north latitude. This important discovery provides reliable evidence for the records and legends of tea detoxification in ancient Shennong.

Folklore also believes that Shennongjia has "emperor female mulberry" and extra-large wild mulberry, which Shennongjia's wife uses to raise silkworms and weave fabrics. This legend also attracts people to Shennongjia to explore the mystery with great charm: "Shennongjia, are there really wild mulberry trees?"

Shan Hai Jing? "Medieval Classics" says on the 11th: "Fifty-five miles in the east is also called Xuanshan, where water comes out and enters the southeast. Many of them are jiaozi. There is a mulberry tree on it, fifty feet big, with four branches and more than a foot of leaves. Pepper, yellow flowers and indigo naturalis are called mulberries of the emperor's daughter. " "Peaceful Magnolia" Volume 921 quoted Ji as saying: "Nanzhong (Shennong) is a woman, learning is immortal. She lives on a mulberry tree in Grey Mountain, Nanyang ... because of her name. Today, people burn magpie nests to make ash juice and bathe silkworm eggs to recruit silk. That's it. " In ancient times, parts of northwest Hubei, including Shennongjia, belonged to Nanyang County and Xiangyang Prefecture, and "Ashan" was called "Eshan". Fangxian and Shennongjia have "mosquitoes" and "water monsters" with a long history. During the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, Fang County Records recorded: "In the third year of Xianfeng (AD 1853), Chun Yan died in piles. On the seventh day of June, it rained obscenity. On the 28th, a dumpling came out of the river and washed away the land." "Xianfeng, Mawan (now Mawan Village, Shennongjia Forest Area) landslide, stop its flow for half a day, water overflowed Wang Yang and covered the sky. When the water dried up, the villagers saw something in turtle valley. The skull is as big as a giant kettle, with straight corners and different heads. Some people suspect that it was killed by jiaozi or a stone. "

The strangest thing is that since 1987, the investigation team of Shennongjia agricultural germplasm resources has repeatedly discovered very old native mulberry trees that have not been discovered in China, with the age of 800 and 500 years respectively; It is found that the length of mulberry is 2.5 times that of ordinary mulberry. Even a seedless mulberry tree was found, 9 meters high, with cylindrical fruit, seedless and sweet juice. These three kinds of mulberry trees can be listed as the best in China or the world, which provides a scientific basis for the legendary "Emperor's Daughter Mulberry" and Shennong's wife to raise silkworms and weave fabrics in Shennongjia by borrowing big mulberry trees. There is also a folk saying in Shennongjia that when Shennongjia collected medicinal materials in Shennongjia, it boarded Yanziya and Tianmenya, which are known as fairyland, and then boarded Huishengzhai, thus recording 72 kinds of Yang-tonifying drugs in Huishengzhai in his purple bamboo slips Shennong Herbal Classic. According to legend, this time, the Yang-restoring medicine of Shengzhai came back to life, so it was called "Huishengzhai". When Shennong crossed a small wooden bridge in Huishengzhai, he accidentally dropped the bamboo slips of Shennong Materia Medica under the bridge, hence the name "Lost Book Bridge". Shennong is in a dilemma. Suddenly, a group of white cranes flew from the blue sky and took him to the sky, becoming a "medicine fairy". Since then, Huisheng Village has been full of fragrance all year round, so it was renamed Liuxiang Village. 1in the autumn of 985, the author accompanied the cultural relics workers to Tianmenya and Liuxiangzhai for investigation, and found a stone statue of Shennong riding a crane to heaven in Honghe Village, two kilometers below Liuxiangzhai. Surprisingly, this stone statue is completely consistent with the local folklore. Some historical books and local chronicles describe the appearance of Emperor Yan Shennong in this way: eight feet seven inches long, loud voice, wide forehead, round and prominent eyebrows, many beards, big nose and thick lips. These features are exactly the same as this stone statue of Shennong riding a crane.

Historical records? "Supplementary Inheritance" records: Shennong's surname is Jiang. Mother said that she was a woman and that her family had a daughter. She is a little princess. She felt the dragon and gave birth to Emperor Yan, who is a cow. Huangfu Mi's "Emperor Century" in the Jin Dynasty says: "Shennong is a bull's head. "Chronicle of Heaven" Volume 22 quoted the Imperial Genealogy: "Dragon Tau. "Notes on Water Classics by Daoyuan in northern Wei Li?" "Seepage" describes: "(specious) the west path of water is south of Li Xiang, and there are heavy mountains in the south of the water, that is, fierce mountains. There is a cave at the foot of the mountain, which has been handed down from generation to generation. It is also the birthplace of Shennong, so "Li" is called. There are nine wells in the north of the water, and the so-called' Shennong is born, and nine wells are self-piercing' is water. It is also said that' take a well and move more water'. "Road history? Luo Ping's note: The Jing (Zhou) Ji says: "The (Shennong) well is located in the north of the (Lie) Mountain, and it is heavily felled from Zhou to Zhou, with a width of 20 mu, and there is a cloud of Shennong House. Shennong is fertile, and nine wells are self-piercing. As the old saying goes, one well shakes eight wells. "

The above historical records are also consistent with the archaeological discoveries in Shennongjia forest area. From 65438 to 0985, cultural relics and archaeologists came to Taping Village, Guanfeng Township, the northern foot of Yanziya and Liuxiangzhai, and cleaned up a local ancient pagoda site. The local old man said that this pagoda is a nine-level pagoda, hexagonal and named "Shennong Pagoda". It was built by the ancient Shennong, when Li Xian, Tang Zhongzong was demoted to Fangxian County. It is said that there were nine pagodas, and only one remained in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are nine ancient wells near the pagoda. The water of nine wells is connected, and the water of one well moves.

This tower was repaired in the fifty-sixth year of Qing Qianlong (A.D. 179 1 year), and the stone tablet erected during the repair still exists today. The inscription said: "This tower was built in Sri Lanka and has never existed alone. It is comparable to the pillar of pine and cypress and is surrounded by mountains. It can also be described as a monument in the mountains. The first calendar year is very long, and the North Point is incomplete. Yan and others couldn't bear to see things, and the management of their ancestors gradually lost, so they made a donation. If they were repaired, they would make it last forever. " It can be seen that when the tower was restored more than 200 years ago, it was a monument that only existed in the mountains, and its date of establishment could not be verified, which shows that the ancient pagoda has a long history. Taping Village in Guanfeng Township, Shennongjia (now Hongping Town) has never suffered from the chaos of war, and is basically isolated from the world. It is entirely possible for a pagoda to be preserved for thousands of years. Unfortunately, in the Cultural Revolution of 1966, this ancient pagoda was demolished as "four old buildings", leaving only the tower foundation. Archaeologists also found a brick carving of Shennong, which is a decorative part of the ancient pagoda and attracted the attention of many experts. This is a brick sculpture of Shennong's head in high relief, with a length of 28 cm, a width of 16 cm and a thickness of 1 1 cm (now preserved in Shennongjia Forest District Cultural Relics Management Office).

Why do brick carvings and related ancient books in Shennongjia depict Shennongjia as the head of an adult cow?

Milo's History of the Southern Song Dynasty Road? Later, San Ji recorded: "(Shennong's family) ordered to cultivate fields to reward Lifu, and wrote" Feng Nian Fu ",which was named Xia Mou."

Liv and bumper years in Shennong era are all related to cows, which are the treasures of farmers and symbols of hard work, bumper harvest, prosperity, living and working in peace and contentment, and benefiting the people. Brick carvings and historical records of Shennong Pagoda refer to Shennong as a bull's head. The author thinks there are at least three meanings: first, Shennong invented the last pot, Niu Geng and Jia Jia, who are the gods of agriculture; Secondly, Shennong, like a plow cow, works hard, wholeheartedly benefits the people, makes more contributions to the people, and forgets himself; Third, it is the totem belief of cattle in primitive society. In the case of low productivity in ancient times, it is natural for people to rely on, love and worship cattle. Therefore, it is not surprising that Shennong is regarded as a "bull's head" in ancient books and folklore, as well as in brick carvings in Shennongjia.

Academics believe that "Dragon" means "Shennong" and "Dragon Frame" means "Shennongjia". "Dragon" and "agriculture" are homophonic, sometimes they are false. China is the hometown and country of dragons, and also a country with a long history of agriculture. Shennong is the ancestor of the Chinese nation and the god of agriculture; Legend has it that the ancestor of Shennong was a dragon. So "Dragon" is "Shennong" and "Dragon's Family" is "Shennong's Family". Deductive History (Volume 4) quotes Emperor Century and Song Shu. Fu Ruizhi, Historical Records? Compilation of Chronicle of Huang San and History of Road? It is recorded in Yan Di Shen Jinong and Wei Yuan Ming Pao in the Spring and Autumn Period. A woman went to Shennong for the feeling of a dragon. Hanshu? "Biography of Chao Cuo" said: "The five emperors are sacred ... the picture scroll of the river map, the book is published by Luo, the dragon arrives, the birds fly, the virtue is all over the world, and the light is everywhere. "This is a tribute to the great achievements of Yan Di Shennong and Huangdi Xuanyuan Huangdi.

Local chronicles are the true records of local politics, economy and culture. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, "Fang County Records" recorded: "Zhang Gongyuan holds a field in Nanshan, 140 miles away from the city, and the peaks are independent and towering. Climbing to the top, all the mountains are prone, and there is an abbot on the top, but there is still a base address. It is said that there is more than one stone around the practice place in Zhang Zifang. Walking more than 20 miles into the courtyard, there may be Baiyun Temple and Yunfang practice place. "

Zhanggongyuan, Nanshan, Theater and Baiyun 'an all belong to the place names of Baisong Town, the capital of Shennongjia forest region. Nanshan is the general name of the mountains south of Fangxian County, which generally refers to Shennongjia today, especially the mountains north of Baisong Town in Shennongjia. In Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, Fangxian County and Shennongjia belonged to Xiangyang Road or Xiangyang Mansion, so the Records of Xiangyang Mansion compiled in Ming and Qing Dynasties called Shennongjia "Bashan Old Forest" and "Nanshan Old Forest". Geographers still call Shennongjia the eastern part of Daba Mountain and the main peak of Daba Mountain. Historical records? According to historical records such as Chu Family Letters, Xiong Yi, the former king of Chu, was "founded in Jingshan". At that time, Gujing Mountain was dominated by Shennongjia and Zigui and Xingshan on the south slope of Shennongjia.

Textual research by Zhang, a famous geologist in contemporary China: Jingshan, the head of Jingshan Mountain, is called Yansai Mountain in Fangxian County (see Zhang's Ancient Mineral Records 1954 edition); In the Qing Dynasty, Hao Yixing also pointed out in the "Great Unity Records" that Jingshan (the first Jingshan) is located in "more than 200 miles southwest of Fangxian County, Hubei Province, and its common name is Marseille Mountain"; In Qing Dynasty, Fangxian Annals (published in 866) included Fangxian Ancient County Map, and Jingshan Mountain was marked in the south of the county, which happened to be in Shennongjia forest area today. "Zhanggongyuan raises Nanshan farmland" in Fangxian Annals, in which "Zhanggongyuan" is the highest peak (2134m above sea level) in the north of Baisong Town in Shennongjia Forest Region, and the cultivated farmland is Baisong Town Village in Shennongjia Forest Region.

Zhang Park is about three kilometers away from the central street in Baisong Town. It is the main peak of Langshan (also known as Luosongshan). According to legend, Sean practiced here in the early Han Dynasty and built the Academy, hence the name "Zhanggong Academy". Sean built a pavilion in the dense forest, and often talked with some tourists about the past and present, and recited poems. Liang often went down the mountain to talk with farmers, drank fresh water, ate wild fruits and herbs, and didn't return until midnight, while the people always sent (called) back to Tingyuan and sent Langshan, Pavilion and Zhanggongyuan, hence the name. So far, the website still exists.

Why did Liu Hou Sean (Zhang Zifang), the founding father of the Han Dynasty and Liu Bang's "brain trust", come to Shennongjia Valley to practice? This matter can be found in history books.

Historical records? According to the story of "Stay at Houjia", Sean said to Liu Bang in his later years: "I am willing to abandon my personnel and want to go from Akamatsu." With Liu Bang's special approval, Sean's "learning to be excellent is to be an official, and the Tao leads the wise to combine" (meaning not to eat whole grains, but only to eat Chinese herbal medicines and other drugs, and to rest in the spirit of cultivating immortality). In Hanshu? In Zhang's "",he also talked about "'willing to abandon personnel and want to swim red pine'". I'm studying Taoism and want to go into battle light. "

In his later years, Sean witnessed the killing of heroes by Liu Bang and Lv Hou. In order to preserve his sanity, Sean had to give up his official position and practice, hoping to learn from Pinus densiflora. Pinus densiflora is the rain fairy of Shennong. After collecting herbs in Shennongjia, it rose to heaven as a medicine fairy, while Shennongjia is rich in medicinal materials such as water jade, fire fungus and cypress. Sean's ideas of "going from red pine to red pine" and "learning to avoid valley and guiding homo sapiens to combine" can only be realized by going to Shennongjia. Therefore, according to historical records and folklore, it is reasonable for Sean to come to Shennongjia to look for Pinus densiflora and fetch water from Shuiyu, Huo Zhi and cypress to practice Taoism.

Shennong in Yan Di is the "Dragon Emperor" in the ancient legend of China, and Lixian in Tang Zhongzong is the only "Dragon Emperor" in the official history of China. They all lived in Shennongjia area for a long time. Aren't the two "dragon emperors" coincidental? What's going on here?

"Child stagnation sword? Ji Tang recorded: "Tang Zhongzong Li Xian, the third son of Emperor Gaozong. In the first year of Hongdao (AD 683), Emperor Gaozong died of illness and Li Xiansi succeeded to the throne. During the reign of Hei Shengyuan, Wu Hou (Wu Zetian) usurped the throne and abolished the emperor as King Luling, and moved to Zhou Jun in April. In September of the following year (AD 685), he moved to Zhoufang. "Old Tang books and new Tang books have similar descriptions. Li Xian was abandoned in Zhoufang by Wu Zetian in 685 AD, recalled to Luoyang in Kyoto by Wu Zetian in 698 AD (reset in 705 AD), and lived in Zhoufang for thirteen years. Zhoufang area includes Fangxian county in northwest Hubei and most of Shennongjia today. In 685 AD, Wu Zetian also personally designated the jurisdiction area for Li Xian. At present, Huangjie Mountain on the west side of Laojun Mountain in Shennongjia forest area is the boundary mountain between Zhoufang and Guizhou (the territory of Guizhou is equivalent to Zigui, Xingshan and Badong counties in Hubei today) delineated by Wu Zetian. Because it was delineated by Empress Wu Zetian, it was named "Yujing". During his life in Zhou Fang, Tang Zhongzong Li Xian often led his troops to hunt in Shennongjia, visiting Sanbao Cave, Shennong Pagoda, Shennong Temple, laojunmiao, Baiyun Temple, Zhanggongyuan and Huangyuting, and making pilgrimages and asking for divination. After the restoration in 705 AD, Li Xian listed Shennong Pagoda and Shennong Temple outside Sanbao Cave as "Imperial Seals", and ordered local people to carry out maintenance and protection, and reduced or exempted the three-year rent tax of Fangxian County and Shennongjia. The place where Sanbao Cave is located has been called "official seal" since ancient times, and this name seems to be related to Li Xian's "Imperial Seal".

In 705 AD, Li Xian was reset and the year number was changed to "Dragon". In 707, Li Xian was renamed "Jinglong". "When the mountain arrives, the scenery will stop." Dragon watchers admire dragons (Shennong). In the same year, Li Xian proclaimed himself the Dragon Emperor. New Tang book? Volume 4: "In August (the first year of Jinglong), Xu Bing was honored as the Dragon Emperor of Yingtian." He also wrote to the Nangong about the new calendar of people's governance, and compiled the dragon calendar between Jing and the Year of the Loong, and ordered to build the Dragon Hall, where he even died. Old Tang book? Volume 7 records: "In the fourth year of Jinglong, at noon in June, the emperor (referring to Li Xian) was poisoned and collapsed in the Shenlong Hall."

To sum up, it can be seen that Li Xian's renaming as "Dragon" and "Jinglong", calling himself "Dragon Emperor", running "Dragon Calendar" and practicing Dragon Hall are all related to his admiration for the dragon family and his long-term living in Shennongjia. With the help of the folk custom of John Lone (Shennong), Li Xian claimed to be the "Dragon Emperor" in order to show that he complied with God's will and claimed to be the emperor, so that the ancient "Dragon Emperor" reappeared. Li Xian may think that the restored emperor is extremely rare in history, and the emperor restored after losing power for 2 1 year is unique at all times and in all countries. If he doesn't live in Shennongjia for a long time and is blessed by Shennong's spirit in heaven, can he recover?

It can be seen that Li Xian's self-proclaimed "Dragon Emperor" not only contains the factors of his respect and commemoration for Shennongjia and Zhou Fang, but also highlights his feudal consciousness of showing off imperial power and feeling the restoration in the name of the Dragon.

"Shennongjia" can be interpreted as the place where the Dragon Emperor-Shennong in Yan Di and Lixian in Tang Zhongzong arrived. Ancient emperors were always called "drivers" and "drivers by law" by car. The emperor visited a place called Lai, Lai and Jing Jia. Moreover, in ancient times, the words "drive" and "shelf" could be borrowed universally (see the annotation of "shelf" in Ci Hai). Since the boundary between Zhou Fang and Guizhou delineated by Wu Zetian is called "Imperial Border", it is not unreasonable for Li Xian to follow his mother's example and call his long-term activity place "Dragon Drive (Dragon Frame)". Even if Li Xian didn't put a seal on the place name "Dragon Drive", it is reasonable for later generations to call this place "Dragon Frame". The ancients regarded Tianzi as a god and regarded him as the "real dragon son of heaven". Where the emperor was lucky, the local people felt honored. Therefore, the places where the two dragon emperors lived for a long time are called "Dragon Drive" or "Dragon Frame", which not only contains the factors of commemorating Shennong and Li Xian, but also contains the feeling of being respected by the two dragon emperors.

Besides the above explanations, the word Jia in Shennongjia also includes Jia as medicine, Jia as nest, Jia as residence, Jia as city, Jia as altar for sacrifice, Jia as ladder and Jia as bridge. Up to now, the ancient place names named after the word "home" in Shennongjia forest area include Huanglianjia, Jiashang, Xuejiaguang and Longjiaya. There are more than 20 ancient place names named after the legend of Shennong tasting a hundred herbs, such as Baicaochong, Baicaoya, Baicaoyuan and baicaoping.

Li Shizhen, an outstanding physician in the Ming Dynasty, revered Shennong's spirit of collecting medicines for the people and removing diseases, and went deep into Shennongjia and Wudang Mountain for many times to find effective prescriptions. Later, Li Shizhen praised in the Compendium of Materia Medica: "When Shennong came out, he began to taste grass to teach the people farming skills; I also tasted herbs and other medicines to save the people from diseases. "

1942, with the consent of Chiang Kai-shek, the Kuomintang Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Hubei Provincial Government, Hubei Administrative Office and Fangxian Government jointly organized the Shennongjia Expedition Group, with Fangxian County Governor Jia (who was a member of the Beijing Municipal Political Consultative Conference after the founding of New China, and died in 1996) as the leader and a famous botanist as the deputy leader. In the same year, Jia wrote a 30,000-word "Shennongjia Adventure Report". The Report pointed out: "At the junction of Fangxian County, Xingshan County and Badong County, there is a very vast mysterious area called Shennongjia, which is an undeveloped virgin land and has been circulating for a long time. He also said that the ancient trees in this area are towering, and their wings are like cities, so they are also known as "wooden cities"; "When did Shennongjia start? It is almost impossible to verify. According to the local natives, in the past, Emperor Shennong collected firewood to build a house there. Before the work was finished, Shennong ascended to heaven and left the house on the earth, and later generations named it Shennongjia. " When Jia visited Shennongjia, he also wrote a poem: "Bitter bamboos make forests, firs cover the sky, dragons and tigers stand on their feet, and they are heroic." You will know that the mountain is small when you board it. This is the first peak in Central China. "

In Shennong's hometown-Lishan, Suizhou, Shennongjia and other places, there was a story that Kirin or White Bear helped Shennong taste grass and distinguish medicines and collect medicines to treat diseases. Hubei culture magazine1991no. 1 1 wrote in the article "Yan Di Shennong, the pioneer of agricultural civilization in China": "There is also a story in the folklore of Lishan that Kirin helped Shennong in Yan Di to taste the grass and know the poison." Whip "and" Kirin "helped Yan Di Shennong taste all the herbs.

Surprisingly, there are two legendary magical animals, unicorn and white bear, living on Shennongjia. According to the local chronicles of Xingshan County and Guizhou (Zigui), unicorns or unicorns were also found in the late Qing Dynasty. In the 50 years since the founding of New China, Shennongjia has captured the white bear many times (up to now, Shennongjia White Bear has been exhibited in Wuhan Zoo and shenzhen safari park), and found and even killed unicorn Kirin many times (see the article "Two Kinds of Unicorns (Kirin) Discovered in Shennongjia" published by the author in the overseas edition of People's Daily on July 1987+0. The discovery of these two rare animals has attracted attention at home and abroad, and confirmed with folklore and historical records, which inspired people to think and infer the historical events of Yandi Shennong.

Since 1984, the first creation epic of the Han nationality, Dark Legend, and rare woodcut books of the Qing Dynasty, Taiyin Classic, Taiyin Classic, Kitchen King's Original Wish Classic and Kitchen King's New Classic, have been discovered in Shennongjia. In addition, the Biography of Shennong, Legend of Three Gods and Nu Wa were also discovered. Most of these handwritten songbooks and rare woodcuts handed down to this day are related to Yandi Shennong.

For thousands of years, Yan Di Shennong has been honored as the God of the sun, the God of agriculture, the God of medicine and the God of the kitchen, and has been remembered by people from generation to generation.

In a word, the reputation of Yandi Shennong is just like the sun, the moon and the rivers. Shennongjia Mountain has a long water level, boundless forest and endless charm. The tall image of Yandi Shennong, together with the towering peaks of Shennongjia, will stand like a monument on the land of China and will always stand in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people in China.