Do you know Changshan? "The first portal in western Zhejiang" brings Song Dynasty culture to Shanghai bookstores
"Although Zhao Ding was not born in Changshan, his last wish of 'returning to Changshan for burial' before his death is enough to show that he already regarded Changshan as his hometown. My novel shows the process of Zhao Ding being framed by Qin Hui and others and exiled to Hainan, and his death in Hainan and being buried by knowledgeable people. Most of the plots are consistent with historical facts." On June 24, Zhou Xinhua, a writer from Quzhou, Zhejiang, came to Shanghai with his new work "The Story of the Lone Horse" just published by Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House. At Jiantou Bookstore Pujiang Branch, he and screenwriter and producer Huang Ji used books as a guide to introduce Changshan Song Dynasty culture, sort out Changshan's cultural context, and explore more possibilities of integrating local culture into film and television works.
The story of "The Story of the Lone Horse" takes place in Lin'an, Changshan, Yazhou, Danzhou and other places during the Southern Song Dynasty. Zhou Xinhua consulted a lot of information before writing, and his description of the local customs and people of Changshan was quite vivid. He not only introduced the famous places in Changshan such as Huanggang Mountain, Yongnian Temple, Yangu Mountain, Caoping Posthouse, and Zhase Beach, but also "revived" three of the ten ancient scenes of Changshan, namely "Zhongjian's Lone Tomb", "Shimen's Good Air" and "Qiuchuan Drying Snow". The novel focuses on reproducing the grand occasion of Changshan Huanggang Mountain as one of the cultural centers of the Southern Migration and the influx of literati and scholars from the Southern Migration.
In his research on Changshan's history and culture, Zhou Xinhua paid attention to Zhao Ding, a famous prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. "Zhao Ding was appointed as prime minister twice. Yue Fei also led his army to fight against the Jin Dynasty under his recommendation. He was called the first wise prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty. It can be said that Zhao Ding is a heavyweight among the historical figures in Quzhou, but there is relatively little excavation and publicity about him, which is a pity. In 2019, the site of Zhao Ding's tomb was discovered in Shimen Mountain, Hejia Township, Changshan, which prompted me to carry out this literary creation with Zhao Ding as the center." Zhou Xinhua introduced. "The Story of the Lone Horse" tells the story of Zhou Gongxu, a young painter who was carrying out a secret mission, who was inspired by Zhao Ding's personality charm and took the initiative to join the ranks of defending Zhao Ding and protecting the suffering loyal people. Ai Wei, chairman of the Zhejiang Writers Association, said that most of the people in the book can be found in history books. The author made bold fictions and creations and interpreted the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period in his own way. Zhou Baoxin, director of the Zhejiang Contemporary Literature Research Center, commented that "The Story of the Lone Horse" connects official history with folk legends, constructs a situation where a sense of history is mixed with folk charm, and connects to a broader narrative field.
Changshan, known as the first gateway city in western Zhejiang, has unique natural conditions and profound cultural heritage. At this cultural and tourism promotion conference with the theme of "Cool summer, often meet Shanghai", not only the new book "Legend of the Lone Horse" about Changshan was brought, but also children's poetry recitation "On the Road to Sanqu", Yue Opera performance "Qiong Nu and Tiao Lang" and other programs, allowing Shanghai citizens to appreciate the charm of Changshan culture.
The promotion meeting showcased Changshan's cultural and tourism resources through multiple interactive experience areas such as the "U Cool Summer" theme check-in, city interactive photo frames, and special foods such as Changshan pomelo and Changshan tribute noodles. Changshan is a famous hometown of pomelo, and the white and silky Changshan tribute noodles have also been rated as one of the "Top Ten Specialty Farm Snacks in Zhejiang". Song Wei, founder of Youxiang Valley, and Liu Feng, director of "Pomelo Baby" and inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Changshan tribute noodles, used Changshan pomelo and Changshan tribute noodles as entry points to share the story of Changshan's connection with Shanghai.
At the scene, Changshan County Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau and the School of Cultural Industry Management of Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts signed an agreement to establish the "Open Industry-Education Integration Practice Center". Yang Zhiguo, director of Changshan County Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, introduced Changshan County's U Cool Summer series of activities to Shanghai citizens and released the "Changshan County U Cool Summer Leisure Map". "Changshan looks forward to sharing the wonderful travel experience with tourists from all over the world and writing more stories together. It is the best choice to come to Shanghai and extend an invitation to the world."
