Chapter 70 Lecture 66 Great Forbidden City

Chinese culture is inherited in one continuous line.In the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were mainly five major cultural sectors on the land of China: farming culture in the Central Plains, grassland culture in the Northwest, forest culture in the Northeast, plateau culture in the Southwest, and coastal and island marine culture.Among them, although plateau culture and marine culture are particularly important, they have not become the dominant or main culture in history.China has a history of more than 3,000 years of written records since the oracle bone inscriptions. There are only three cultures: farming, grassland, and forest, which have become the main body or leading culture of Chinese culture for a long time or a short time.The characteristics of the conflict and integration of the three major cultures of farming, grassland, and forest are: three millennia, three major changes, cultural marriages, and the same strain.

The first millennium, mainly during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the middle and lower reaches of the Wei River.The Western Zhou Dynasty moved eastward, splitting into the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.Qilu, Yanzhao, Qinjin, Heluo, etc. in the north, and Wuyue, Xiangchu, Bashu, Liangyue, etc. in the south, all regions and groups fought, fought, replaced, and separated, and paid a tragic price for this.Qin general Bai Qi alone beheaded more than 890,000 people, including 450,000 people in the battle between Qin and Zhao Changping!Bai Qi drew his sword and sighed before slaying himself: "In the Battle of Changping, hundreds of thousands of Zhao soldiers surrendered. I cheated and killed them, which is enough to die." ("Historical Records Biography of Bai Qi" Volume 73) He also paid the price of his life for the era by committing suicide.There are five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period, seven heroes in the Warring States Period, various capitals and multiple centers.The end of history is that Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, and the situation of "cars on the same track, books on the same text" appeared, and the Central Plains realized the first great fusion of Chinese culture.However, Qin Zuo was short-lived, and Liu Han replaced Ying Qin.People call this integrated Central Plains nation the Han nationality.

In this millennium, the oracle bone inscriptions of the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the Zhongdingwen of the Zhou Dynasty, the bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and the stone drum inscriptions of the Western Zhou Dynasty are all cultural treasures of this period.Confucianism, Laozi's emotion, the wisdom of "Book of Changes", "Sun Tzu's Art of War", Qu Yuan's "Li Sao", all schools of thought compete with each other, and the essence of thought is amazing!This not only radiates the brilliant brilliance of civilization not only in China, but also in the world.The precious cultural relics and classics left over from this millennium have been passed down from generation to generation, and many of them have passed through the Ming and Qing palaces and are treasured in the Palace Museum and other museums.

The second millennium, from the beginning of the Qin Dynasty to the end of the Tang Dynasty, is also a thousand years in large numbers.During this period, in addition to the internal integration of farming culture in the Central Plains, new cultural elements were injected, which is the Northwest Grassland Culture.The siege of Pingcheng, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing and others conquered the Xiongnu, Tang Taizong fought against the Turks, and the Great Wall of the original six countries was connected into the Great Wall, etc., all of which are manifestations of this cultural conflict and integration.The emergence of the Han and Tang empires in the east of the world is the result of the fusion of the farming culture of the Central Plains and the grassland culture of the Northwest.During this period, the political center fluctuated from east to west, but Xi'an was the center of gravity.Of course, there was a heavy price to pay for this.Su Wu shepherds sheep, Zhaojun goes out of the fortress, Cai Wenji's "Hujia Eighteen Beats", Hua Mulan goes to join the army instead of her father, singing and weeping, poignant and sad!

In this millennium, the culture has flourished, the momentum is broad, and the world has been shocked.The terracotta warriors and horses in the Qin Mausoleum, the Mawangdui Mausoleum in the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian's "Historical Records", Sima Xiangru's Han Fu, Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, Yan Liben's paintings, Li Du's poems, the palaces of the Tang Dynasty, etc., all show the world: China Culture, grand and bright.The precious cultural relics left over from the millennium have also been passed down from generation to generation, and many of them have passed through the Ming and Qing imperial palaces and are collected in the Palace Museum and other museums.

The third millennium, from the Song Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Northern Song, Liao, Southern Song, Jin, Xixia, Yuan, Ming, Qing, eight dynasties and ninety emperors.The farming culture of the Central Plains and the grassland culture of the Northwest continued to merge, and the forest culture of the Northeast entered the historical stage of the Central Plains.First, the Khitan and Jurchen of the forest culture occupied half of the mountains and rivers, and then the Mongols entered the Central Plains, and their iron cavalry rode across Europe and Asia.Manchuria Dingding Yanjing is a concentrated display of this cultural collision.During this period, the political center oscillated from north to south, but with Beijing as the center of gravity.Big collision, big integration, big price, big development, paid a heavy price for this.Wen Tianxiang's loyalty, Zhu Yuanzhang's flag of righteousness, Yuan Chonghuan's death, Shi Kefa's heroism, Gu Yanwu's integrity, Zhang Huangyan's heroic soul, and the tragedies of "Ten Days in Yangzhou", "Three Massacres in Jiading", and the blood and tears are all in this passage. A true record of blood and tears in tragic history.Today, the collections of the Palace Museum on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are mostly the essence of cultural relics of this period.Yuan blue and white porcelain, Ming Xuande stove, Qing enamel color vase, etc., "Cefu Yuangui", "Yongle Dadian", "Ancient and Modern Book Collection", "Siku Quanshu", compete for splendor and splendor.

From the Kangxi-Yongqian period in China, there was an unprecedented fusion of Chinese culture, including farming culture, grassland culture, forest culture, plateau culture and marine culture.During the heyday of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the core area of ​​the farming culture in the Central Plains was about 3 million square kilometers, and the areas of the grassland culture, forest culture, and plateau culture were each about 3 million square kilometers.Together with the coastal areas, islands, and other areas, it presents the territory of Greater China with a total area of ​​more than 13 million square kilometers.Chinese culture integrates the above five cultural forms with strong inclusiveness, "I am in you, and you are in me", which not only ensures that Chinese culture lasts for 5,000 years without interruption, but also reserves for exchanges with other cultures in the world. enough positive energy.Constantly strive for self-improvement, be virtuous and carry things——Chinese culture brings together rivers of various cultures into an ocean of Chinese culture. What the "Great Forbidden City" narrates, interprets, displays, and disseminates is mainly the wonderful work and essence of this great Chinese culture.The most concentrated treasure and display of the essence of the five thousand years of Chinese culture is the Forbidden City!