"In town?"

Tang Chen didn't expect it, how could there be a town in Shanshan Village?

"That's right, Gongchuan Town, a thousand-year-old town!" Zeng Lao said with a little pride, "In the Song Dynasty, there was a bazaar in Gongchuan Town, mainly engaged in seafood and grain and grass trade. During the Yuan Dynasty, Gongchuan Town returned to the second, third, fifth, and thirty-fourth capitals of Anrenli and Naturalization Township. During the Ming Dynasty, the town of Gongchuan began to build a stone bridge across the sea. Now to go to Gongchuan Town, it will take some time, Master Tang, you have to bear with it. ”

Tang Chen smiled: "It's nothing ...... this"

After more than ten minutes, the car drove into the national highway. Looking at the gradually increasing number of houses on both sides, Tang Chen knew that it was not far from the town.

"Master Tang, there are many interesting places in this Gongchuan Town. Look at these red brick houses, they are all shops in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China and the Republic of China, and now they are all very dilapidated. This street is called Wancheng Ancient Street. Zeng Lao said to the driver while introducing, "The car will stop here, let's get out of the car and take a walk, you park the car and come to us again." ”

After getting out of the car, Zeng Lao's mood improved a little, after all, he remembered that Tang Chen was a guest, and he had to fulfill the friendship of the landlord. While walking, Zeng Lao introduced: "Behind this old street, there is the Gongchuan Bridge that has a history of hundreds of years and is still benefiting the people of Gongchuan. ”

Sure enough, after the old street, Tang Chen faintly saw a stone bridge, and under the sturdy appearance, there was a kind of vicissitudes of history.

The ancient Gongcheon Stone Bridge spans the Cheonggye River. Stepping on the bridge deck paved with granite slabs, under closer inspection, the rows of stone slabs seem to be profoundly bearing the annual rings of the years. The ship-shaped piers built with granite bars are like returning from a long voyage, and the ships moored in the harbor are galloping from the Ming Dynasty through history with the heaviness of the vicissitudes of life.

According to Zeng Lao, this Gongchuan Bridge is in the northeast of Hui'an, on the west side of Gongchuan Street in Gongchuan Town, under the Lion Rock, across the intersection of Lingxi and Lingongxi into the sea, adjacent to the Rimchuan Port Marine Wharf. The bridge is a stone flat beam bridge, running east-west. The bridge pier is stacked with large square stones for six layers, which is in the shape of a square diamond, and the stone railings are protected on both sides, which are solid and intact.

"Master Tang, you don't know, there is a Mazu temple built in the Ming Dynasty on the north side of this bridge. When we're done eating, I'll take you to pay a good visit to Mazu. Zeng Lao said with a smile.

Tang Chen nodded, he naturally knew Mazu, this is the belief of the sea god on the southeast coast of China, also known as the Heavenly Virgin, the Queen of Heaven, the Queen of Heaven, the Heavenly Concubine, the Heavenly Concubine Niangniang, the Meizhou Niangniang, etc. Mazu was originally the protector of the sea, but when her role gradually expanded, it was believed that Mazu would help them overcome difficulties, whether it was a merchant or a craftsman, or whether it was a difficult birth or other illness. During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Quanzhou was one of the world's largest trading ports, and the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty in order to develop maritime trade, Mazu was introduced to Quanzhou Port, where overseas transportation and trade flourished, and became the sea god of Quanzhou, and because of the development of Cao Yun and overseas transportation, it became a national sea god and spread overseas. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, a large number of people in Fujian Province went to the South Seas to cross the first treasure island of Ryukyu in order to make a living, and the Mazu faith also spread more widely overseas with the footprints of merchants and immigrants. The scale of the Mazu faith was enormous, and from the Song Dynasty until the Qing Dynasty, Mazu became the three major deities (the Yellow Emperor, Confucius, and Mazu) that were celebrated by the state. Among them, especially in Fujian Province, almost all people in Fujian Province believe in Mazu, and Hui An is no exception.

When Zeng Lao talked about the Mazu Temple, he gushed endlessly. This Mazu temple was built in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, sitting east and facing west, with a construction area of more than 200 square meters. It consists of a mountain gate, two corridors, a patio and a main hall. The main hall is wide and deep, with a mixed structure of lifting beams and buckets, and a hard gable-style roof. There is a granite 'four dragons' relief carving in the courtyard of the temple, the craftsmanship is exquisite, the surviving woodcarving 'double lion top beam', birds and beasts, flowers and trees, etc., are all lifelike. Master Tang, I'll tell you the truth, according to the legend of the older generation, when the temple was built, the reason why this Mazu Temple was effective was because its feng shui was particularly good!"

Speaking of this, Zeng Lao paid attention to Tang Chen's expression, and found that Tang Chen didn't say much, Zeng Lao couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

"Why don't you wait for Master Tang to come over and take a look, what feng shui is about?" Zeng Lao said a little unwillingly.

Tang Chen nodded and said, "I want to take a good look." ”

In fact, Tang Chen was not interested in the Mazu Temple. He looked at the confluence of the sea water and the stream at the mouth of Lingong Creek and Lingxi Estuary, and watched the mixture of salt water and fresh water, that is, the wonder of nature's 'stream and sea flow'. What is even more peculiar is that the long seawall on the coast divides the sea water in two, the right side is still the tidal flat, and the large area on the left side has long been a barren land due to the lack of sea water. At the end of the seawall, where there is no end in sight, there is a mysterious island. What Tang Chen was really interested in was this small island.

"Elder Zeng, what is that island?"

Zeng Lao was stunned for a moment, and then said: "Oh, that small island, it's called Carp Island." Whenever the sea is at high tide, looking across the sea, it looks like a big carp swimming on the rippling blue waves and golden light on the sea. In fact, this island covers an area of less than 500 acres, although it is not large, but the scenery is beautiful. The island is green in all seasons, fragrant, bees and butterflies dance, and there are thousands of changes. The ebb and flow of the tide is like a fairyland, and there is a unique scenery, which can be called Penglai on the sea. Zeng Lao said proudly, "Before, there was only one trench. People can only reach Liyu Island at low tide every day through a "oyster ditch" that they have walked for generations, and if it is high tide, the road is gone, and they have to cross it by boat. Today, with the reclamation project going smoothly, a road more than 20 meters wide leads directly to Liyu Island, and it is now possible to reach Liyu Island by bicycle. In recent years, due to the changes in the environment of mountains and seas, there are still many seafoods, in addition to large clams and oysters, the more famous are: octopus, leeches, cockles, vinegar cockles, catfish, cockles, pink fish skewers, prawns, horseshoe crabs, ......"

Zeng Lao said, pulled Tang Chen into a seafood restaurant, and continued: "Due to the unique seafood and the increasingly sophisticated cooking technology, a unique set of seafood flavor snacks has been formed, which has been appreciated by the guests from all over the world, and has also been passed to the imperial capital, and the octopus, leeche, couch, and flower fish are called the 'four products of the palace', and have become the tribute of the palace over the years." ”

At this time, a waiter handed over the menu, Zeng Lao didn't look at it, and pushed it to Tang Chen, but he continued: "Like three fried octopus, vinegar cockroaches, braised razor clams, etc., they are all extremely rare delicacy, Master Tang, you must try it! This beauty, just said that the dishes will give me a copy!"

The waiter quickly jotted it down in his notebook and asked, "Do you two need anything else?"

"By the way, Master Tang, there is also a dish in Gongchuan Town called 'Red Rice with Crucian Carp', and now is a good time to eat this dish. 'Red rice fragrant crucian carp fat' is a common proverb in the area of Gongchuan Town. Because of the blending of brackish and fresh water in Gongchuan Town, crucian carp is raised in the ditch all year round. When the late rice is harvested, take advantage of the dry fields to catch crucian carp, killing two birds with one stone! 'Red rice with crucian carp' is a delicacy in the late autumn and early winter of Gongchuan Town, Master Tang, you must try it!"

(End of chapter)