How does Shanxi influence China?

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How Has Shanxi Influenced China? 10/31/2018 13:26:58 Dàyú Manhua. 289 people participated; 104 comments. Nowadays, people’s impression of Shanxi is dominated by negative things such as coal and vinegar. What else is there to write about in Shanxi? Today, Da Yu will take us on a journey to find the answers in Shanxi’s history. First, let’s talk about what impact Shanxi has had on China As is well known, many \"phenomenal\" celebrities in China bear the surname Wang, such as Wang Jian, Wang Mang, Wang Anshi, and so on. The Wang surname originated from the \"Wang family\" in Taiyuan, Shanxi. If one really wants to trace their ancestry, they must return to Shanxi. The ancestor of the Wang surname was Wang Zijiao. His real name was Ji Jin; he was the crown prince of King Ling of the Zhou Dynasty. At that time, he was referred to as Crown Prince Jin. During King Ling’s reign, the royal family was in great chaos, but Crown Prince Jin enjoyed popularity, was learned, and also understood how to show compassion for the common people. In the 22nd year of King Ling’s reign, floods struck the Gui River and the Luo River. In ancient China, controlling floods was considered the top priority for the royal family. So how were these floods dealt with? King Ling of Zhou said, “Let’s block off one end of the Yellow River so that its water can flow elsewhere.” At this point, Prince Jin expressed disagreement, saying that such an action was not feasible; rivers follow certain patterns of flow, and if their course is suddenly changed, it’s likely that old problems will persist while new ones arise. His words were harsh, and King Ling of Zhou, who cared much about his reputation, became furious and demoted Prince Jin to a commoner, forcing him to leave the palace. Prince Jin died in humiliation. His son, King Jingzong, decided it was better for him to stay away from the royal family. After all, in the families of emperors throughout history, living with them was like living with tigers. So the entire family moved from Shaanxi to Shanxi. In Shanxi, people referred to them as descendants of the Zhou kings. Over time, they were simply called “the Old Wang family.” Although the Old Wang family faced hardships at first, their lives became more prosperous over time. Many famous figures emerged from this family across different dynasties, and many well-known historical stories originated from them. Of course, Shanxi’s influence on China goes beyond just the Old Wang family. There’s also another interesting fact: many place names in various counties and cities in China can be found in Shanxi. During the time when Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang were fighting for power, chaos reigned everywhere, and seven or eight out of ten people in Henan and Hebei died in those wars. But there was one place that was an exception—Shanxi, which was surrounded by mountains on three sides and a river on one side, making it naturally defensible. Moreover, the governor of Shanxi, Chahan Temür, managed the region very well. As a result, many refugees fled to Shanxi, causing its population to increase by more than eight times. When the Ming Dynasty was established, it became clear that there were too many people in Shanxi. From Zhu Yuanzhang to Zhu Di, there were 18 large-scale migrations to move the excess population to other places. The area with the largest population in Shanxi was southern Shanxi, where there was a county called Hongtong. North of Hongtong County stood a large locust tree, which was used as a place for handling official matters. These people weren’t going there voluntarily; they were forced to go there by the Ming government, like laborers. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and they were lined up one after another. Along the way, they needed to eat, drink, sleep, and, of course, urinate. They had to ask the soldiers to untie their hands when they needed to urinate. So these people migrated from Shanxi to various places. Some went to new areas to cultivate land, but they never forgot their hometowns. They kept using the same names for their hometowns. Thus, place names from Shanxi became widely used across the country. Not only that, but the people of Shanxi also emphasized the concept of loyalty and righteousness. A representative figure of this is Guan Yu. In police movies, you’ll notice a strange phenomenon: Guan Yu is considered an idol among gangsters. People swear brotherhood or join gangs in his presence. Even the enemies of the police force admire Guan Yu. Since 1931, statues of Guan Yu have been placed in police stations, where they’re worshipped alongside other deities. I imagine Guan Yu must be annoyed by this. But undoubtedly, Guan Yu, who originated from Shanxi, is a symbol of loyalty and righteousness. In fact, Guan Yu doesn’t fully represent the characteristics of loyalty and righteousness among the people of Shanxi. Even before Guan Yu, there were already many loyal and righteous people from Shanxi. Their deeds are still admired today. For example, during the Spring and Autumn period, there was a loyal official from Shanxi whose influence lasted for generations The Qingming Festival and the Cold Food Festival are both related to him. He was Jie Zitui, a minister of the State of Jin. During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Chong'er of Jin was in exile abroad for 19 years; during that time he didn’t even have enough food to eat and was at risk of dying. Thanks to Jie Zitui, who painfully cut off flesh from his own thigh and cooked it with wild vegetables to make soup for Chong'er, he was able to survive. Later, Chong'er took control of the government of Jin and became one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period, famously known as Duke Wen of Jin. At that time, many people who hadn’t done anything to help Chong'er came to him asking for rewards, and he assigned them official positions. Jie Zitui was furious upon seeing this. https://p3.ifengimg.com/2018_44/C95E47064ACBED1E0E07C91F3477272025D82C58_w1080_h299.jpg So he took his elderly mother back to their hometown in Mianshan and lived in seclusion there. When Duke Wen of Jin realized that he couldn’t find Jie Zitui, someone suggested surrounding Mianshan and setting fire to three sides of the mountain, leaving one side unburned. Jie Zitui, concerned for his mother’s life, would surely run out through that unburned side. Unfortunately, he refused to come out, and thus died burned to death. This made Duke Wen extremely sad; he took a piece of wood from the burned tree and used it to make slippers, which he wore while constantly mourning over those slippers, saying, “How sad you are!” meaning “I’m so sorry for you.” Not only that, but every year on the day when the mountain was set on fire, Duke Wen ordered that no one should use fire and that everyone should eat cold food as a way to commemorate Jie Zitui. This festival came to be known as the Cold Food Festival, and it was from this festival that the Qingming Festival evolved over time. So, in the future, when we talk about Shanxi, we shouldn’t only focus on coal and vinegar; there is much more worth discussing