Rhapsody of Entertainment Rebirth

The plane landed at Chang'an Xianyang International Airport, and Shanhe came to this ancient capital of thirteen dynasties for the first time.

The Dunhuang-Silk Road Cultural Exchange Symposium is an international cultural exchange event initiated by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and co-sponsored by CCTV, Neon NHK TV, and British BBC TV.

Not only well-known domestic cultural celebrities were invited, but also many well-known literary writers, scholars and professors from Neon, Bangguo, Central Asia, Europe and other places were invited to participate.

The half-month symposium was actually a review and prospect trip of the Hexi Corridor.

The symposium started from Chang'an, the starting point of the Silk Road, and ended at Dunhuang, the end of the Hexi Corridor.

Shanhe was very interested in this journey. The Hexi Corridor was a place he had always wanted to visit. It was a key area for the birth, growth, and formation of the Han nation.

From the perspective of Asian civilization history, ancient China and ancient India had similar geographical characteristics. They were surrounded by plateaus and oceans and were in a relatively closed geographical location. This created superior living conditions for the two ancient Asian civilizations.

Both countries have a key passage. China is the Hexi Corridor, and ancient India is the Khyber Pass.

However, the endings of the two ancient countries were completely different. The inheritance of China was in order, while ancient India was completely extinct.

The biggest reason is that China has defended the Hexi Corridor and used it as a channel for cultural and trade exchanges, promoting the formation and growth of the nation.

However, ancient India was invaded by several foreign enemies from the Khyber Pass, ravaged in turn, and finally disappeared in the long river of history.

It can be said that the Hexi Corridor is the node of the entire Eastern culture. It has always been fascinated by Eastern literati and scholars, and it also has a decisive influence in the world's cultural circles.

This is also where Shanhe's heart goes. He particularly admires the Chinese style of Han and Tang Dynasties, and this is where the wind blows.

Shanhe and his party were welcomed by the organizing committee and arrived at the Chang'an Silk Road Convention and Exhibition Center where the meeting was held.

As soon as he got off the car, Shanhe saw a smiling Wang Anyi and Chairman of the Writers Association Tie Ning, both of whom were waiting to welcome Shanhe's arrival.

Shanhe hurried forward and took the initiative to greet the two leading figures in Chinese literary circles.

"Trouble for the two seniors to greet me in such a grand manner, it really makes the juniors feel embarrassed!"

Wang Anyi smiled and patted Shanhe's arm,

"Not so polite. You are not what you used to be. This is your first time attending such an occasion. We are here to introduce you. This is Tiening, Chairman of the Writers Association. No need for me to introduce you!"

Tiening stretched out his hand and said with a smile: "Hello Shanhe, you are the biggest star in the Chinese literary world. I have heard about your name for a long time, but you have never had the opportunity to meet and communicate!"

Shanhe held Tie Ning's hand and replied with a smile:

"Teacher Tie, I have heard of you for a long time. "Oh, Xiangxue!" and "How Far Is Forever" were the guides for my writing when I was young. I am ashamed of my juniors!"

"Haha... It's my honor to be able to lead a great writer! Don't call me Teacher Tie, it sounds awkward. We talk about friends based on literature. Just call me Sister Tiening!"

Wang Anyi laughed and joked:

"It's really a big difference to call me sister. Tiening, you are still so pretty! Shanhe calls Qu Ling and calls Aunt Qu!"

…

A few people walked into the conference center chatting and laughing. After settling in their accommodation, the two literary heroines took Shanhe to get to know the seniors in the Chinese literary world.

There are many acquaintances, including Liu Zhenyun, Zhao Changtian and others who are all familiar with each other. There are even more famous people who have met for the first time, including Yu Hua, Mo Yan, Jia Pingwa, Su Tong, Ge Fei and so on.

It was the first time to participate in such a symposium, which was a gathering of literary bigwigs. As the only junior, Shanhe behaved very humbly.

No matter what their personalities are, most writers are reserved and talk little. Shanhe's greetings with his predecessors are just as imagined.

Compliment each other and admire each other.

Only Yu Hua was relatively familiar with him. After getting to know each other for a short time, he took Shan He and joined them in chatting with their classmates from the 1988 literature class.

Their class is not simple. There are four great figures in Chinese literature, Yu Hua, Mo Yan, Liu Zhenyun, and Su Tong, as well as a more legendary and inspirational iconic figure in Chinese literary circles, Shi Tiesheng, who was unable to attend due to physical reasons.

It is said that literati have always looked down on each other since ancient times, but they get along more harmoniously here. Several of them are classmates and old acquaintances, and they all talk more casually.

Yu Hua poured Shan He a cup of tea.

"Shanhe, although this is the first time we have met, everyone has read your novels and made friends through literature. You are not a stranger to us. I heard Zhenyun say that you are not a hypocritical person. Let me tell everyone about you. Where did "Young Yi" come from?"

"Thanks!"

Shan He took the tea cup and replied humbly:

"I don't have the life experience of my predecessors, and I have experienced less suffering and hardship. I can only use random thoughts as inspiration. I just made up a story after watching a European shipwreck!"

Liu Zhenyun shook his head and sighed:

"You're too modest. That's just making things up! It's more like being wild and unconstrained!"

"The writing is really good!" Mo Yan praised slowly,

"There are so many things hidden in the novel, and it's also beautiful. Shanhe, you have written a new genre!"

"You don't deserve the praise from your seniors! It's just opportunistic!"

Shan He waved his hand and moved the topic elsewhere.

"I heard that you used to travel around the northwest together, calling for friends, and giving advice on the past and present! This junior yearns for it. Have you ever been to the Hexi Corridor?"

"I've been there before, can you not go?"

Yu Hua replied with a smile, "We just graduated from the Lu Academy Training Institute and wandered around the northwest together for more than a month. It was the old supervisor who started it, right? It has been twenty years. At that time, we and you It’s almost as big now!”

With memories on his face, Su Tong answered with emotion:

"Thinking about it, life was interesting at that time. Although I didn't have two money in my pocket, I didn't lack passion and thought little. We didn't ride in any car along the way, including trains, cars, trucks, and carriages. Those two months were very important to me. It has a great influence, especially in Mogao Grottoes, which is really a paradise for literati!"

"You were the youngest at that time, and you were already famous! You and Lao Guan were the richest!"

Liu Zhenyun said with a smile: "This time we are revisiting the old place together, so we can relive the excitement back then!"

Yu Hua smiled and replied:

"This is a symposium, and you haven't participated much! How passionate you are! I heard that Harukami Muraki is also here. Don't you know him well? How is he? Is what is written in the media reports true? "

Mo Yan shook his head,

"I don't have much contact with him. We don't understand the language and have very little communication. We just know each other!"

Shanhe was a little confused when he heard this. What else could Harunami Muraki do to gossip?

"Teacher Yu, I have read a few books by Harukami Muraki. He is indeed quite famous in China. From what you say, is there anything else special about him?"

"Hi! I also heard about this from hearsay. It is said that his father was a Japanese invader of China. In order to atone for his sins against China, he vowed not to have any offspring and not to eat Chinese food!"

"I've heard about this too. It was widely reported in 1990. I heard that he came to China for a study tour in 1994 and brought canned food to the dinner table. He felt that he was not worthy of enjoying Chinese food!"

"Is there still this matter?"

This is the first time Shanhe has heard that Haruki Murakami has such a past and consciousness. If it is true, this person is quite magnanimous!

Shanhe got along well with several senior literati, and spent half the afternoon drinking tea, chatting and gossiping.

During the dinner, he happened to be at the same table with Mo Yan, Yu Hua, and Haruki Muraki. He saw Haruki Muraki's style with his own eyes. He actually brought a lunch box to the dinner!

This neon man is to your liking and can be dealt with!

After the dinner that night, Shanhe got to know the most famous writer in Neon Contemporary.

Coincidentally, Harukami Muraki and Kitano Takeshi are still friends. Kitano Takeshi highly admires mountains and rivers and often chats with Harukami Muraki about mountains and rivers.

The next day, the exchange symposium officially began. All literary figures took the stage and gave speeches one by one. They talked about the impact of the Silk Road on themselves, China and the world from personal and historical aspects, and their prospects for future cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

Shanhe also received an invitation to give a speech before the meeting, but he declined after thinking about it. He was the only junior among the participants. This kind of academic gathering was not suitable for high-profile events.

Shanhe plans to spend this discussion trip as low-key as possible.

It's a pity that the tree wants to be quiet but the wind doesn't stop! Shanhe, a popular fried chicken, cannot escape the attention of the media.

During the subsequent trip, CCTV, NHK and BBC all sent a camera crew to follow Shan He. Shan He became the biggest star at the symposium. How could he be so low-key!

It is foreseeable that Shanhe will have very little personal space during this Silk Road journey.

In response to this, Shanhe couldn't laugh or cry, and had nothing to say. Looking at the camera crew following him, he sighed deeply. How could it be similar to the popular stars of later generations filming variety shows?

The symposium had a three-day itinerary in Chang'an, and the participants visited cultural attractions such as the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, the ruins of the Daming Palace, and the Chang'an City Wall.

Shanhe was really not used to the feeling of being followed by cameras at all times, let alone having to deal with all kinds of problems thrown by the camera crew from time to time.

"Shanhe, what do you think of Emperor Qin?"

"Qiu, who among the ancient Chinese emperors do you like best?"

"Shanhe Lord, what do you think of Qin Shihuang sending Xu Fu east to Neihong?"

…

While Shanhe was dealing with it, he kept complaining in his heart, where did he come from so many ideas? I came here for a trip, and I was forced into prostitution by you, and I was also given a prostitute for nothing!

…

Shanhe's high interest at the beginning turned into a lack of interest. If I had known this, I wouldn't have come!

At the top of Chang'an City, he also caused a small accident. A group of people were surrounded by media reporters and book fans who came after hearing the news. Shanhe was the culprit, and shouts for him were heard all over the city walls.

Nima has really become a traffic star. Shanhe smiled helplessly and signed autographs for book fans, which was delayed for more than an hour.

In the Internet age, the personal space of celebrities has been compressed to the extreme. Nothing is up to anyone! No matter how much you gain, you will naturally lose as much.

Yu Hua, Liu Zhenyun and others laughed and made fun of the mountains and rivers.

"Thanks to you, this is my first time to be surrounded by reporters and book fans!"

"Look, this is how China's number one literati is treated. From Yuzhang to Xiadu, people have heard of the ancient Wei Jie for a long time, and the viewer is like a wall. I'm afraid this is the scene, right?"

Shanhe rolled his eyes at Yu Hua, "I'm not a handsome man, nor am I a sick man. I can't kill him!"

"Ha ha…"

After staying in Chang'an for three days, the participants boarded a train to Lanzhou. After staying in Lanzhou for a day, they took a bus to the Shandan Army Horse Farm at the foot of the Qilian Mountains.

Seeing a green mountain meadow under the blue sky, and horses galloping in the distance, my mood suddenly became vast and cheerful.

"If I lose Yanzhi Mountain, my women will lose their color; if I lose Qilian Mountain, my animals will not be able to rest."

After the Huns were driven out of Hexi by the Han cavalry, they lost the Qilian Mountain pastures on which they relied for survival. They sang this tragic song during their migration.

One or two hundred years after losing this place, the Xiongnu were divided into pieces by the Han people. The northern Xiongnu went to Europe to ravage the white people, while the southern Xiongnu was assimilated by the Han and completely disappeared from history.

This shows how lush the water and grass here was at that time! What a strategically important place for military strategists!

Shandan Military Racecourse is the oldest royal racecourse in the world. Its first director was the famous "Champion Lord" Huo Qubing.

In 121 BC, Huo Qubing led his army to conquer Hexi for the second time, driving the entire Xiongnu tribe out of the Hexi Corridor, and then established the Shandan Army Horse Farm here.

Looking at the groups of horses, cattle and sheep running under the snow-capped mountains in the distance, it is here that 18-year-old Huo Qubing led 10,000 cavalry across the mountains of Hexi more than 2,000 years ago. I think of Huo Qubing’s youthful dynamism and his contribution to the Han people. The unparalleled achievements he has made, the mountains and rivers are full of pride, and I want to sing a song!

The CCTV camera crew on the side saw Shan He's rare expression of joy and excitement, so they stepped forward and asked in a joking manner,

"Shanhe, what did you see here that made you so excited?"

Shanhe looked at the CCTV reporter, smiled slightly, and thought of his guess.

In the past two days, he has somewhat understood why this Dunhuang-Silk Road Cultural Exchange Symposium was so grand. All the government departments were cordially entertaining them along the way. CCTV's "News Lianbo" even reported on it two days ago!

It is estimated that it is related to the country's future development strategy. The "One Belt, One Road" seems to have been included in the country's long-term strategic planning layout, and cultural exchange is only the first step in it.

This thought lasted only for a moment. He turned his head and looked at the snow-capped mountains and horses in the distance. He smiled and replied to the reporter:

"I saw that more than 2,000 years ago, the hussar general Huo Qubing led 10,000 cavalry, and then established this military horse farm with outstanding achievements. The Han Dynasty in China was formed and has a long history!"

The BBC reporter on the side could understand Chinese, but knew nothing about Chinese history, so he asked:

"Qiu, this place is just a pasture. It should not be uncommon in China. Does it have such great significance?"

"Of course!"

Shanhe nodded and educated the foreigners: "Since the Han Dynasty, this place has been one of the largest production areas of military horses of all dynasties. The Western Han Dynasty was able to drive the Huns to Europe, and its contribution here was huge. Later, Emperor Yang Guang He also visited Zhangye in the west, and he met with the envoys of the twenty-seven kings of the Turks and the Western Regions in the west. He also ordered a pastoral supervisor to be set up here to herd officials and horses. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty Li Shimin also ordered his servant Zhang Jingshun He has presided over the horse herding business here for decades. At the peak of horse breeding in the Tang Dynasty, there were more than hundreds of thousands of horses.

Until the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, there were still hundreds of thousands of military horses produced here. This place made extremely crucial contributions to the formation and development of the Han nation! "

Neon reporters know more about the Hexi Corridor. NHK is filming a large-scale documentary about the culture and history of northwest China.

"It seems that Mr. Shanhe is very fascinated by the 'Champion Prince' Huo Qubing. You two have something in common. You both became famous in the world at a young age, but he fought on the battlefield, and you galloped in the cultural field!"

Shanhe glanced at this neon reporter, what a little devil, he didn't have any good intentions, this is a standard compliment. Throughout the ages, there have been a few people who dared to compete with the champion Hou Huo Qubing and casually took the topic away.

"The achievements of the champion are unparalleled. More than two thousand years have passed, and the war has gone far away. The mainstream of the world is cooperation and exchange. This is the consensus of all mankind. We are all making our own efforts for cooperation and exchange between the East and the West! "

…

During the two days in the Qilian Mountains, the mountains and rivers were extremely enjoyable. It was isolated from all kinds of disturbances in the outside world.

After getting used to being followed by the camera crew around him, Shanhe revealed his energetic and high-spirited side, riding a horse and galloping around on the grassland.

Today's Qilian Mountains are still the "Pastoral Jiangnan". Under the sky, close to the snow line, there are excellent natural pastures. In the hinterland of the Qilian Mountains, illuminated by white snow and covered with green grass, there are different ethnic minority herdsmen living. Their tents are dotted here and there, smoke is rising from their cooking stoves, and their cattle and sheep are roaming among the mountains and rivers. In groups, it’s like a paradise.

This makes the mountains and rivers intoxicated and unable to extricate themselves!

Unfortunately, two days passed by in a blink of an eye, and the participants moved to their final destination, Dunhuang, by bus.

Dunhuang has an ancient and long history.

The word "Dunhuang" was first seen in "Historical Records: Biography of Dawan". Yingshao of the Eastern Han Dynasty explained that "Dun means big; Huang means prosperous", which means grand and glorious.

Dunhuang is located at the westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor. It was once a hub of transportation between China and the West, a choke point on the Silk Road, an international city in foreign exchanges, and a military center in the Western Regions. It occupies a very glorious chapter in the long scroll of Chinese history.

The most famous things here are the "Mogao Grottoes" and "Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring".

The symposium will be held at the Mogao Grottoes International Conference Center.

With a heart of admiration and worship, Shanhe approached this treasure of Chinese national culture.

It is difficult to verify when the Mogao Grottoes were first built. Most scholars agree that in the second year of Jianyuan of the former Qin Dynasty, that is, 366 AD, monk Lezun created the cave in the Mogao Grottoes, and Zen Master Fa Liang continued to build it.

According to unofficial records, "In the second year of the Jianyuan year of the Qin Dynasty before the Mogao Grottoes, there was a monk named Lezun. There is a niche in the cave. Then Zen Master Fa Liang came here from the east and built it next to Master Zun's cave. The origin of Jialan originated from the two monks."

From then on, it went through the Northern Wei, Sui, Tang, Song, Xixia and Yuan dynasties. The entire construction period spanned a thousand years, and almost all Chinese dynasties left their historical mark here.

This place records the development of the entire Chinese civilization and is the concentrated essence of Chinese culture. Almost all literati regard this place as a holy place, and all artists hope to study and absorb the essence here. The legacy she has left to the Chinese people is endless. endless.

It is not only a paradise for art, but also a place of yearning for the public. There are too many tourists who come here. Although there has been no reservation limit for 10 years, only a maximum of 6,000 tickets are sold every day.

There are always long queues at the ticket offices of scenic spots.

The participants of the symposium naturally enjoyed special treatment. Not only did they stay at the scenic spot, but the Dunhuang Museum and the Dunhuang Academy also prepared a complete set of visit and inspection procedures for them.

From precious documents, unearthed cultural relics, mural research and other aspects, the entire development history of Dunhuang Silk Road culture was introduced to the participants, providing valuable information for studying the political, economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

At this time, the symposium entered the real discussion. Although many of the scholars came to the Mogao Grottoes for the first time, such a complete and rich visit and inspection experience made everyone very interested.

Shanhe was attracted wholeheartedly to these cultural treasures.

Especially when facing the murals, Shanhe was shocked by the creativity and expressiveness of the ancients. He realized the source of the Chinese literati's obsession with the Mogao Grottoes.

The cultural knowledge that Chinese people have learned and seen in books seems to be contained in these rich paintings.

The "Sutra Paintings" and "Story Paintings" drawn with imagination and colors explain the obscure scriptures in the scriptures in an easy-to-understand manner. The paintings include various Buddhas, rare animals, and various Pure Land Buddhist kingdoms, which are extremely rich in content. , displayed before our eyes like a kaleidoscope.

Murals attach great importance to freehand brushwork. During the creation process, these unknown ancient painters did not deliberately imitate, let alone reproduce a certain scene, but expressed the content inadvertently revealed in their hearts. This is a kind of free expression, which originated from China. Traditional life and thought.

At the same time, the aesthetic cognition imported from the West was added to form colorful and story-telling paintings.

Through these murals, Shanhe can even recreate various life scenes of ancient people in Dunhuang in his mind.

After a long time, in the Dunhuang murals, we can still see the different lines of the East and the West, one deep and one shallow, showing their own light.

The whims of the ancients galloped and dazzled.

Shanhe had the urge to stay here, and he was fascinated by the creativity and imagination of the ancient Chinese.

And these things are exactly what he needs. For Shanhe, writing and movies are pictures. The image artistic conception and color matching of these murals bring him endless imagination and inspiration.

He even began to reconsider the composition and graphics of "The Instant Universe" and "The Life of Yi".

Especially in "The Young Man", Shanhe has completely put aside Ang Lee's movie scenes. The murals in the Mogao Grottoes gave him more imagination and choices.

Shanhe regretted very much why he didn't come here earlier. If he could have seen these murals earlier, maybe "The Life of Yi" would have been different.

Shanhe is not sure whether it will be better, but it will definitely be more creative and more in line with my own aesthetic!