The Hometown of Xi Shi in Zhuji is like an open garden and park!

Zhuji is one of the birthplaces of ancient Yue culture, and its history can be "traced back to the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties." Zhuji was originally the ancient Zhuji Kingdom and was later destroyed by the Shang Dynasty. As Li Bai wrote in his poem, "Xi Shi, a girl from Yuexi, came from Mount Zelu." Xi Shi, whose given name was Yiguang and who was born in Zelu in the State of Yue during the late Spring and Autumn period, ranks first among the four great beauties of China, namely, Zhao Jun, Diao Chan, and Yang Yuhuan, and is known as the "Venus of the East." In China, everyone knows about Xi Shi, and idioms such as "as beautiful as Xi Shi," "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and "Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi" are all related to Xi Shi. In the literary works of past dynasties, there are countless poems, songs, fu, operas, and novels praising Xi Shi. Xi Shi's influence has also crossed national borders. Singapore has "Xi Shi Street," South Korea has "Xi Shi Pu," and Yuzegata Town in Akita Prefecture, Japan, holds the "Xi Shi Festival" every year to select Miss Xi Shi. Was Xi Shi a real person in history? There is no historical conclusion. According to legend, during the war between Wu and Yue, Yue was defeated. To restore the country and avenge his shame, King Goujian of Yue knew that "the King of Wu was lewd and fond of beauty, and was confused and indulged in pleasure and did not care about state affairs." Therefore, he selected the beauty Xi Shi and presented her to King Fucha of Wu, causing him to indulge in wine and women and neglect state affairs. Xi Shi devoted herself to the country, endured humiliation, and finally helped Goujian complete the great task of destroying Wu and restoring the country. Where was Xi Shi born? There has always been a dispute between the "Zhuji theory" and the "Xiaoshan theory," which has been debated for more than a thousand years. The mainstream opinion of past dynasties supports the "Zhuji theory," while some scholars hold the "Xiaoshan theory." The representative figures are Lai Sixing in the Ming Dynasty and Mao Qiling and Zhu Yizun in the Qing Dynasty, among whom Mao Qiling, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy and a compiler of the Ming History Museum, had the greatest influence. Mao's argument is based on Liu Zhao's annotation in the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Records of Prefectures and Kingdoms": "Xiaoshan is where Xi Shi came from," but many scholars believe that Liu's annotation is wrong and untrustworthy. "Wang Weichang's argument is still based on Mao Qiling's point of view, and his corroboration is the relics of Linpu, Xiaoshan," said Ruan Xun. "After his article was published, Chen Kanzhang, Yang Shi'an, and several of us from Zhuji wrote articles to fight back, checked the county chronicles, and visited Linpu. At that time, Master Abao, the monk of the Xiaoshan Xi Shi Temple, introduced us to the origin of the Xi Shi Temple: Xi Shi passed through Linpu on her way to the State of Wu, leaving relics here. Later, there was a great flood one year, and many pieces of wood floated on the river, with the words 'Xi Shi' engraved on them. The people believed that Xi Shi missed Linpu and wanted to enjoy incense here, so they carved a statue for her and built the Xi Shi Temple. Since then, Linpu has left behind relics such as the Xi Shi Temple, the Yumei Shi Gate, and the Zelu Pavilion." As time passed, the Xi Shi relics in Zhuji gradually disappeared, and Xi Shi gradually disappeared from people's sight. The dispute over the hometown of Xi Shi has invisibly promoted Zhuji City's protection of Xi Shi relics and intangible cultural heritage.