Jieyang Impressions 3: Jinxian Gate & Winter in Spring Temperature | 28 Dec 2022

Описание: 28 December 2022. Jieyang. Back from the villages to the city.The weather was almost too perfect—for someone who's lived long-term in the Yangtze River basin and Beijing, having spring-like temperatures at the end of December feels magical. But in Guangdong, it's perfectly normal.

Casual footage by the filmmaker of Masters in the Forbidden City and Every Treasure Tells a Story. What the lens captures: the streets of Rongcheng District, and a four-hundred-year-old city gate.

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Jinxian Gate, just a short walk from lunch.

A local friend suggested we take a stroll before the meal. So we left the restaurant and walked a few steps—and there it was. Right in the heart of Rongcheng District, now a kind of small park with big banyan trees providing shade, stone lions standing guard.

It's not tall, but it's elegant. Three stories, with eaves upturned like a bird spreading its wings . The lower part is a stone gate, the middle a tower, the upper a glazed pavilion—a rare combination of gate, tower, and pavilion in a single structure nationwide .

First built in 1621 during the Ming Dynasty's Tianqi era—exactly four hundred years ago .

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The name "Jinxian" carries a story.

Because it leads to the Jieyang Confucian Temple, it was named "Jinxian Gate," meaning "to advance scholars and worthies" . During the Ming and Qing dynasties, watchmen were stationed on the tower. At dawn, as the first light appeared, they would blow horns, the sound spreading across the city with the morning breeze, waking its sleeping residents—this became one of Jieyang's Eight Ancient Sights, known as "The Dawn Horn from the Tower" .

Legend has it that in early times, newly appointed local officials would pass through Jinxian Gate for good luck. When a man married or a student prepared for exams, they would also walk through the gate—believing it would bring them a virtuous wife or success in their studies. This custom continues today; parents often bring their college-bound children to walk through Jinxian Gate or circle the tower a few times .

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In the 1940s, Jieyang underwent urban renewal.

The ancient city walls and all four gates—east, south, west, north—were demolished. Only Jinxian Gate was spared . That alone speaks to its place in the hearts of Jieyang's people. Today, a pair of stone lions stand before it, added in 1985, surrounded by flower beds and lotus sculptures, complementing the gate's ancient elegance .

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The streets of Rongcheng District have a certain ease.

Some drink tea under the arcades, some sell oranges from roadside stalls, some pass slowly on electric bikes. No big-city urgency—just the daily rhythm of a small town.

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Where do we begin to understand a piece of land?

We begin with its ancient gate—with Jinxian Gate's upturned eaves, with the eyes that have watched people pass for four centuries.
We begin with its winter in spring temperature—with the surprise of shedding jackets in late December.
We begin with its living customs—with the parents bringing children to circle the gate, with that simple wish in their hearts: Jinxian, Jinxian—may our children become worthy.
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2022年12月28日，揭阳。从乡镇回到市区。天气好得有点过分——对于长期生活在长江流域和北京的我来说，12月底还有春天的气温，是很神奇的。但在广东，这就很正常了。

《我在故宫修文物》《如果国宝会说话》导演随手拍。镜头里装的，是榕城区的街景，和一座四百年的城门。
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进贤门，就在餐厅附近。从餐厅出来，走几步就到了。它在榕城区的中心位置，如今是个小公园的模样，有大榕树遮荫，有石狮子蹲守。它不高，但秀气。三层楼阁，飞檐翘起，像鸟展翅的样子。下层是石筑城门，中层是城楼，上层是琉璃亭阁——国内罕见的城门、城楼、亭台三合一建筑。

始建于明代天启元年（1621），距今整整四百年。
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“进贤”二字，有故事。因通抵揭阳学宫，取“增进贤士”之意，故名进贤门。明清时期，城楼上设有更夫，每当天光破晓，晨曦初现，更夫吹响号角，角声随晨风传遍全城，唤醒熟睡的城民——这便是揭阳古八景之一的“谯楼晓角”。

相传早年间，揭阳的地方官赴任都要从进贤门走过，以取个好意头。而男子娶妻或学生升学，也要在进贤门里走上一遭，说是如此便会妻子贤惠、学子高中。这个习俗至今还保持着，常有家长带着即将考大学的孩子来进贤门里走一遍，或绕城楼转上几圈。
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20世纪40年代，揭阳改造旧城。

古城墙及东、南、西、北四个城门全拆掉了，唯独保留下了进贤门。可见它在揭阳人心中的地位。如今门前有一对石狮，是1985年添置的，围以花圃，配以雕塑喷水荷花，与古色古香的城楼相映成趣。
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榕城区的街景，有一种从容。有人在骑楼下喝茶，有人在路边摆摊卖柑橘，有人骑着电动车慢慢经过。没有大城市的急促，只有小城的日常。

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我们从何处开始了解一片土地？

从它的古老城门开始——从进贤门的飞檐翘角，从它四百年来看着人来人往的眼睛。
从它冬日里春天的气温开始——从12月底还能穿一件薄外套的意外惊喜。
从它那些至今还在的习俗开始——从那些带着孩子来城门下绕圈的家长，从他们心里那个朴素的愿望：进贤，进贤，愿孩子能成材。
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