CHAOZHOUHANWENGONGSHRINE
NowwecometoHanwengongShrine,whichisbesideHangjiangriverandwestofBijiamountain.
ThisshrinehadbeenconstructedsinceSongDynastyandbecometheoldestexistingandthemostcompletedreservationmemorialofHanYu,whoisthegreatliterarymaninTangDynasty.
IntheyearofA.D.819,forsomepoliticalreason,HanYuwasexiledtoChaozhou,abacklandatthattime.Buthewasnotdepressedbythis,hehelpedlocalpeopletodevelopeducation,agriculture,irrigationandreleaseslaves.TomemorizewhathehadcontributedtothedevelopmentofChaozhou,peopleconstructedthisshrineandnamehim“Hanwengong”respectfully.
ThetwosentencescarvedinthisancientbooklikestoneareextractedfromoneofHanYu’stexttoencouragepeopletostudy,anditsmeaningis:hardworkingimprovesyourcareer,meditationleadstosuccess.
Theshrineisconstructedclingtomountainsandhasfrontandbacktwoparts.Nowweplayasmallgame:countthestonesteps,laterI’lltellyouasecret.Howmanystepsthereare?Yes,51steps!SowhenHanYucametoChaozhou,hewas51-yearold.WhenHanYuwastoChaozhou,hewasimpressedbythebeautifulsceneryandhospitalityoflocalpeople.Youseethattree?Beforeitwasanoaktreethere,whichwasplantedbyHanYuhimself.Peoplesaymoreflowersintheoaktree,morewell-educatedstudentsare.ButinQingDynasty,thismagicoaktreedied,sopeopleplantedthistreeinstead.