Jishui Culture

Jidu Temple at the Source of Jishui River

Jishui, a river that was once known as the "Four Dues" along with the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Huai River in ancient times, was a tribute road of the Xia Dynasty. Since the Spring and Autumn period, it has been worshipped by its ancestors along with the cultural ancestor of the Chinese nation, Fuxi. After thousands of years of vicissitudes and great changes, the 1800 mile Jishui River has long lost its former glory. At the source of Jishui, it has transformed into a shallow and narrow small river, with irrigation benefits of less than ten thousand acres. However, the historical relics and cultural heritage left by Jishui not only confirm its existence, but also record its former nobility and glory.

The Jidu Temple at the source of the Jishui River is a sacred temple built by decree to worship the Jishui River. Its architectural complex is grand and rich in connotation, surpassing all water temples along the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Huai River; Jiyuan is named after the origin of the Jishui River. Jinan, Jiyang, and Jining, downstream of the Jishui River, all have their unique names and indisputably record the vast area that the Jishui River once flowed through; The figure of Ji Shui can be found in important classics such as Yu Gong, Shui Jing Zhu, and Shi Jing; Emperor Wen of Wei, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Huizong of Song, Emperor Taizu of Ming, Emperor Shizu of Qing, and Emperor Qianlong of Qing have all written sacrificial texts and issued edicts to praise the virtue of water conservation and pray for the protection of the water god for national security; Kong Qiu, Meng Ke, Mo Zhai, Sun Wu, Guan Zhong, Li Qingzhao, Pu Songling, Jia Sixie... These historical figures who grew up in the Jishui River Basin represent the highest achievements of Chinese civilization in that era, while also confirming the prosperity and prosperity of the ancient Jishui River Basin; Famous poets such as Bai Juyi, Li Qi, Wen Yanbo, and Wang Duo have all left immortal chapters for Jishui.