中国古建之乡大冶徐泰湾 古驿站如今再展新芳华
Xutai Village in Daye City, hometown of historic buildings, has revitalized again
楚天都市报极目新闻记者 梁传松
通讯员 芦建红
翻译 李尹婷 王佩林 吴术驰（湖北大学）
JIMU News
Reporter: Liang Chuansong
Correspondent: Lu Jianhong
Translators: Li Yiting, Wang Peilin, Wu Shuchi (Hubei University)
徐泰湾位于湖北大冶南部山区的殷祖镇，此地有鄂东南至赣西北的一条重要通道，古时建有驿站，人称徐泰驿。走过沧桑600年，曾经繁华的古驿早已失去了功能，原来的官道和驿站，被一条条高速公路代替。这里有一处“务本堂”，就是传说中的殷祖古建之乡的源头。破落的驿站经过古建之乡能工巧匠的修复，如今成了网红打卡地。
Located in Yinzu town, a mountainous area south of Daye city, Hubei province, Xutai village sits at a key passage starting from southeast Hubei province to northwest Jiangxi province. In ancient times, a courier station was built here and thus called Xutai station. 600 years later, the bustling Xutai station has lost its function as a transit stop on account of the construction of expressways. Another time-honored house called Wubentang Hall is regarded by all as the prototype for all the legacies of ancient architectures in Yinzu town, a rural place appraised as one of the treasure houses of traditional Chinese buildings. Renovated by local handymen, the dilapidated Xutai station is now taking on a new look, has become a viral must-see place.
大山深处的山水园林
A Landscape Garden in the Deep Mountains
6月22日，极目新闻记者从殷祖镇出发，车沿着一条刷黑的柏油路，10多分钟便到了五庄村徐泰湾。
On June 22, the journalist of JIMU News drove from Yinzu town. After more than 10 minutes' of driving on an asphalt road, the journalist arrived at Xutai village.
进入村庄，映入眼帘的是一栋栋古香古色的建筑。踩着历经岁月沧桑的光滑青石板路，行走在幽深的巷道，触摸着青砖砌成的古墙，注目那雕刻精致的镂空窗花，聆听那片瓦、那块砖、那间房、那条古街的故事。不禁想起，唐代文学家杜牧《过华清宫绝句三首》中，“一骑红尘妃子笑，无人知是荔枝来”的经典诗句。这里虽不是“荔枝道”，但徐泰驿在古代是鄂东南至赣西北的一条重要官道。
Upon entering Xutai village, antique Chinese buildings instantly jump into one's view. To explore more traces of the past, the journalist wandered along a deep and serene alley, walking on the slated road that over the years has been smoothed out, touching ancient walls paved with grey bricks and admiring exquisitely the hollowed windows on it. Even a piece of tile, brick, a house or an ancient street may have its own story. Such scenes reminded the journalist of two classic lines: An imperial courier galloped up all the way, blowing a cloud of red dust behind him. Seeing Lady Yang's smile, no one would know the reason behind it is the approaching lychees①, quoted from Travel In Tang Huaqing Palace written by Dumu, a great poet of Tang Dynasty (A.D.618—A.D.907). Although Xutai station wasn't seated at one of the courses of the lychee transportation routes, it was an important post house in the state highway from southeast Hubei province to northwest Jiangsu province in ancient China.
①Lady Yang, a beloved concubine of Emperor Xuanzong (A.D.685——A.D.762) of Tang Dynasty, enjoyed fresh lychees. So Emperor Xuanzong ordered couriers to bring lychees from Guangdong province and Sichuan province, which are all so far away from Xi’an, the then capital city. Wthout preservation technology, the lychees would easily rot, hence to fulfill the task, many people and horses had to run day and night.
伫立在宽阔的广场上眺望，修复后的数栋古民居建筑气势恢弘，大小民居30余栋。古驿徐泰，虽以北派风格为主，但又融入了南派民居的特色，形成了独特的建筑风格。
Looking into the distance from a broad square, the journalist spotted over 30 traditional Chinese dwellings of different sizes standing grandly after restoration and renovation works. Although Xutai station mainly features northern architectural styles, it also employs features of southern architectural styles, thus creating a unique architectural style.
“我们祖上是山东人，所以这里的建筑带有北方的风格。”致力恢复徐泰古驿代表人物徐新伟介绍，600多年前，徐泰湾祖先由山东泰安迁入江西瑞昌，再迁至幕阜山脉赤山下的殷祖。先人不忘耕读传家，除培养了一大批人才外，还将民居建筑风格发展到极致。
“The dwellings here look like those in northern China because our predecessors migrated from northern China's Shandong province”, said Xu Xinwei, one of those who have worked on the renovation of the ancient Xutai station. More than 600 years ago, the predecessors of Xutai villagers migrated from Tai’an, Shandong province to Ruichang, Jiangxi province and then to Yinzu, Hubei province, a place at the foot of Chishan Hill of the Mufu Mountains. When they settled down, the predecessors continued with their fine traditions, of farming while also teaching and passing on the legacy to the younger generation. Nurtured by such an environment, a number of talents have emerged from the place but not only that, the architectural style of the residential buildings has been improved on and been developed to its atmost best.
走进一栋颇具北方特色的四合院，只见院内高大的马头墙傲视耸立，各种木雕、砖雕、石雕等跌宕飞扬，和江南古民居的灵秀不同，这里是北方那种粗犷、豪迈、厚重的生活气息。600年沧海桑田，徐泰湾形成了有独特文化底蕴的乡村。
Upon walking into a Siheyuan (literally meaning quadrangle courtyard) with pronounced northern architectural features, one can see ma tau walls② rise high and a variety of wood carvings, brick carvings and stones carvings, all of which add radiance and beauty to each other. Different from those of delicate beauty in the south of Yangtze River, the traditional residential dwellings here have a raw and bold quality, giving a strong sense of everyday life. After 600 years' of development, Xutai village has formed its own cultural deposits.
②Ma tau walls especially refers to the decorative function part above a pediment, that is, the top part of a pediment over a roof. It generally takes its shape after a horse head, thus called ma tau wall (literally meaning horse head wall in Chinese).
沉睡的古驿站被唤醒
The Sleeping Ancient Courier Station is Awakened
“这两排建筑叫八家巷，原来是酒坊和药铺。”徐新伟介绍，古时的驿站可谓是最早的“高速服务区”，因有官兵守卫，设施配备齐全，在驿站周边形成了独特的商圈。其祖辈扎根大冶后，在驿站周围购买土地，修建了一条“八家巷”的商业街，经营着酒坊、屠坊、糕饼坊、油面坊、杂货铺等。数百年来商贾贩夫们往来，促进了商品流通和文化交流，徐泰驿可谓是商贾云集、车水马龙，持续了有200多年。
Xu Xinwei introduced, “These two rows of buildings are called Bajia Alley, which used to be wine and medicine shops.” In ancient times, the courier station could be described as the earliest “high-speed service area”. Owing to its being guarded by officers and residents, it had fully equipped facilities thus forming a unique business district around this courier station. After settling down in Daye, this area's predecessors bought land around the courier station and built the commercial street, running wine shops, butcher shops, pastry shops, oil and flour shops, grocery stores and so on. For hundreds of years, merchants had promoted commodity circulation and cultural exchanges. Xutai station could be described as a gathering place for merchants back then, which lasted for more than 200 years.
在徐泰湾，有一处建筑叫“务本堂”，其中堂壁画由“囊萤映雪”“鲁班拜师”“商圣范蠡”等典故组成。这里，便是传说中的大冶殷祖古建之乡的源头。
In Xutai village, there is a building called “Wuben Hall”, in which the hall murals are composed of quotations such as “read by the light of bagged fireflies or the reflected light of snow”, “apprentice Lu Ban”, and “business sage Fan Li”. Here lies the legendary source of the ancient building of Yinzu.
徐新伟介绍，雍正年间，徐氏有两兄弟，哥哥洪清，读书不多，但心灵手巧，8岁时制作的一个鸟笼，将鸟放入笼中后，别人无法找到打开鸟笼的门。后来其拜师学艺，设计、建造的多处建筑获乾隆命名，在承德修建行宫几十年。弟弟洪朋高中进士后，在四川任职。据徐氏族谱记载，嘉庆九年，兄弟两人告老还乡，将老宅进行了修缮，请人画了壁画，并设立堂规。经过200余年的传承，形成了“勤学务实，重商尚艺”的家族文化。
Xu Xinwei introduced that during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, Xu had two brothers. The older brother Hong Qing, did not read much, but was very clever and creative. When he was 8 years old, he made a birdcage which after he put a bird in the cage, no one else could find the door to open the cage. Later, he further studied with ‘masters’ or teachers, and a number of buildings he designed and constructed were named by Qianlong. He even spent decades building a palace in Chengde. The younger brother Hong Peng worked in Sichuan Province after he had passed the national civil service examination under the old Chinese examination system. According to Xu's genealogy, in the ninth year of Emperor Jiaqing, the two brothers returned to a private life. They repaired an old house, asked people to draw wall paintings and established rules. After more than 200 years, the family culture of “being diligent and pragmatic, emphasizing business and improving skills” has been formed.
传承了务本堂的精神，徐泰湾走出了“鄂东第一斧”和“鄂东第一刀”的工匠。在江西滕王阁、湖南岳麓书院，都有徐泰工匠们留下的身影，他们或参与维修、或参与建造，其高超的建筑艺术，无处不闪烁着智慧的光芒。
Inheriting the spirit of Wuben Hall, the best axe maker and cutler in the east of Hubei Province are come from Xutai village. The craftsmen of Xutai village either participated in the maintenance or construction of Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi Province and Yuelu Academy in Hunan Province. Their excellent architectural art shines with the light of wisdom everywhere.
随着岁月的流逝，驿站失去了其功能，同时也失去了往日的繁华，沦落到门可罗雀的地步。2015年开始，五庄村积极引进资金，目前已投入1.2亿兴建复制徐泰村古民居、民俗博物馆和花卉苗圃基地，大力发展农家乐旅游项目，积极和邻村的绿丰合作社合作，打造一条龙旅游模式。“目前已剩下一些收尾工程正在施工。”五庄村支部书记黄永友介绍。
With the passage of time, the courier station has lost its function and former prosperity, reducing it to the point of basically being deserted. Since 2015, Wuzhuang village has actively brought in funds. At present, it has invested 120 million yuan in building and replicating ancient dwellings, folk museums and nursery bases of Xutai village. It has vigorously developed agritourism, and actively cooperates with the Lufeng Cooperative of the neighboring village to create a one-in-all tourism pattern. “At present, the finishing touches to the project are under construction.” Huang Yongyou, branch secretary of the Wuzhuang village, introduced.
古驿重现六百年前繁华
Ancient Courier Station Regains Its Past Glory of 600 Years Ago
上个世纪八十年代，徐泰工匠们用敏锐的目光捕捉到了时代的气息，在大冶市创建了第一家民营企业——湖北环保科技有限公司，并组建大冶市楚风园林古建公司，把徐泰的能工巧匠们组建成专业古建工程队，开始从大山深处挺进繁华的都市，先后重修过广东海瑞祠和山西五台山多家寺院中的大雄宝殿等国家级景区中的传统古建筑。后来，大大小小的古建队，如雨后春笋，在殷祖镇迅猛发展起来，成为殷祖“中国古建之乡”源头。目前，在国内的古建市场，到处活跃着殷祖镇工匠的身影，几乎占据了古建市场六成份额。越来越多殷祖人以“传帮带”的传承方式，传承起古建筑修造的匠心。
In the 1980s, craftsmen in Xutai village followed the trend of the era with their acute insight, establishing the first private company in Daye, Hubei Environmental Technology Co.,Ltd.. They also organized a professional ancient building construction team and established Daye Ancient Garden Architecture featuring Chu culture Company. Stepping out of rural areas, they rebuilt many traditional ancient buildings in national-level scenic areas, including Guangdong Hairui ancestral temple and halls of Sakyamuni in Mount Wutai. Since then, ancient building construction teams of all scales have sprung up in Yinzu town, turning Yinzu town into “the cradle of China's ancient building”. Today, projects organized by craftsmen of Yinzu town account for almost 60% of the domestic ancient building market. An increasing number of craftsmen from Yinzu town choose to pass on their skills on ancient building construction in a way of imparting knowledge, skills and wisdom to the young and helping them forward.
当农村中的手艺人向城市大量涌入的时候，徐泰人突然清醒地认识到，家乡才是他们的根。在外地打拼赚到了钱后，他们陆续开始返乡建设家园。
Xutai craftsmen, however, came to realize that it is all the more important to build on the power of their hometown after they many talented locals all flocked to urban areas. Hence, they chose to return and build up their hometown after making money in the city.
“只有把家村建设好，才能记得住乡愁，把农村经济繁荣起来，使家乡繁荣，人人过上富裕快乐的生活。”徐新伟说，因此，徐泰人果断地把在城市发展的方向，调整到回乡搞建设，把在都市里赚到的钱反哺家乡，修建文化祖堂、修复古民居，建起以“三叠潭”为中心的文化旅游区，并种上了千亩果树花木，修复水渠，那条古老的小河带着欢歌笑语又重新环抱着家乡。
“Only when we truly build up our village can it remind people of their hometown. To this end, it is essential to boost its economy and encourage its prosperity so as to improve the livelihood of our people”. Xu Xinwei said. As such, those craftsmen shifted their focus from staying in urban areas to devoting themselves to rural-oriented development without hesitation. They used the money they earned in the city to construct ancestral halls and restore ancient houses, and built a cultural tourism attraction with Sandie Pond as its centre. With hundred acres of flowers and trees planted and ditches restored, this village once again attracted people and became lively as ever.
谈及古村的未来，徐新伟欣慰地说，靠双手致富起来的村民们，决心让古驿村落重现昔日的光彩。
When talking about the future of their village, Xu Xinwei said with delight that they are all determined to make this ancient station regain its past glory.
“从2018年开始，每年接待一万多游客，目前八家巷、务本堂、文化休闲广场已基本建成。”黄永友告诉极目新闻记者，对于从事古建的工匠们来说，打造自己的家乡更是不遗余力。相信用不了多久，这里将是散发着书香味的美丽田园，是积淀着深厚历史文化的建筑群。
“We have drawn more than 10,000 visitors each year since 2018. Till now, Bajia Alley, Wuben Hall and the Recreational Square have basically been built to completion”, said Huang Yongyou. He also told the journalist of JIMU NEWS that craftsmen engaging in ancient building construction will spare no effort to make contributions to their hometown. He believes that Yinzu town will soon become a beautiful building complex with a rich historical and cultural legacy.