Excellent Hubei：The Rebuilt Zhaixing Tower

2022-01-30 16:51:19 来源：极目新闻

重建的摘星楼

The Rebuilt ZhaixingTower

1300年前李白在此留下名篇

黄梅农民历时十一载重建摘星楼

Farmers in Huangmei rebuild the Zhaixing Tower after 11 years of hard work

To restore its charm as recorded in Li Bais poem 1300 years ago

重建的摘星楼 The Rebuilt Zhaixing Tower

极目新闻记者董淑健

通讯员吴句兵夏婵

翻译尹珩李思琪卫拉

JIMU News

Reporter: Dong Shujian

Correspondents: Wu Jubing,Xia Chan

Translators:Yin Heng, Li Siqi, Wei La

湖北省黄梅县蔡山镇历史上曾有一座著名的江心寺，始建于晋代，寺中的摘星楼天下闻名，诗人李白在此留下“危楼高百尺，手可摘星辰。不敢高声语，恐惊天上人”的名篇。

There once was a famous Jiangxin Temple in Caishan Town, Huangmei County, Hubei Province, which was first built in the Jin Dynasty (266-420A.D.).Within the temple lay the well-known Zhaixing Tower (which means plucking stars in Chinese), where the great poet Li Bai (701 -762 A.D.) wrote a poem as follows:

Hundred feet high the Summit Temple stands,

Where I could pluck the stars with my own hands.

At dead of night I dare not speak aloud,

For fear of waking dwellers in the cloud.

(Translated by Xu Yuanchong)

1700多年过去，由于年久失修、长江改道等原因，摘星楼早已倾覆。当地农民梅新明带领周边群众自筹资金200余万元，自己设计，自己施工，历时11载，终于在原址重新建起一座五层高的摘星楼，矗立在蔡山顶。

1700 years since its founding,the original Zhaixing Tower hascollapsed due to years of neglect and the diversion of the Yangtze River.To rebuild the tower, Mei Xinming, a local farmer, led his fellow villagersto raise more than 2 million yuan, and even designed and reconstructedthe tower all on their own. After 11 years ofhardwork, they managed to rebuild the five-storyZhaixing Tower on the top of CaishanHill.

昨日上午，极目新闻记者来到黄梅县蔡山镇探访。

Yesterday morning, JimuNews reporters came to visit CaishanTown, Huangmei County.

新摘星楼气势宏伟

Thenew ZhaixingTowerexudes an aura of magnificence

从黄梅县城驱车前往蔡山镇，四周全是一望无际的田野，连一座起伏的丘陵都看不到。如果不是亲历，很难想象大别山区竟然会有这么大一片冲积平原。

On the trip from Huangmei to Caishan, one is greeted with endless fieldsstretching to the horizon, withouta single hill in sight. If one didnt experience it for themselves, it would be hard to imagine that such a vast expanse of alluvial plainexists in the Dabie Mountains.

离蔡山十几公里就能看到一座雄伟的仿古建筑，蔡山的海拔虽然仅有几十米，新建摘星楼仅有24.8米高，但由于楼矗立在蔡山顶上，蔡山崛起在一马平川的原野上，所以显得格外雄伟。

As far off as a dozen of kilometers away from Caishan Hill, the impressive archaisticbuilding already jumpsinto our sight. Though Zhaixing Tower is merely 24.8 meters in height and stands atop the Caishan Hill which is just dozens of meters high, its presence is exceedingly magnificent against the vast expanse of plain.

登上顶楼，放眼四望，视野十分开阔。远处红色的屋顶、高大的树木、青青的麦苗以及纵横交错的田间道路组成一幅生动的乡村原野图，明亮的湖泊镶嵌在画框中，显得格外醒目。

After ascending to the top of the tower and looking around, one is presented with a broadand picturesque canvas of country fields, dottedwith distant red roofs, tall trees, green wheat sprouts,intertwined country roadsand ashinning lakewhose radiance cannot be ignored.

当地文艺团体泼墨诗社副主编翟学明说，天气晴朗的时候，站在楼顶往南可以看到庐山，往北能看到五祖寺，西面不远处就是如带的长江，皓月当空的夜晚，还能看到波光粼粼的江水。摘星楼的位置可谓十分理想。

Zhai Xueming, associate editor of the local PomoPoetry Club, notes that standing onthe top ofthe tower,on a fine day,one can see Mount Lu to the south, Wuzu Temple to the north andthe ribbon-like Yangtze River to the west; while on a moonlit night, one can enjoy the view of a rippling river. What a perfect location for Zhaixing Tower!

农民自己设计施工

The farmers singlehandedly designed and reconstructed the Zhaixing Tower

梅新明1956年出生在蔡山脚下的蔡山村曾家墩，只读过三年书，从小就有重建摘星楼的梦想。

In 1956, Mei Xinming was born in Zengjiadun, Caishan Village, which was situated at the foot of Caishan Hill. Although he only received three years of schooling, he has dreamed of rebuilding theZhaixing Tower ever sincehe was as little boy.

梅新明说，他是听着李白和摘星楼的故事长大的。18岁起外出打工，从砌匠做起，先后在湖北、江西、安徽一带参与过十几座寺庙和其他仿古建筑的修筑，积累了一定的资金、技术、经验和人脉后，于2010年开始一点一点地实现儿时的梦想——重建摘星楼。

According to Mei, stories about the great poet LiBaiand the Zhaixing Tower have been a companionof hisfrom childhood to adulthood. Since he left his hometown at the age of 18 and worked as a bricklayer, hehasparticipated in the construction of dozens oftemples and otherarchaisticbuildings in Hubei, Jiangxi and Anhui, which enabled him to accumulate capital, skills, experience and connections. Then later in 2010, hebegan to realize his childhood dreambit by bit -- rebuilding the Zhaixing Tower.

只读过三年书的农民要重修一座古建筑，遇到的困难可想而知，但办法总比困难多。梅新明说，摘星楼的设计主要参考了两大建筑——武汉的黄鹤楼和杭州的雷峰塔，这两大古建筑的图样都是从网上下载的。最令他兴奋的是，重建摘星楼的计划得到了无数家乡父老的肯定与支持，蔡山镇周边十几个村的群众都自发地捐钱捐物，参与了这一宏大的工程。

However, for a farmerwith only three years of schooling,it is not difficult to imagine the great difficultieshe would encounterin reconstructingan ancient architecture.But where there is a will, there is a way. Mei said the design of the Zhaixing Tower was mainly based ontwo ancient buildings -- the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan and the Leifeng Tower in Hangzhou, whose design drawingswere downloaded from the Internet. Whats even more excitingis,hisplan to rebuildthe Zhaixing Tower haswonsupport fromhisfellow villagersand people from atleast adozen villages around Caishan Town have voluntarily donated money and materialsfor this grand project.

至2021年底，一座宏伟的建筑终于在蔡山顶上耸立起来。

At the end of 2021, a magnificent building soared up on the top of Caishan Hill.

将建古迹旅游景区

Tourism attractions featuring ancient relics to be set up

“你自己设计并施工的楼坚固吗？”面对疑问梅新明说，楼的地基建在蔡山坚硬无比的火石上，主建筑用的是比牛腿还要粗的优质钢材，很坚固。梅新明表示，下一步他将完成楼的内外装修等工作，实现自己的夙愿。

“Do you think that a buildingdesigned and constructed on your ownwill be strong enough?” Confronted with doubts, Mei Xinming gave a positive answer. He explained that the building was constructed on the hard flintstone ofCaishanMountain.Besides, the superior steelthat was used for the main buildingis thicker than a literal bulls leg and thus the stability of the building is assured. Mr. Meiadded thathe wouldcomplete boththe interior and exteriordecoration as the next step. It is when this final step is completed thathis long-cherished dream will finally come true.

黄冈师范学院党委宣传部部长余艳军认为，以梅新明为代表的黄梅农民重建摘星楼的壮举难能可贵，这说明活在民间记忆中的中国传统文化是有旺盛生命力的，这为我们如何挖掘当地文化资源、探索乡村文化的振兴提供了一个范本。

Yu Yanjun, Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Huanggang Normal University Committee, highly praised the endeavor by Mei Xinming and other farmers to rebuild the Zhaixing Tower. He said that their efforts proved the vitality of the traditional Chinese culture that still livedin the memoryof the peopleand actedas a model forany endeavors ofexploring local cultural resources and reviving rural culture.

蔡山镇镇委书记邓海鸿说，蔡山镇是一座千年古镇，有“小黄梅”之称，有深厚的历史根基和文化土壤，“下一步，我们将依托江心古寺，进一步挖掘摘星楼的文化内涵和深厚历史底蕴，把蔡山江心古寺、摘星楼融入鄂东旅游圈，形成南与江西庐山，北与黄梅四祖寺、五祖寺相呼应的古迹旅游景区。”

According to Deng Haihong, Party Secretary of the CPC Caishan Town Committee, Caishan Town, also known as “mini Huangmei”, boasts thousands of years of historical and cultural heritage. “By further exploring the profound cultural and historical treasure, the Jiangxin Temple and Zhaixing Tower in Caishan will be included into the Eastern Hubei Tourism Circle. Then, incorporating Mount Lu in Jiangxi Province to the south, Sizu Temple and Wuzu Temple in Huangmei to the north, tourism attractions featuring ancient relics will gradually take shape.”