Bian and Si meet, and continue to cross the urban area of Xuzhou. The Yi and Shu rivers in the southeast meet in its north. Yi river originated in the mountainous area around Lushan Mountain in Yiyuan, Shandong Province, and generally flows southward, passing through Pizhou City, Jiangsu Province, and flowing into Sihe River in Gupi Town, Suining County. Shuhe River originates in the northern mountainous area of Yishui County, Shandong Province, runs parallel to yi river to the south, and joins Sihe River in the northwest of Suqian City, Jiangsu Province. Sihe River continues to the southeast, accepting the He Sui River to Huaiyin County, and joins the Huaihe River to the east of Xia Xiang County (about seven miles southwest of Suqian City).
Sui unified China, ending the 400-year division since the Eastern Han Dynasty. Yang Di moved its capital to Chang 'an, and dug Tongji Canal and Yongji Canal, with customs clearance in the west and Jianghuai in the south.
Tongji Canal was built in the first year of Yang Di the Great (AD 605). In order to avoid the danger of two floods in Xuzhou and Lvliang, Suzhou was taken straight into the Huaihe River, that is, a tributary was separated from the Bianhe River to the southeast in the west of Qixian County, passing Shangqiu, Yongcheng, Suxian County and Lingbi, and then entered the Huaihe River in Xuyi North. This river, without passing through the Bian and Si Canal between Xuzhou, goes straight into the Huaihe River, which is the new Bian River in the Tang and Song Dynasties, also known as the South Bian River. But at this time, the Bian and Si canals, which became the old road of the Bianhe River, were not completely interrupted, because the areas around Shandong, Xu, Huai and Hai were "fertile fields" and the main places for raising grain. There are still requirements for the passage of ships. In the seventh year of Wude, Tang Gaozong (624), Wei Chijingde was ordered to divert water from Wenwen and Sisi to Rencheng (Jining), build Huiyuan sluice, and control the Erhong in Xuzhou and Lvliang, so as to pass the reimbursement road. Han Yu: Sishui Exchange County Corner and Bai Juyi: Sishui River, Sishui River; "Flowing to Guazhou Gudutou" is a true portrayal of the confluence of Bianhe River and Sihe River in Xuzhou at that time.
After the Jin Dynasty in the Five Dynasties, the capital was moved to Bianjing, and the situation in Zhou Shizong was generally stable. In the second year of Xiande (959), the side canal was abandoned for a long time. "Wuning was ordered to make Wu Xingde our civilian worker, because the water was diverted by the levee and went east to Si." In February of six years, the Guards were ordered by Han Tong to "send tens of thousands of water to Dingfu, Xuzhou, Suzhou, Song and Shaanxi". At this point, the Dajiang River, Huaihe River, Bianzhou River and Mianzhou River flow again. Tongzhi's "Xuzhou Fuzhi" contains: "Those who entered the company from Huai and those who entered the border from the company were lucky at the end of the Five Dynasties."
According to the Chronology of Huai System, Renzong's Qing Li (around AD 1045) in the Northern Song Dynasty "The Dayi River in Rencheng and Jinxiang deepened, and the Qinghe River (Surabaya) was connected with the waterway". "Xuzhou Fuzhi" also contains: "I stayed in Suzhou, Longxi, traced back to Si Liu, passed through Pengcheng, connected to Xiao Yi in the west, and entered the Guide (Shangqiu) boundary, which was also the road from the Song Dynasty to Daoqian and Xining (A.D. 1068 to 1077)." In the fourth year of North China (A.D. 1089), the flood and flood in Xuzhou on the Sihe waterway were rectified on a large scale, that is, the Moon River was opened, stone dikes were built, gates were placed at the upper and lower ends, management institutions were set up, and the boats were opened and closed on time. In a.d. 1 127, the song dynasty moved south, and in the twelfth year of Shaoxing (a.d. 1 142), the queen of Wei returned from Jin and was able to "sail from Dongping from Qinghe (Surabaya) to Chuzhou (Huai' an)". This proves that although there was a new Bianhe River in the Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties, the old Bianhe River and Sihe River in Xuzhou, as canals, were interrupted until the Southern Song Dynasty.
Bianhe became the name of Tongji Canal. According to the Records of the History of the Song Dynasty, the Bianhe River was dredged from the Yellow River to the Huaihe River at the beginning of the Sui Dynasty (605-6 18), and was renamed Guangji in the Tang Dynasty. Song and Liang Dynasties are bounded by the south of Yin He County, Mengzhou, and belong to Huaisi in the Yellow River Estuary. Every year from spring to winter, the water level at the estuary is often adjusted, and the water depth is six feet, subject to the load. Millions of meters old, and produced in the southeast, there are so many things and treasures that cannot be counted. He also went to Xishan to lose the capital millet, mentioning the urgency of Hebei, and returning it inside and outside. Therefore, in the waters, this is the most important. "Bianhe entered the city from Xishuimen outside Bianjing, re-entered the inner city Watergate, crossed Miyagi Qianzhou Bridge and Suoguo Temple Bridge, went out of the inner city Watergate, and then went out of the outer city Watergate to the southeast. In June of the second year of Chunhua (990), a section of Bianhe River near Junyi County was missing a mouth. Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi personally went to inspect and walked in the mud. The Prime Minister, the Privy Council and other ministers quickly discouraged the return of the car. Song Taizong said: "There are hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers and millions of people in Tokyo, and the world has turned to Cao Yang. Here, I'm here. So he ordered thousands of soldiers to block it until he saw that the gap was blocked and the water was stable, and he returned to the palace. It can be seen that the Bianhe River was not only the main artery of north-south traffic at that time, but also the link of national security, which can be said to be the lifeline of the Zhao Dynasty.
The following are the details of describing the bustling Bianhe River in the world famous paintings's "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival":
When we entered the Bianhe River, the first thing we saw was that two heavy ships had landed and were unloading on the dock. Judging from the deep draft of the hull, the cargo unloaded is only a small part. The goods are packed in sacks, and the boss sits on the sacks and directs the workers to put them away. The worker carrying the bag is very hard and needs two people to help him unload it. It seems that it is filled with food. In the Northern Song Dynasty, most of the state-owned grain warehouses were concentrated in the Bianhe area in the southeast city. "Yangsi" in "Dream in Tokyo" records: "Mimai comes from Yuanfengcang, Donghongqiao Shunchengcang, Dongshuimen Guangji, Lihe Compromise, Waihe Compromise, Guo Fu, Guangying, Wanying, Yongfeng, Jiyuan and other warehouses." The grain in these warehouses was transported from "Jianghuai, Hu Zhe" by the Bianhe River. Grain is a material need, and Bianhe bears the heavy responsibility of transporting grain. It's not surprising that we first saw the grain carrier in the picture. It may also be the painter's special arrangement, because other ships have covers, and you can only know what goods it is by looking at its packaging form when unloading.
The dock of this ship is facing a crossroads. This is the first street into town, extending along the river bank. It can be called "Yanhe Street" or "Yanhe Avenue". Shops are mainly restaurants, mainly snacks. This is very logical, because it is close to the pier, and its main clients are guests who have just entered the city and some coolies. If there is a small shop across the street, there is a steamed bun in front of the door, and the shopkeeper takes one to drum up business from the porter. On the right is a small hotel. In the past, the pavement was wider. There are boxes of goods piled up on the road in front of the store, and a signboard stands at the intersection, which reads "The Wangs Paper Horse". This is a shop specializing in paper men, paper horses, paper castles and money. According to the Tokyo Dream Record, "Tomb-Sweeping Day ... all the paper horse shops on this street are carved into castles with paper." The painter drew a paper horse shop at this intersection out of the city, which not only echoed the grave-sweeping team in front of him, but also reminded him that the topic was "Tomb-Sweeping Day".
Next is a big pier, with wide and flat streets and exquisite shops on both sides. The main business is catering, and many guests have already sat in the store. Five big ships docked at the dock in succession. One ship is still unloading, and judging from the guys who are chatting on the awning, the goods have been unloaded almost. Some shipowners will invite guests to Yanhe Hotel for drinks after unloading. The rooms of Yanhe Hotel are all open with the windows on the river, so guests can enjoy the scenery while drinking. In this group of ships, there is a beautifully decorated, integrated lattice window, two front and rear gatehouses, and the ship's side is relatively wide. Through the window, you can see the dining table and other furniture in the cabin, knowing that this is a large passenger ship, not only the cabin is comfortable, but also you can eat on board. The owner may have landed, leaving four guys busy packing and waiting for the arrival of the guests.
Outside this group of ships, there is a big moving ship. There are five people pulling fibers on the shore, and eleven people can be seen on the boat. This is a big ship with mixed passenger and cargo, because its window boards are different in the middle and at both ends. The windows of the front and rear cabins branch inward, and the middle cabin branches outward. It seems that its cargo is not only loaded in the bottom hold, but also piled in the upper hold in the middle, so the ship has a large load capacity. It is precisely because of the heavy cargo that the ship runs on the river with dense ships, and both the owner and the boatman are very nervous. Three boatmen on the starboard side are taking turns to push the boat out with poles to avoid colliding with the moored ships. Two boatmen standing on the port side and the bow are holding pole in their hands, ready to use at any time, while the boatmen are commanding at the bow, as if shouting loudly to remind the people on the boat ahead. There are three other guests on board. The first one stood at the front of the building, and behind him was a small table with cups and plates. Maybe I drank wine and saw a little nervous in front, so I stood up to help shout. The second one was in an open shed at the stern, with his hands behind his back, pacing with measured steps. He seems to be in a hurry, and maybe he thinks the boat is slow. The third man showed more than half of his body in the stern compartment and was about to go ashore. He wants to come out and have a look. In the front cabin of the ship, a woman with a child is lying on the window and looking out. It should be the owner's family. They are the safest in the whole ship. Eleven people, don't repeat, flexible Zhang Chi, from each according to his ability. We can't help but admire the painter's familiarity and careful observation of life.
The ship was sailing against the current, which let us know that it was on the southwest bank of the river. There is a boat on the shore, and the boatman is paddling. A big ship just passed by it, and the whirlpools stirred by the big oars came at it one after another, making the hull of the small boat seem to be shaking. The big ship is a heavy-duty ship with two oars, and eight boatmen at the stern are rocking their oars hard. There are also eight boatmen in the bow, but they and the hull are blocked by a big willow tree. Don't think that the painter is lazy here, saving the time to draw all kinds of details on the boat. He wants to give our eyes a rest, because there are more lively scenes waiting behind!