The most famous locust tree in the world has undergone the largest migration in history.

In the history of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, immigration has almost never stopped. Or avoid chaos, or make a living, or sideline, almost every province in the north and south of the Yangtze River has different degrees of immigration.

In the magnificent history of immigration, there are ancient immigrants from Shanxi in the early Ming Dynasty and those from Huguang to Sichuan in the early Qing Dynasty. In modern times, some people traveled to the west, some traveled to the east, and some went to Southeast Asia. Among them, the "Shanxi Immigrants" in the early Ming Dynasty had a far-reaching influence in the history of ancient immigrants, and the legends and jokes derived from it spread widely.

The great migration that lasted for more than 40 years made the biggest halo focus on the locust tree in Hongdong, Shanxi. In the same place, at different times, Sophora japonica has become one of the most famous places in China.

In China, especially in the northern region, there are many ballads about the great pagoda tree in Hongdong. The most famous one is: "Ask me where my ancestors came from, the big locust tree in Hongdong, Shanxi. What is the name of the ancestral home, the old man's nest under the big locust tree? "

Today, we will tell the story of Sophora japonica in Hong Tong.

1368, Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and established the Great Ming Dynasty ruled by the Han people. Due to years of war, countless people died of war, hunger and cold, and unexpected troubles. In the early Ming dynasty, the population of the whole country was less than 10 million. Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Shaanxi, Huguang and other places have become sparsely populated, and the countryside is desolate and depressed.

In addition, in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there was a war between Beijing and South China, and Judy, the son of Zhu Yuanzhang, seized power in Beijing and acceded to the throne. Hebei area is even more chaotic, and the war is constant. On the great plain of Hebei, thousands of miles of bare land, no one. Shanxi, however, is a paradise because of its magnificent mountains and rivers and far from the battlefield. In addition, in those years, the weather was good, the harvest was good every year, and the surroundings were quiet. During this period, Shanxi had a prosperous economy and a large population.

Because of the stable environment, Shanxi became one of the northern population input areas, and a large number of refugees from other provinces began to flow into Shanxi, which also made Shanxi a densely populated area at that time. Especially in southern Shanxi, Shanxi is densely populated, and Hongtong County was the largest and most populous county in southern Shanxi at that time. Hong Tong area is full of soil and water, with a particularly dense population. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, according to the population statistics, the population of Shanxi at this time was more than that of Hebei and Henan, which seriously affected the economic recovery and development.

In order to restore agricultural production, develop the economy, enrich the North China Plain, balance the population, quickly restore agricultural production, make the world peaceful, and consolidate the rule of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang adopted an immigration policy during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, and moved in according to the proportion of "one family with four families, two families with six families, and three families with eight families".

According to records, from the third year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1370) to the fifteenth year of Yongle (14 17), they went through formalities in Pingyang, Shuozhou, Zezhou, Fenzhou and other places in Shanxi, passed through the big pagoda tree in Hongdong County, Shanxi Province, and after receiving the "endowment", they immigrated to vast areas of the country.

In this way, in the early Ming Dynasty, millions of immigrants moved to all parts of the country through the big pagoda tree in Hongtong County. Its time, scale and influence are unprecedented not only in the history of China, but also rare in the history of world immigration.

According to folklore, the government at that time posted a notice in advance: people in all places will move except those under the big pagoda tree in Guangji Temple. There are also some legends that restrict those who are willing to move from reporting to the big pagoda tree one day, and those who are unwilling to move must also go there to express their feelings to the government.

As a result, when thousands of people gathered under the big locust tree, the government took it by surprise and mobilized a large number of officers and men to surround the big locust tree in one fell swoop. No one, male or female, old or young, stayed and moved.

Those who don't obey will be tied up with ropes and connected one by one, and they have to obey under the persuasion of officers and men. Legend has it that some men, women and children who were unwilling to emigrate were tied behind their backs and set out under the escort of officers and men. When you need to pee, shout to the escorted soldier: "untie your hand, I want to be convenient." After a long time, I'm too lazy to waste my breath. I just shouted, "Get it out of here." Since then, there has been another synonym-Jieshou.

According to the descendants after immigration, the immigrants at the big locust tree have two characteristics: "When walking, there are two small nails with your hand behind your back." Walking with your hands behind your back is because it has become a habit to tie your hands behind your back for many years. There are two little toenails, which means that there is a vertical stripe on the little toenail cover of the foot, which looks like two nails at first glance. It is said that the officers and men cut a knife on the little toe nail of the immigrant's foot as a sign to prevent escape. Up to now, the little toe nails of immigrant descendants are complicated. Can the place where the knife is cut be inherited? Hehe, listen to this legend as a joke.

Although the Shanxi immigrants passed down from generation to generation all say that they are the big locust trees in Hongdong, in fact, the immigrants are not just people from Hongdong County, but people from all over Shanxi gathered here, and then migrated to all parts of the country through here. Claiming to be a big locust tree immigrant, but not necessarily a real big locust tree person, "big locust tree" is more just a birth symbol and identity mark.

The great migration of population in Ming Dynasty is of great significance. Promoted the increase of population in the north. Promoted economic development. Immigrants mainly reclaimed wasteland, which played an important role in promoting the development of agriculture.

The great migration movement of Honghuo Sophora japonica was passive and compulsory. The ancestors traveled long distances to other places to develop production, creating a great and immortal immigrant cultural spirit. At the same time, it also promoted the reorganization of folk customs. People are the "comprehensive carrier" of folk customs. When a person or several people enter a new folk circle, they are often assimilated by local folk customs. This is the so-called "when in Rome, do as the Romans do".

What really makes Hong Tong Sophora japonica a legend is a county magistrate named Jing Daqi. 19 15, a native of Hongdong, Shanxi Province, worked as a county magistrate in Shandong Province. At first, he didn't care about the legend of Sophora japonica. During his tenure in Shandong, he heard folk stories about Sophora japonica. After returning to his hometown, he planned an activity similar to today's "declaration of intangible cultural heritage". Based on oral tradition and memory, he joined some local gentry to initiate the relocation of Sophora japonica, which is the construction of material heritage, and at the same time he compiled the chronicle of ancient Sophora japonica, which is the construction of spiritual heritage.

Under his advocacy, the local government "established a monument pavilion, a giant square and a new teahouse". Since the Republic of China, Sophora japonica has been more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people through the vigorous "building" of the gentry in Hongdong. This action has turned the long-standing legend of Sophora japonica into a carrier site.

The migration of Sophora japonica in Hong Tong is the largest, most populous, most extensive and far-reaching migration in the history of China and even the world. Now, more than 600 years have passed, and at the beginning of April every year, Hongdong, Shanxi Province will hold the activity of "seeking roots to worship ancestors". The descendants of Sophora japonica in more than 20 provinces and more than 400 counties, including overseas Chinese, will return home to worship their ancestors.

The pagoda tree in Hongdong represents not only an ancient place, but also people's memory and spiritual belief in their ancestors! Immigrant culture of Sophora japonica represents the lingering complex of "the same clan in the world, one family" to some extent, and constitutes the heavy family culture and ancestral culture in China traditional culture. This is also a typical representative of our Chinese nation's endless life and great harmony in the world.

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