幻景中的沉城记忆:清代黄淮运交汇区的湖市蜃楼

Illusional Memories of the Submerged Cities:the Mirage in the Confluence Region of the Yellow River,the Huaihe River and the Grand Canal in Qing Dynasty

沉城之灾是水环境变迁引发的极端事件,湖市蜃楼以祥瑞的幻景方式重复着沉城的灾难记忆。黄淮运交汇区湖泊水系众多、河工频繁,为明清时期蓄清、刷黄、济运的水利核心区。尤其清代以后,治河无须兼顾护陵,湖泊环境的剧烈变迁引发洪泽镇、泗州城等沉入水底,给当地环境社会带来深远影响。史籍中有关湖市蜃楼的记载多见于湖面急剧扩大的清代,在洪泽湖、高宝诸湖上均有发生;蜃景发生时多被与时间空间上最近或影响最大的沉城事件联系起来。沉城再现的湖市蜃楼固然不可信,但幻景中包含了百姓的灾难记忆,提醒人们历史需被记忆,灾难不应遗忘。

Submerged city caused by the drastic changes of hydrological environment is an extreme type of disastrous events.But mirages of the submerged cities recall the memory of this kind of disaster in the form of auspicious illusions.The confluence region of the Yellow River,the Huaihe River and the Grand Canal is well known for its numerous lakes and small rivers,and the river works were frequently rebuilt.It was the core region of the hydraulic conservancy facilities for the clarification of the Yellow River and the water supply for the canal transportation during Ming and Qing Dynasty.In the Qing Dynasty,there was no more need to take the protection of the Mausoleum of Ming Dynasty into consideration in river management.Therefore,the drastic changes of lake environment caused the submersion of the Hongze Town and the Sizhou City,which had profound impacts on the local environment and society.The records of mirages in history are mostly found in the Qing Dynasty when the lake area expanded rapidly.The mirages occurred on Hongze Lake and Gaobao Lakes,and they were mostly associated with the recent or most influential event of submerging city.Although the submerged cities reappearing through the mirages were not credible,it proved that disasters had a lasting effect on people’s memory.It is also a reminder that history needs to be remembered and the disasters should not be forgotten.