状元谶及其风俗制造

Prophecy of Number One Scholar and the Making of Bore-Watching Custom

南宋至明清时期,苏州地区流传着“潮过夷亭出状元”的谶语,在昆山还形成了农历八月观潮的风俗。潮过夷亭的自然地理背景,在宋代是因为海平面上升,使得潮流界西移,在元以后则是由于娄江成了太湖入海干道。南宋时昆山士人领袖因相信谶语的真实性,也出于美教化、移风俗的目的,而促成了问潮馆的建造和八月观潮风俗的制造。谶语应验后,地方官员、地方望族和士人群体共同维持这一风俗,至南宋末年才消歇。明清时地方士人为了改善风水,又建造了玉柱塔,并因此再造了八月十八日异神观潮的风俗。昆山的观潮风俗,既受制于自然地理条件的演变,也出自地方官员与士人的共同作用,它通过建筑与风俗的制造与再造,以实体化的景观,形塑了地方性,强化了地方认同,地方传统在此过程中得到创造性转化和创新性发展,地方文脉也由此绵延演进。

The prophecy that“the tide passes through the Yiting and the number one scholar comes out”spread in Suzhou from Southern Song Dynasty to Ming and Qing Dynasties,which it had made the custom of watching the tide in August of the lunar calendar in Kunshan.The natural geographical background of the tide crossing the Yiting was due to the rising sea level which caused the tide boundary to move westward in Song Dynasty,and the Loujiang River became the main channel of Taihu Lake into the sea after Yuan Dynasty.The leaders of Kunshan scholars contributed to the building of the Asking-tide Hall and the making of the custom of watching the tides in August in Southern Song Dynasty,for they believed in the authenticity of the prophecy and they also wanted to motivate the scholars and educate the public.The local oficials,famous families and scholars jointly maintained this custom for the prophecy came true,and it did not ceased until the end of Southern Song Dynasty.In order to improve geomantic omen,the Yuzhu Pagoda was built and the custom of watching the tide on August 18 was re-made in Ming and Qing Dynasties.The custom of watching the tide in Kunshan was not only subject to the change of natural geographical conditions,but also stemmed from the joint role of local oficials and scholars.Through the making and re-making of buildings and customs,those materialized landscape shaped the locality and strengthened the local identity.In this process the local tradition had been creatively transformed and innovatively developed,and the local context had also been extended.