歙縣牌坊：訴不盡的人間滄桑

我的故鄉歙縣簡直是個“牌坊森林”，縣城街道上“三步一崗、五步一哨”，各式各樣的牌坊鱗次櫛比，一眼望不見盡頭!特別是那牌坊的名稱，功德坊、忠正坊、名門坊、孝子坊、貞節坊、仁義坊、百歲坊、學宮書院坊、文廟武廟坊、衙署府第坊、會館商肆坊、陵墓祠廟坊等等，數不勝數!

走近細細一看，這些建造年代久遠的牌坊盡管傷痕累累、苔蘚滿布；盡管下旨建造牌坊的皇帝和那些建造牌坊的主人公和匠人們一個個全都 “黃鶴一去不復返”，但至今仍然屹立于大地的那一座座牌坊，似乎仍然向人們訴說著往昔無窮的悲歡離合、不盡的人間滄桑!老人們說：歙縣牌坊是一部史書，它記錄了整個徽州的歷史；男人們說，歙縣牌坊是一枚枚勛章，它記錄了古代徽州歷史上所有的榮譽和輝煌；女人們則告訴我，歙縣牌坊是一卷女人書，它記錄了整個徽州女人的笑、整個徽州女人的淚、整個徽州女人的溫柔與善良、整個徽州女人的血淚和悲傷!

功德坊：表彰許國出色政績

屹立于歙縣牌坊群落中央的是一座功德坊，是全國現存的唯一一座八腳牌樓(通常牌坊是四腳)，這是一座由明神宗特批建造的記載許國“協忠運籌，茂著勞績”功績的功德坊。

許國何許人也?史載許國乃明代著名政治家，一生歷嘉靖、隆慶、萬歷三朝，明史中評價他“謙慎自守，故累遭攻擊不能被以污名。”他的功績見于史載的有三件：

一是出使朝鮮“拒收援例所奉饋禮”，朝鮮國專門勒碑銘以記，他以其廉潔為明朝樹立了很好的外交形象。

二是神宗繼位，許國任太子(未來的萬歷皇帝)的師傅，他對太子之過直言不諱，對太子之善也不吝嗇表揚，因而得到皇帝“責難陳善”的褒獎。

三是1584年云南邊亂，許國協助平定邊亂，維護了國家統一。

于是他晉升少保，授武英殿大學士，成為僅次于首輔的內閣第二重臣。因為有了這些功績，一個月后經皇帝的特許和頒旨許國牌坊開始建造，徽州大地因而又多了一幢巍峨的牌坊：它由前后兩座三間四柱三樓和左右兩座單間雙柱三樓式的石坊組成，占地77.85平方米，石料全部采用青色茶園石，質地堅硬，粗壯厚實，整個牌坊氣勢恢弘，形制獨特，為全國罕見，如今它成了國家級的瑰寶。

這座具有精美的徽派雕塑藝術的牌坊，其石柱、梁柱、匾額、斗拱、雀替，都飾以栩栩如生的雕飾：飛翔的彩鳳、奔騰的走獸、威武的雄獅加之諸多云騰浪涌圖案和明代大書畫家董其昌的題字，讓人覺得這座功德坊，簡直是座小型藝術展覽館!

狀元坊：記載金榜題名的輝煌

矗立于許國坊東側的是丞相狀元坊，它大約建于南宋德(1275-1276)前后，明代中期重修，據說它是徽州地區最早的牌坊。坊四柱三間三樓，寬約9米，高11米，卷草式紋頭脊，中有寶頂。明間龍鳳板上刻“丞相、狀元、亞卿、學士”八字，這是為紀念程氏家族進士出身的右丞相程元鳳、以廷對御賜狀元并為丞相的程揚祖而建造的。這座牌坊之坊額、圣旨牌全用紅色砂礫巖制成，大家稱他“紅牌樓”。

程元鳳系南宋名相，字申甫，歙縣人，以忠誠正直著稱。1256年前后任右丞相兼樞密使，在職期間清正廉明，但因與奸相賈似道不睦，于1268年以少保、觀文殿大學士致仕歸隱于黃山，黃山名景丞相源即由此得名。歸隱后因為他清廉，皇上賜“碩儒”、“昭光”、“忠心”六字于他，這算是皇帝對臣子的最高獎賞了。“碩儒”是學問大，“昭光”為做事光明磊落，由此進而達到“忠心”。

程揚祖做丞相沒有他的堂兄程元鳳名氣大，但他是以廷對御賜狀元起步的，對于當時的讀書人來說，其最高的榮譽與輝煌就是狀元。狀元的誕生伴隨著十年寒窗，實屬不易，從童生到秀才(生員)要經過縣試、府試和院試三級考試，考中秀才后還要經過鄉試、會試和殿試三級更高級別的考試才能有望中狀元，這是真正的“過五關斬六將”，“朝為田舍郎，暮登天子堂”必須歷經這樣的磨難，廷對御賜狀元是真正的幸運兒。

宋代是科舉制度趨于成熟的歷史時期，它順應了當時社會的發展，消除了從漢到唐以來門第閥閱對官吏來源的操縱和影響，堅持“自由報名、公開考試、平等競爭、擇優取仕”的原則，使一大批地位低下、出身寒微的優秀人才能夠脫穎而出登上歷史舞臺。因此，高中狀元往往被認為是光耀門楣的事，必須造一座牌坊來記錄這個輝煌，朝廷也用此來激勵苦讀的莘莘學子們。后來歙縣的學子們真的“前仆后繼”，據說整個歙縣在明清兩代因科舉入仕的進士計有623人，由此可見當時的文風昌盛。

暮色中細看這座狀元坊，只覺它十分靜穆端莊，在夕陽余光映照下，它仍然不失輝煌。此時我的眼前，忽然浮現出兩位狀元衣錦回鄉之時“嗩吶聲聲響、鞭炮震耳聾”的熱鬧情景，耳邊忽然響起黃梅戲《真假駙馬》里的那段唱詞：“中狀元著紅袍，帽插宮花好哇好新鮮哪，我也曾赴過瓊林宴，我也曾打馬御街前……”

棠樾坊：鮑氏家族的道德豐碑

在歙縣牌坊群落中，還有以數座牌坊組合而成的棠樾坊。你第一眼看到它，也許會將它當成牌坊的博物館，如此集中地展示記錄鮑氏家族在明清兩代400多年中的“忠、孝、節、義”道德操守的，中國只此一家。

小時候我是瓊瑤的忠實讀者，她的同名小說《煙鎖重樓》改編的電視劇，就是在棠樾群坊拍攝的。棠樾群坊是棠樾村顯赫的鮑氏家族道德豐碑，七座坊在村中一條官道上一字排開，它們分別是鮑燦孝行坊、慈孝里坊、鮑文齡妻汪氏節孝坊、樂善好施坊、鮑文淵繼吳氏節孝坊、鮑逢昌孝子坊、鮑象賢尚書坊等。

七座牌坊所記錄的全是忠、孝、節、義四個內容，但其中五座特別突出記載一個“孝”字：“慈孝里”坊系為旌表宋末處士鮑佘巖、鮑壽遜父子而建。據史載，元代歙縣守將李達率部叛亂，棠樾鮑氏父子被亂軍所獲，并要二人殺一，請他們自己決定誰死誰生。孰料父子爭死以求他生，此情感天動地，連亂軍頭目也不忍下刀。后朝廷為旌表他們賜建此坊。明永樂皇帝為此作詩曰：“父遭盜縛迫兇危，生死存亡在一時……鮑家父母全仁孝，留取聲名照古今。”清乾隆皇帝也曾為鮑氏宗祠題聯：“慈孝天下無雙星，錦繡江南第一鄉。”另一座“鮑燦孝行坊”建于明嘉靖初年，牌坊額題“旌表孝行贈兵部侍郎鮑燦”。據《歙縣志》載：明成化年間儒生鮑燦在河南洛陽一帶經商，每逢節日必給父母寄去最好的食品，如果父母還沒收到包裹，他絕不會在節日先吃食物。母親老年時腳下生了毒瘡，鮑燦就一口口吮吸凈瘡口。其孝行感動鄉里，于是地方官和鄉親請旨建造此坊。因鮑燦曾孫鮑象賢是工部尚書，故贈兵部右侍郎銜。

Memorial Arches in Shexian County

By Wang Jia

Shexian County resembles a forest of memorial arches. Streets in the county seat are adorned with numerous memorial arches. Shexian County is home to 94 arches today though there were 184 archways built in the county according to historical annals. They are monuments mainly in honor of government services， scholarly achievements， and women's so-called chastity.

Though the events and people celebrated by these arches are gone for a long time， and emperors who decreed to have these arches built are gone for centuries， arches remain to tell stories of the past. It is said that these memorial arches are awards to men in honor of the past glories in the history of the county. It is also said that these arches depict women's heart， mind， and tears.

The most conspicuous memorial arch in Shexian County is the one in recognition of Xu Guo， a minister in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The man served three emperors in his political career. History records three of his glorious deeds. He declined gifts when he served as a Chinese envoy to Korea. The country even set up a special monument in memory of his integrity. While acting as mentor to the crown prince， Xu criticized the young prince's defects and praised his good deeds. The emperor praised Xu Guo for his honesty. Xu helped suppress a rebellion which broke out in Yunnan in 1584. Because of his deeds， he was promoted to a position second only to the prime minister in the central government. One month after his promotion， the emperor decreed to have a memorial arch built in Xu's hometown， Shexian County.

Xu Guo Memorial Arch is unique in its size and structure. The monument occupies an area of 77.85 square meters. The grand arch is actually composed of two four-posted three-storied arches， flanked by a two-posted three-storied arch on either side.

Made of blue stones， the monument stands with sculptures and inscriptions. Some people say it is a miniature museum of fine arts.

The Scholars Memorial Arch was built in 1275-1276 of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) and rebuilt in the mid Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is said that this is the earliest memorial arch in the county. The three-storied four-posted arch stands at 11 meters in height and 9 meters in width. Made of reddish glutinite， the arch is also locally known as the red arch. Scholars in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) were able to sit for government exams and successful examinees became high-ranking officials. Though the system had existed long before， it was in the Song Dynasty that high ranking officials were forbidden to manipulate examination results. People were encouraged to read books and take the exams. Shexian County had 623 scholars pass the highest imperial examinations in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. That explains why there are so many scholars memorial arches in the county.

Forty-one memorial arches in the county stand in celebration of women， who killed themselves after the death of their husbands， who waited for husbands who went away on business trips and didn't come back. These memorial arches also honored widows who refused to remarry and took care of the husbands' family and children. One woman had a memorial built for her because her finance died when she was only 17 years old. She remained unmarried all her life and in her later years she donated money to local public facilities.

The life of self-denial and abstinence was cruel to these women. But it had a reason why this kind of life was encouraged in Shexian County. The mountainous area had a lot of mountains but few farmable lands. In ancient times， the poverty-stricken people drove away their young sons to do business away from home. In order to take care of the remaining family members the business people left behind， the young business people married young. They left their wives behind to take care of families. If the husband died， the wife was encouraged not to remarry.

In 1905， a memorial arch was erected in the county seat in memory of 65，078 women who led a life of self-denial and abstinence after their husbands' death or disappearance and took care of family members for one reason or another. The arch neither specified their life tragedies nor recorded their names. They were just women who suffered. The four-posted brick memorial arch stands as an eyewitness to a history of women's broken hearts and tears， and their kindness and heroic devotion.

(Translated by David)