Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Architecture: Heritage, Traditions and Innovations (AHTI 2022)

2.1. Downstream Basin of Yuan River

“The Yuan River originates in the southeastern part of Guizhou, and has two sources, the south and the north. The southern source of the Longtou River originates from the southern foot of the Miaoling Doubeng Mountain in Guiding County, Guizhou Province, and the northern source of the Chong'an River originates from the mountains between Pingyue, Majiang County, Guizhou Province. The two sources are called ‘Qingshui River’ after they converge at the fork in Panghai Town, Kaili City, and it is called ‘Yuan River’ when it reaches Luan Mountain and flows into Zhijiang County, Hunan Province, and flows eastward to Tuokou Town, Hongjiang City, where it joins with Canal Water” [4]. The downstream of Yuan River flows 23 km southeast to Nawu River in Hongjiang Town, then to Xupu River estuary to absorb Xu River, to Chenxi to integrate with Chen River and then to Wuqiang Stream Reservoir Area, then to Luxi to absorb Wu River, and to Yuanling to integrate with You River, Yi Stream and Dongting Creek. After leaving Wuqiang Stream Reservoir, it passes through Nayiwang Creek and Baiyang River in Taoyuan County, and then flows into Dongting Lake from Deshan in Changde City. The main stream is 1,033 km long, and the length in Hunan is 568 km. The key research area of this article is the downstream basin of Yuan River (Fig. 1), namely Taoyuan County, Wuling District, Dingcheng District and Hanshou County in Changde Region of Hunan Province. The downstream of Yuan River ranges from Yuanling Town, Yuanling County to Potou Town, Hanshou County. Yuanshui River runs 120 km in Changde City, with a drainage area of 5,086 km².

2.2. Distribution Law of Water God Temples in the Downstream Basin of Yuan River

The author sorted out the following 40 ruins related to the water god temples through field investigation, and recorded its construction, destruction, and reconstruction years through literature records, oral descriptions, and physical objects. The specific parameters are shown in Table 1. The author also made a spatial distribution map of the water god temples in different geographical units (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2 shows that the main bodies of the water god temples concentrated in the plain area and the transition zone between hills and plains. The reason is that the rivers in the plain area change frequently, and the water god temples that serve the navigation of the river, the collection and distribution of materials, and the population activities need to be matched with them. The transition zone between hills and plains is the intersection of mountain rivers and plains, which also responds to the service function of the water god temples. There are no water god temples in mountainous areas such as the west because that the current is fast, it is not suitable for shipping, and there is no need for a water god temple. From the perspective of spatial distribution, the water god temples reflect the simple cultural value.

Figure 1

Topographic zoning map of the lower reaches of the Yuan River [5].

Figure 2

Distribution map of 40 water god temple sites in the downstream basin of the Yuan River.

“The belief in General Yang Si flourished in the Yangtze River Basin during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Temples dedicated to General Yang Si and townships, villages, roads, wharves, and ruins named after Yang Si were distributed in Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, etc. five provinces and cities” [6]. It can be used to prove the changes of the ancient riverbank. The rivers and lakes in Changde City are densely covered, the harbor is vertical and horizontal, and the Yang Si Water God Temple is built along the water. In terms of distribution, several characteristics are summarized: First, it is used as a beacon and beacon to indicate the direction of the channel, boundaries and obstacles, etc. [7], and it is an important measure for the safe navigation of ships. To a large extent, it is built in the accident-prone areas along the waterfront; secondly, it is built as a chamber of commerce in the waterway area. “In recent years, with the reform of the state, the water god temples have been protected by the state, and there is an endless stream of tourists and believers who come to visit and worship here every year” [8].

From the perspective of the relationship between the river channel and the water god temples, most of the water god temples are built along the main stream of Yuan River, including the banks of ancient river channels left over from history; a small number of water god temples are built on the banks of the tributaries of Yuan River. These relationships reflect the value of paleohydrology.

3.1. Positioning of the Ancient Riverbank of the Water God Temples: Restoration of the Ancient River Channel

“The river topography is the product of a series of driving forces. Precipitation, temperature, and gravity promote changes in landforms and opposing frameworks that resist change (controlled by lithology, stratigraphy, and structural characteristics of underlying materials). Ideally, the interplay of these driving forces and resistances results in the form of the landscape being subtly tuned to the process of creating it” [9]. Due to the large annual average runoff of the Yuan River and the strong erosion of the riverbank, the riverbed has undergone many changes in history. It is obviously difficult to draw correct conclusions on how to restore the river conditions in the Qing Dynasty only by relying on literature records and remote sensing images. The sites of the water god temples, which are of great significance as historical river navigation beacons and material distribution points, can express the ancient riverbank and ancient water level in the form of physical objects.

Zhenlong Pavilion, formerly known as Xihua Temple, faces Yuanshui in the north and hills in the southwest, and is located in the West Dongting (Fig. 3). The northeastern lakes are connected with vast waters. From south to north, generally the hills gradually transition to the Dongting Lake area. Guangxu's “Longyang County Chronicle” records: “Zhenlong Pavilion was built by Zeng Shougui from the Tong County during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. “Pavilion's” is surrounded by water, controlling five streams (Xiong Stream, Man Stream, You Stream, Yuan Stream and Chen Stream in the upper reaches of Yuan River), and the Yangtze River in the north, which stretches for thousands of miles” [10]. Canglang Academy was built in the eleventh year of Qianlong's reign in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1746), and later magistrate Li Zhixie moved it to Zhenlong Pavilion in the forty-fourth year of Qianlong's reign, which is today's No. 2 Middle School in Longyang Town.

There is a place next to Zhenlong Pavilion called Yangqiju, and the third volume of Jiajing's “Changde Prefecture Records: Township in Longyang County” has ‘Pozei Village’ [11]. Here is a story about the uprising of General Yang Si. Yang Yao stationed in the ancient Pozei Village facing the north bank of the river, which is located in Hanshou County in current times. The name of Pozei Village came from Yue Fei's defeat of Yang Yao, and the name of the village still existed until the end of the Qing Dynasty. After field investigation, it was found that the stockade is today's Embankment Reclamation Farm, and a mountain in the northeast called Baotai Mountain, also known as Baotuo Mountain, is located “15 miles to the north of (Longyang) County” [12]. There are many legends in the village. Today, in the northwest of Baotai Mountain, there is Chelun Min, which is said to be the place where General Yang Si once built cars and boats. To the south of the Min is Cangerzong, which is said to be the place where General Yang Si stored grain and grass. In the southeast, there is a lake named Xiaojiwa, which used to be a lake. There are rivers on all sides of the lake that connect with the outer lake. Warships can attack from all sides of Xiaojiwa and return to Xiaojiwa from all sides. It is said to be the naval base of General Yang Si. To the south of Xiaojiwa is Yangqiju, which is said to be the place where General Yang Si raised his flag and carried out an uprising movement [13]. This is why this place is called as Yangqiju, the river already existed in the Southern Song Dynasty, which is enough to prove that this was the ancient riverbank (Fig. 4).

Figure 3

The location of Zhenlong Pavilion water god temple on the map in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

Figure 4

Zhenlong Pavilion records the shoreline of the ancient river.

3.2. Ancient Water Level Elevation of Water God Temples: Paleoclimate Change

The stone markers are important waterproof facilities in the history of Changde City to protect the urban area from floods (Fig. 5). After hundreds of years of raging floods, the markers have collapsed several times, but they have been repaired many times in the dynasties, which can generally maintain their original appearances today. The height and size of each stone marker vary, but most of them were built in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt or reinforced in the Qing Dynasty. The construction of embankments in Changde County to prevent floods was recorded as early as the Southern and Northern Dynasties.

According to the Biography of Liu Quan · The Book of the Southern Qi Dynasty: During the Yongming Period (AD 483–493), Liu Quan was the prefecture chief of Wuling County. “The ancient river embankment in the south of the county was broken, and Liu Quan rebuilt the river embankment himself.” During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (AD 923), deputy general Shen Ruchang built the upper and lower stone markers (ie, Xidi and Shawo stone markers) in the city of Changde. In the Yanyou year of Yuan Dynasty (AD 1319), the road superintendent Ha Shan of Changde built a stone marker in Bijia City stone marker to repel the flood and protect the city embankment. In the Ming Dynasty, due to the successive blockage of the caves on the north bank of the Jingjiang River, the river swayed to the south, the water level of Dongting Lake rose, and the construction of embankments gradually rose. In the eleventh year of Zhengtong in Ming Dynasty (AD 1446), Daweidi was built in Changde and Hanshou counties. “The length of the river embankment is 3,610 zhang, recording 5,868 acres of land” [14]. During the Jiajing period in Ming Dynasty (AD 1522–1566), nine embankments were built in the county. According to “Changde Prefecture Chronicles” in Jiajing period: The Huaihuadi, 500 meters outside the Qingping Gate of Changde Prefecture, there is an ancient locust tree on the ground, hence the name Huamaodi. Outside the Qingping Gate, there is a big river. In the 13th year of Jiajing (AD 1534), the flood broke the embankment, and the magistrate Zhong Luan rebuilt it. Nanhudi, 7500 meters west of Changde Prefecture, there is an official road. Zhaojiadi, the west side of Changde Prefecture is close to the river, from Nanhu to Hefu, the prefecture chief Ouyang Xun built it. Liudi, outside the east gate, directly to the north gate. Dongtiandi, is located at fifteen miles east of the prefecture. The Yangtze River embankment, twenty miles east of the house, rises in spring and summer, connecting with the river. Tujiadi and Zaojiaodi are 15,000 meters away from the east of Changde Prefecture. They were destroyed by floods in the 13th year of Jiajing and were built by the magistrate Zhong Luan. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1573–1620), the Hudu River formed on the south bank of the Jingjiang River, and the river narrow belt of sediment flowed into the West Dongting Lake. “The water in Wuling, Longyang, and the lower reaches of the Yuanjiang River has not subsided for several months, submerging the fields and houses.” And the “Stone Marker” of Huifeng Temple was built 2,500 meters outside the east gate of the county seat.

In the 22nd year of Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (AD 1818), the governor of Bahabu found out that Wuling County was flooded with a total of 28 embankments. The length of the embankment to be repaired was 659.9 feet long, and it was estimated that the workers will need to pay 10567.25 taels of silver to the workers. The funds needed to rebuild the stone cabinets were mainly in two ways: one was the state appropriation, and the other was the form of private self-funding. For example, if the stone marker of Yang Si Temple is not built, the Yuhuang Pavilion will be in danger of being destroyed. If the Shawo stone marker is not repaired, the silt of the Qingcaozui will gradually force. Due to this, Businessman Chen Tongchun suggested: “One day's hard work will save the days of worries. There are 100,000 families in Changde City, with dozens of people in a family. With the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the imperial court, the safety of a county for hundreds of years is placed on stone markers to resist flood erosion.” So he organized a donation of more than 3,300 taels of silver to repair the Yang Si Temple then.

To sum up, the stone markers represent the highest water level of the Yuan River during the construction period, and are also like contemporary hydrological stations. But they record the highest water level elevation in history. The historical hydrological changes can be preliminarily revealed by analyzing the construction times and corresponding elevations of the six stone markers in Wuling District (Fig. 6).

Fig. 6 shows that the highest water level of Yuan River has changed greatly in history, and the maximum difference is 11.1m. Compared with the normal highest water level elevation, the highest water level in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (AD 923) was 33.9m, reflecting the extremely dry hydrological characteristics and climatic conditions at that time. As a result of this phenomenon, there was a serious shortage of food, starvation was everywhere, and the society was extremely chaotic. This is the true portrayal of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

The elevation of Huamaodi stone marker is 44m, indicating that the construction period (AD 1668) was the period of the largest flood of Yuan River. According to ancient documents [15], in Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1667) “the appearance of a dragon in the south of the county town caused floods, houses collapsed, and people lost their lives”. The elevation of the stone marker at Luolukou is 42m, indicating that the construction period (AD 1769) was also a period of relatively large floods of Yuan River. Ancient documents also record [16] that in the thirty-fourth year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, “floods flooded from the first month to May, and riverbanks burst”, and “Wuling County was dry from June to September, and the slopes and ponds dried up”. This year, floods occurred from January to May, and droughts occurred from June to September.

Figure 5

Six ancient stone marker shoreline points in Wuling District: 1 – Luolukou stone marker; 2 – Shawan stone marker; 3 – Bijia City stone marker; 4 – Huamaodi stone marker; 5 – Xiananmen stone marker; 6 – Sifeng Temple stone marker.

Figure 6

The water level elevation map of six stone markers in the historical period of Wuling District.

Only the highest water level elevation represented by the six stone markers can also show the trend of the water level elevation change in the lower Yuan River from AD 900 to AD 1800. If the elevation analysis of all the water god temples in the region is carried out, it is expected to obtain a more continuous and wider time range of the trend results of water level elevation changes, providing physical evidence for regional paleoclimate changes.