古道“天梯” 百年滄桑

□ 文/本刊記者 李靜

古道“天梯” 百年滄桑

□ 文/本刊記者 李靜

千百年來，知難而進的重慶人“走”出了很多古道?！笆竦乐y，難于上青天”，李白的千古名句給予了巴渝古道最直觀也是最貼切的形容。本期，我們將來到歌樂山，回顧這處舊時重慶通往成都的必經(jīng)之地，再次聆聽商賈行人來往不斷的繁華之音，將您帶回昔日風光繁華的三百梯古道。

隱藏于崇山峻嶺間的“天梯”

歌樂山的美麗風光，早在百多年前，就聞名世界。1883年，闖進中國西部的首位洋人——英國商人立德樂來到重慶，看到清水溪沿途和歌樂山的風景很美，便在重慶寫下了游記，詳細介紹川東古道沿線的歌樂山、磁器口和清水溪一帶的風光。立德樂的游記，后來也成為打開重慶通往世界大門的鑰匙。

現(xiàn)在提到歌樂山的川東古道，很少有年輕人知道。100年前，從重慶到成都，只有川東古道可走。從重慶主城（渝中區(qū)）出發(fā)，經(jīng)佛圖關(guān)，沿山脊行走，到石橋鋪分界。然后向右走，繼續(xù)沿山脊行走，經(jīng)大龍山（現(xiàn)平頂山）、大龍坎、小龍坎，穿過清水溪，到達龍隱鎮(zhèn)（今磁器口），然后經(jīng)過石板路，步入三百梯，最后到達歌樂山高店子，繼續(xù)向成都方向行走。從磁器口到三百梯的石板路總長有五里路，現(xiàn)在三百梯保存完好的石板路只有500米。

三百梯有名，并非是它的里程長，路途崎嶇陡峭，而是因為它是古代橫貫全川東西，僅次于成渝官道東大路，名叫“小川東路”中，連接川渝翻越海拔600米歌樂山的石梯大道；是歷史上川渝商旅行人往返于川渝間，比傳郵驛道東大路官道要少走80多華里的一條便捷的交通要道。在沙坪壩區(qū)境內(nèi)的路線是：從佛圖關(guān)起點，經(jīng)平頂山、小龍坎、楊公橋、黃泥堡至歌樂山腳步云橋登上“三百梯”，經(jīng)同善橋、戴公祠、黃桷樹(高店子)、冷水溝到虎溪出境。

三百梯是這條古道上勾通川渝通邑大道上的一道石板梯道。曾被古代詩人和抗戰(zhàn)時期遷都重慶的國民政府主席林森稱為“天梯”。林森到重慶后，寄情于山川名勝，定居于歌樂山云頂寺。他十分贊賞婉蜒于崇山峻嶺云纏霧鎖，亂云飛渡，凌空劈開一架連接川渝交通的“云梯”三百梯。遂揮毫題寫了“云梯”兩個大字，請石匠鐫刻在官邸林園一號樓石側(cè)的崖壁上，至今仍保存完好。在昔日交通閉塞的年代，奔波在小川東道的商旅行人和山上的民眾，到了高店子下了“天梯”，就高興地說：“快了，快到重慶城了?！眲t稱三百梯為“天梯”。

文物古跡見證古道昔日繁華

三百梯建于哪個年代？由于它是小川東路的一段，據(jù)史料記載小川東路建于明代中葉(大致在明成化年間公元1465—1477 年)，這與重慶林業(yè)家根據(jù)三百梯盡頭老黃桷樹的年輪測定樹齡為400年，并評定為“重慶黃桷樹王”的論斷相一致。迄今三百梯已有400多年歷史了。隨著歲月的變遷，三百梯古道上的歷史文物古跡，大都湮沒無存了。經(jīng)沿途探尋考察，值得慶幸的還發(fā)現(xiàn)一些具有文物價值的遺跡古跡，它們都見證了三百梯滄桑變換的風雨歷史，耐人尋味。

在中段同善橋下面一段右邊懸崖上，有兩處青石砌就的石梯護欄。由于年代久遠，風雨剝蝕，石質(zhì)已嚴重風化，東倒西歪地斜臥在荒草之中。這正是古道年代悠久的歷史見證。再看護欄上面的梯道，石級已殘缺，長長一段是在裸露光潔的崖石上鑿成的石階，歷經(jīng)長年累月的人腳和馬蹄鐵掌地踩踐，石階已變得無角無棱、凹凸不平、平滑如砥的弧形。令人聯(lián)想到上個世紀或更古老年代的踏踩磨損，踩踏出歷史的古老和負載的沉重。

古老的市鎮(zhèn)高店子老街和遺存清朝的石碑告示，在歷經(jīng)數(shù)百年的歲月滄桑后，至今仍保存完好。歷史上，高店子不僅是重慶到成都的必經(jīng)之地，往來商旅行人眾多，街上店鋪生意興隆，而且還是一個驛站，過往客商都在此歇腳、打尖。它是三百梯古道盡頭的古鎮(zhèn)。清朝中葉屬巴縣直里一甲，民初是西里重鎮(zhèn)高店鄉(xiāng)政府的所在地。生意興隆，熱鬧非凡的古鎮(zhèn)高店子是三百梯繁盛興旺的歷史見證。

為重慶人所熟知，有“重慶黃桷樹王”美稱三百梯盡頭的古黃桷，更是三百梯興衰變遷的重要見證。它那樹蔭覆蓋600多米，有六層樓高的樹冠，有如滄桑歲月老人，在歲月風刀霜劍中，親眼目睹三百梯的枯榮興替，見證過多少翻騰的歷史風云。現(xiàn)今雖已令人遺憾的衰老枯死，但依舊是三百梯最具有文物價值的古跡。

至于流傳于民間的《高店子黃糕粑》的民間傳說和“高店子黃糕——去不吃，回來也要吃”的“重慶言子”更是傳遍四川五州十八縣，已編入《重慶民間傳說三集成》。常住山上的老人說，老黃桷樹下彭幺嫂開的黃糕店名揚川渝，確有其人其事，她家就住在雞公山下。古老的傳說和膾炙人口的重慶言子，都從另一角度，生動地印證三百梯沉淀的歷史時光。

在越過古道殘留的石護欄，古道上橫跨溪流上單孔的石拱橋是三百梯道上唯一的一座具有文物價值的古橋——同善橋。橋上和橋畔沒有記載古橋歷史的碑刻，而在洞內(nèi)石壁上發(fā)現(xiàn)“建于清朝同治十二年”的石刻。同治十二年(公元1878年)至今已有123年的歷史。歷經(jīng)一個多世紀的風雨歲月，古橋依然完好牢固的屹立在三百梯古道上。古橋古樸，造型美觀。顯然，同善橋是在三百梯和小川東路通行后建造的。據(jù)說，同善橋是清代同治年間，在被山洪沖毀的石板便橋基礎(chǔ)上，由當?shù)貥飞坪檬┑泥l(xiāng)紳，共同集資重建造的，故名同善橋。

“無限風光在險峰”

經(jīng)歷了百年滄桑的三百梯，承載著歷史的渲染，卻也保留著其怡人的風光，仿佛經(jīng)過時間的沖刷，沒有一絲褪色，反而更加耀眼。自古以來，這里就是重慶人在金秋時節(jié)和重陽節(jié)，出城入山登高賞景，尋幽攬勝的好去處。多年來，沙區(qū)旅游局舉辦的登山健身的各種活動，登三百梯，領(lǐng)略古道風情，倍受游人的青睞。春天，細碎碎的陽光落下來，和家人一起來這里散散步，也是件很愜意的事。

當人們站立山腳步云橋畔向上仰望，三百梯古道在曲折的層嶺密林中，若隱若現(xiàn)，宛如一條長龍在煙云彌漫中延伸。拾級而上邊攀登邊瀏覽歌樂山景風光，使你遐思聯(lián)想歲月滄桑的古道上長年累月，轎子滑竿成群結(jié)隊，馬蹄在石板上叩響的繁忙景氣。

詩云：“無限風光在險峰”。三百梯最佳的風光在中段。當你從左為峭壁右為深谷進入石欄桿梯道，眼前忽然開朗。坡度變得平緩，古道兩邊層嶺密樹、林壑幽美，一條從高山山水沖刷形成的溪溝，流水淙淙。溝澗岸邊茂林修竹，一籠籠慈竹竹梢如鳳尾，厚而密的竹枝直垂地面，新竹如箭，直指蒼天。林間鳥語蟬鳴，密林深處，幾家農(nóng)舍院落，花果掛滿枝頭。常年居住于此的一名八旬老翁告訴我，他是1938年遷來三百梯，當年古道熱鬧得很，就是因為這里風景好，他幾代人都長住這兒。

行走在林間，踏上同善橋，橋上為蒼松翠柏所籠罩，行人在樹蔭華蓋下通過。山風吹來，風動谷應(yīng)，青峰秀嶺，對于久住燥音、大氣污染中，在市井人流中穿梭，在汽車喇叭中入眠的城里人來說，置身于三百梯古道勝景中，回歸大自然，享受森林浴，洗盡凡囂，定會產(chǎn)生超凡脫俗、心馳神搖美的境界中。而這一切，只有攀登古道，身臨其境，方能領(lǐng)略到。

Through the ages, Chongqing people who have been always advancing despite difficulties blazed many ancient roads. Li Bai’s famous poem “the road to Shu is hard, even harder than climbing the sky.” gives the most vivid and accurate depiction of the Ba-Yu ancient roads. In this issue, we will take you to Gele Mountain to revisit the road that travelers must pass through when travelling from Chongqing to Chengdu in the old times, reminisce about the incessant hustle and bustle of trade and business there, and recollect the Sanbaiti Stairway where prosperity once dwelt.

“Stairway to Heaven” Hiding among the Mountains

The picturesque Gele Mountain became world-known as early as more than a hundred years ago. In 1883, as the first foreigner who set foot on the land of Western China, British businessman Archibald John Little arrived at Chongqing. Seeing the beautiful scenery of Qingshuixi and Gele Mountain, he wrote down travel records to introduce the sceneries of Gele Mountain, Ciqikou and Qingshuixi along the Eastern Sichuan ancient road. His travel journals had later become a key for Chongqing to be known by the world.

Nowadays, the Eastern Sichuan ancient road on the Gele Mountain is barely known by young people. A hundred years ago, it is the only way from Chongqing to Chengdu. Starting from the core urban area (Yuzhong District), travelers went through Fotuguan Pass and walked along the mountain range until they reached Shiqiaopu. After turning right, they continued walking along the mountain range, and then went pass Dalong Mountain (now called Pingding Mountain), Dalongkan, Xiaolongkan, Qingshuixi to reach Longyin Town (today’s Ciqikou). There a slab-stone road took them to Sanbaiti Stairway which then led to Gaodianzi on the Gele Mountain, and from there they would go on walking towards Chengdu. The slab-stone road stretching from Ciqikou to Sanbaiti Stairway measured five Chinese miles, but now the well-preserved length stands only 500 meters. Sanbaiti Stairway acquired its fame not by its length nor the steepness and roughness, but by the fact that it was a stone stairway which found its way up the 600-meter-high Gele Mountain and connected Sichuan and Chongqing on the minor Eastern Sichuan road (second only to the official Eastern Road that cross Sichuan province from east to west in ancient times). And it’s a more convenient path for the businessmen and travelers going back and forth between Sichuan and Chongqing—more than 80 Chinese miles could be saved when compared with taking the official Eastern Road. The route within Shapingba District went like this: started from Fotuguan Pass, went through Pingding Mountain, Xiaolongkan, Yanggongqiao, Huangnibao to Buyun Bridge which connected Sanbaiti Stairway on the Gele Mountain, then passed Tongshan Bridge, Daigongci, Huangjueshu (Gaodianzi), Lengshuigou and exited from Huxi.

Past Prosperity Reflected by CuIturaI ReIics and Historic Sites

When was the Sanbaiti Stairway built? It was part of the Lesser Eastern Sichuan Road which according to historical record was built in the middle of the Ming Dynasty (around 1465-1477 A.D. during the Chenghua Reign). This coincides with the fact that the age of the old Ficus viren tree standing at the end of the Sanbaiti Stairway, appraised as the“King of Ficus viren in Chongqing”, has been measured by tree expert as 400 years old. Sanbaiti Stairway now has a history of more than 400 years. As time passes by, most of the cultural relics and historic sites along this way have disappeared. Fortunately, exploring along the road, you will still find some relics and sites which are loaded with cultural value. They observed the changing history of Sanbaiti Stairway and thus become quite thought-provoking.

On the right side of the cliff below the middle section of Tongshan Bridge, two sections of stone-made stairway railings can be found. Tempered by time and weathered by wind and rain, the stones have been eroded, lying on all sides in the weeds and telling the long-time history of this ancientpath. Take your eyes to the stairs whose treads has become incomplete, you will see a long segment of the stairs which was cut out of the bare and smooth cliff stone. After the longtime treading by footsteps and hoofs, the stair nosing have turned into non-angular and uneven curves, smooth as the whetstones. The sight may bring your thoughts back to last century or even older ages to feel the solemn history under those treading.

The old street in Gaodianzi and the official notice on the Qing Dynasty stone tablet are well-preserved, even after the vicissitudes of hundreds of years. In history, Gaodianzi was not only an inevitable route from Chongqing to Chengdu, but also a courier station, brewing prosperous businesses and attracting large numbers of businessmen and travelers who stopped here for refreshment. It was an old town at the end of the Sanbaiti Stairway. In the middle of Qing Dynasty, it belonged to the Yi Jia of Zhi Li in Ba County (in "Li-Jia" system, five households constitute a Li and ten a Jia), and was home to the Gaodian township government at the dawn of the Republic of China. Gaodianzi, with its thriving business and the hustle and bustle, serves as an eye witness of Sanbaiti Stairway’s prosperity in history. Well-known among the Chongqing people, the old Ficus virens famed as the “King of Ficus viren in Chongqing”standing at the end of the Sanbaiti Stairway knows more about the vicissitudes of this stairway. With the size of its shades measuring more than 600 meters and its crown standing as tall as a six-story building, the old tree, like an old man having gone through all the vicissitudes of life, observed the rise and fall of the stairway and the constant changes in its history. Regretfully it has become a dry wood, however, it still represents the most valuable heritage of the Sanbaiti Stairway.

The popular folk legend of “The Yellow Rice Cake of Gaodianzi” and the ancient “Chongqing Yanzi”(Chongqing local dialect)—“Yellow rice cake of Gaodianzi—if you didn’t tasted it on the way there, you will definitely have a bite on the way back” were wildly spread among the five prefectures and eighteen counties in Sichuan and has been edited into Collections of Chongqing Folklore. It was heard from the elderly living on the mountain that the yellow rice cake store under the old Ficus virens run by Mrs. Peng was famous in Sichuan and Chongqing. It turned out to be a true story and in fact Mrs. Peng lived at the foot of Jigong Mountain. The history of Sanbaiti Stairway is vividly reflected by the legend and the Yanzi from another perspective. Go passing the stone railing relics, you will find a single-arch stone bridge --Tongshan Bridge, the only ancient bridge loaded with cultural heritage value on the stairway. No inscriptions on the bridge nor stone tablet beside it can be found to tell the history, however, on the stone arch the inscription of “built in the 12th year of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty” had been discovered. 123 years has elapsed since the 12th year of the Tongzhi reign (1878 A.D.). After a century’s time, the old bridge still arches over the ancient path of the Sanbaiti Stairway in good condition.

Infinite Views on the Steep Mountains

Sanbaiti Stairway, immersed in the 100 years history, still preserves its delightful scenery. Time has not worn away its ever glaring charm. Since ancient times, it has been an ideal place for mountain-climbing and sightseeing of the Chongqing people in autumn and the Double Ninth Festival. For many years, the fitness activity of climbing the Sanbaiti Stairway while appreciating the charm of the ancient path organized by the Tourism Bureau of Shapingba District has been highly popular among the people. In spring when bathed in the gentle sunshine, it is also a pleasant place for family outing.

As said in a poem, “From the steep mountains, infinite views could be appreciated” The most impressive scenery of Sanbaiti Stairway lies in its middle section. When you step on the stone-railing staircase with steep cliff on the left and deep valley on the right, the sight becomes open and clear. The slope turns less steep, the massive trees and wooded gully on both sides gives a tranquil beauty, and the gurgling brook formed by the mountain water flows slowly. On the brook banks stand the flourishing woods and tall bamboos whose twigs looks like the tail of a phoenix and the vertical stems resemble arrows shooting into the air. Twittering birds and chirping cicadas could be heard among the woods where several village houses are scattered, and in the yards flowers are blooming and fruits have turned mature on the trees. An old man in his 80s who lives here throughout the year told me that he moved to Sanbaiti in the year 1938 when the ancient path was in its boom, and owing to the beautiful scenery here, several generations of his family chose to reside.

Tongshan Bridge is covered by the umbrella of green pines and verdant cypresses providing shades for visitors who have come through the woods and are treading on the bridge floor. When mountain breeze blows, the valley will echo with its dancing woods. For the city people who commute in noises and air pollution and whose sleep is accompanied by the horns of the cars, to stand in the scenery of Sanbaiti Stairway, embrace the Mother Nature and breathe in the forest must be an extraordinary experience filled with refreshment and excitements. However, appreciation of all this could be gained only when you set your own feet on the ancient path.

Ancient “Stairway to Heaven”Through Vicissitudes

□ Written by Li J ing