Historically, China is connected with the mountains and rivers of Myanmar, and there is a constant friendship between the various ethnic groups. In the long history of the jadeite jade culture, Yunnan people bear the brunt and make an indelible contribution.
The Englishman George Curie wrote in the book "British Occupation of Burma" that "an inscription on the inscription on an ancient Chinese temple in the ancient city of Amuro, Myanmar, is engraved with the names of 5,000 Chinese jade merchants."
Curie's records confirm the historical facts of a stone monument in the ancient Chinese temple of Avagudu, the second generation of the dynasty in Myanmar, which was engraved with 5,000 Chinese jade merchant names. So where is the site of this monument now?
Due to the research and compilation work of "The History of Overseas Chinese in Yunnan" and "History of Yunnan Jewelry", in recent years, I have visited Myanmar several times to inquire about the whereabouts of the stone monument, but it is like a mud cow. During my visit to Myanmar, I once again proposed a schedule to fly from Yangon to Mandalay to visit the ancient site of Ava.
Leaving Mandalay by car and driving south along the Irrawaddy River for about 30 kilometers, it is the old Avagudu, and it is also the site of the Amuro Bulu city that the Burmese said more than 300 years ago. The ancient capital ruins cover a large area, and the scale of the castle walls is faintly visible. After hundreds of years of vicissitudes, the building community has been destroyed and broken, but it can still peep through the prosperity of the past and the majestic beauty of the building. There are also a very small number of buildings preserved, especially the scorpion of the Queen of Myanmar, the mother of the last emperor, and the palace of the last queen, Manu Wang, using the advanced design of the West, advanced materials, and the traditional temples of Burma, which are still preserved. Let you be amazed.
Although the ancient city of Awa is only 30 kilometers away from Mandalay, few tourists come here. They don’t know that there is a ruin of a bustling city that was hidden three centuries ago. Due to the economic backwardness, the Myanmar government is also unable to rebuild and repair the ancient city, and it will be devastated by the storms of the years, so that the destruction of so many national-level world civilizations will make people feel sad and tearful. Standing in this vast and prosperous ancient capital, the land of wilderness will create a feeling of nostalgia.
The ancient city of Awa is the capital of the second dynasty in Myanmar. It is also the longest dynasty in history. It was built in 1364 and lasted for 423 years. Due to the failure of the Burmese king to the British invasion of Burma in 1824 and 1852, Mintong The dynasty moved to Mandalay, and the prosperous Avagu gradually declined.
The ancient city of Awa was the political, economic, cultural and commercial transportation center of Myanmar at that time. It was also the gathering place of Yunnan overseas Chinese. It was located in the cave area along the Irrawaddy River. The Burmese called it Amorro, 30 kilometers south of Mandalay today. .
At that time, Avagudu had a population of more than 200,000, and the number of overseas Chinese was tens of thousands. In addition to jewels, jade, souvenirs and cotton yarns, they also served as "communications" between the Chinese and Burmese courts and taught agriculture to the Burmese nation. Planting and textile technology, friendly with the Burmese people, harmonious development.
In 1773 (38 years of Qing Emperor Qianlong), the overseas Chinese raised funds to build the Guanyin Ancient Temple in Yunnan near the Hanren Street in the ancient city of Awa. The stone tablet engraved with the names of 5,000 Chinese jade merchants is the earliest inscription on the Ava Guanyin Temple. In addition to engraving the name of the jade merchant, the inscription also records the struggle history of the jade factory developed by the overseas Chinese “poor and eager to leave the factoryâ€.
Regrettably, the Ava Guanyin Temple was destroyed by fire three times in 1810, 1829 and 1837. With the baptism of the war, the rest of the building has long since become unrecognizable. The Ava Guanyin Temple and the stone monument with the names of 5,000 jade merchants have not fallen. The inscriptions that the older generation had published were long lost due to the long time. It is God’s fascination with the ancestors of the jade factory and the persistence of the ancestors. Under the guidance of the enthusiastic overseas Chinese friends and the local Burmese people, they rushed in the Awa wilderness for a morning, after many inquiries, in a good heart. Under the guidance of the kindly local Laos, we finally found the site of the Guanyin Temple and buried the stone monument, and found two monuments on the leftover land.
The Guanyin Temple site is a flat open area not far from the temple of Manu Palace. Many hundred years old trees still display life with tenacity and lush foliage. It can be seen that these ancient trees were planted along with the construction of Guanyin Temple. Although Guanyin Temple has long ceased to exist, these ancient trees have confirmed that history and told you stories that are little known. The old man told us that when he was a child, he clearly remembered that the monument was very beautiful and had a pattern. The monument was densely engraved with countless Chinese characters, and he could not tell the specific content. It was not until the 1960s that the government sent soldiers to push down the stone monument, dug a large pit, and buried the monument deep underground. It was buried next to three big trees. The whole monument was as big as a jeep. At that time, some broken stone tablets were left on the ground.
We came to a few ancient trees. Under the guidance of the old man, after a group of Burmese children and our careful search, we finally found two monuments in the deep grass. Unfortunately, it was only two corners and a surface text. The pattern has been artificially worn, and the other piece has only outlined lines and no text. After several experts' research, it can be seen that the texture is very good, white marble, about 200 to 300 years of relics. From the analysis of the monument, the size of the monument is about 3 meters long, 1.5 meters wide and 20 centimeters thick.
We were very excited. Although we did not see the whole monument, we finally found a material evidence with the historical records of the written records, and found some traces and roots in the history of studying the jade.
We immediately took photos and videographs, and through translation, the local residents should protect the monuments. In the future, we will have the opportunity to dig out the underground monuments and rebuild them. As a witness to history, let the people who love jade and jade know about it. It is undoubtedly important to let the important relics that have buried the history of the development of jade culture in Yunnan, China. In accordance with local customs, I also provided the cost of the video recording to the Awa Ancient City Site Management Committee. I also gave the old man and the children some pocket money, which is a thank you.
Hard work pays off, as long as the heart is sincere, the stone will also bloom. Let me, after many efforts, finally find and confirm the historical facts of the history of the development of jade in Yunnan, China. It should be noted that today's Wacheng (Mandalay) Guanyin Temple was built by the descendants after the move of the king of Myanmar.
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