laitimes

Zhang Wudian of the Ming Dynasty accurately measured the height of Mount Taishan, his son sacrificed his life for the country, and his daughter-in-law Huo Shi was not afraid of Li Zicheng

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, Liu Hui once measured the height of Mount Tai at 1820 meters, and in the thirty-ninth year of the Wanli Calendar (1611), Zhang Wudian, a senator of the Shandong Provincial Administration, also measured Mount Tai. The story surrounding Zhang Wudian is not only the measurement of Taishan, but also the son Zhang Quan is a national hero, and the daughter-in-law Huo Shi heroically resists the enemy of the invaders, and the family has many extraordinary deeds.

Zhang Wudian (1555~1626), Zihe Zheng, Haihong, Shanxi Qinshui people. He successively served as a senator of the Shandong Cloth Administration Department, a deputy envoy of the Henan Receiving And Inspection Department, a member of the Shandong Cloth Political Department, and a member of the Shandong Cloth Political Department.

"Shandong Tongzhi": "Taishan Zhou hui one hundred and sixty miles, more than a hundred bending pan dao, through the South Heavenly Gate, east and west three heavenly gates, to the top, more than forty miles high." During his tenure in Shandong, Zhang Wudian went to Taishan for many inspections. Skeptical of the claim that "Mount Tai is more than forty miles high", he designed a unique measurement method to verify the actual height of Mount Tai.

In the thirty-ninth year of the Wanli Calendar (1611), Zhang Wudian sent personnel to measure, from the bottom of the mountain to the top, set up more than 4300 measurement points, measured Taishan "real 14 miles and 80 steps", the height of "368 feet 3 feet 4 inches", plus the sea dial here 250 meters, a total of 1482.3 meters.

In order to measure Mount Tai, Zhang Wudian used a vertical pole engraved with a size of 1 zhang long, placed an iron ring at the end, and then used a 1 zhang long horizontal pole, placed an iron ring in the middle to tie the rope to the horizontal pole ring, and then worn in the vertical pole ring, and pulled the rope, which could make the horizontal pole up and down without losing its balance. Where the vertical pole stands, look at the place where the horizontal pole is located, take 5 feet as a step, and measure the distance and proximity.

If it is on the flat ground, the horizontal pole will land on the slope at both ends, the horizontal pole will land on the front end, and the rear end will be suspended, and the hanging inch can be known from the vertical rod scale, and the height is measured. Then use the record book, draw 360 squares per page, fill in 1 square per step, fill in 1 grid, fill in the word "flat" in the case of flat ground, indicate the height when meeting the slope, fill in 1 page, and combine 1 mile distance, fill in the number of pages is Taishan mileage, and the cumulative height is Taishan height.

Zhang Wudian of the Ming Dynasty accurately measured the height of Mount Taishan, his son sacrificed his life for the country, and his daughter-in-law Huo Shi was not afraid of Li Zicheng

Pictured: Zhang Wudian of the Ming Dynasty doubted that "Taishan is high forty miles", and the actual height of Mount Taishan was measured to be 1482.3 meters

Zhang Wudian's son Zhang Quan (張铨) was a national hero, a Ming Dynasty Wanli Jiachen (1604 AD) jinshi, successively serving as the imperial history of Zhejiang and Jiangxi Provinces. In the first year of the Apocalypse (1621), when Nurhaci invaded Liaodong, Zhang Quan led his troops to fight, fought in Liaoyang City for three days, the city was destroyed and captured, and when he was escorted to the commander, he stood without kneeling, until he died, and finally swung his sword to kill himself.

Zhang Wudian of the Ming Dynasty accurately measured the height of Mount Taishan, his son sacrificed his life for the country, and his daughter-in-law Huo Shi was not afraid of Li Zicheng

Pictured: Zhang Quan, a hero of the late Ming Dynasty, was the son of Zhang Wudian

Next to the wordless stele at the top of the Taishan Jade Emperor, there is a stone stele erected by Zhang Quan, the poem:

The wind was blowing in the wild sky, and the Jade Letter Golden Inspection was still suspicious.

The sleeve carries a five-colored rafter pen to supplement the wordless monument of the King of Qin.

Zhang Wudian of the Ming Dynasty accurately measured the height of Mount Taishan, his son sacrificed his life for the country, and his daughter-in-law Huo Shi was not afraid of Li Zicheng

Pictured: The Jade Emperor's top wordless stele and the nearby Zhang Quanshi stele

Two years after Zhang Quan's martyrdom (1623), his father Zhang Wudian returned to Qinshui, prophesied that "a corner of Liaoyang will be requisitioned, and the world will be in turmoil", and gathered his family to start building the castle.

The fort was built on the basis of the old residence of the Dou clan in the Song Dynasty, centered on the Taiji School Yard, with small gates on each side of the four sides, and built an urn city at the original Zhang's old residence. The houses in the city are set up on the second floor between the independent bodies, with light and dark passages, connected to each other, and once there is an emergency, it is convenient to escape. The original ordinary village has formed a castle-like building with nine doors and nine passes.

Zhang Wudian of the Ming Dynasty accurately measured the height of Mount Taishan, his son sacrificed his life for the country, and his daughter-in-law Huo Shi was not afraid of Li Zicheng

Pictured: Dou Zhuang saved Dou Zhuang by building its fort, and the "Lady City" is famous for the Huo clan

In the fourth year of Chongzhen (1631), Li Zicheng's men attacked the castle, and Zhang Wudian had been dead for several years. The crowd asked Zhang Wudian's daughter-in-law Huo Shi to take shelter, and the Hough people said: "Avoid thieves and go out, the family is not safe, and when you come out, you encounter thieves, and your body is not protected." Wait for the dead ear, and the cup dies at home." He led the child servants to stand firm, and the thieves attacked for four days and nights, and did not go away.

Zhang Wudian of the Ming Dynasty accurately measured the height of Mount Taishan, his son sacrificed his life for the country, and his daughter-in-law Huo Shi was not afraid of Li Zicheng

Pictured: Interior view of Douzhuang's "Lady City"

In the sixth year of Chongzhen (1633), Li Zicheng's peasant army withdrew from Qinshui. King Zhaosheng of the Ming Dynasty praised "Douzhuang City" as "Lady City", and the emperor gave the plaque "Yan Gui Chuanfang".

Today, Douzhuang City has become a famous attraction in Shanxi, and the deeds of Master Zhang have also remained in Taishan.

Read on