菱花十里棹歌声

杨自强

万历十年（1582年），当时的嘉兴知府龚勉对烟雨楼进行了一次修葺，还在烟雨楼前修筑了一个平台，名之为钓鳌矶，寄意嘉兴读书人在科举考试时独占鳌头。巧合的是钓鳌矶筑成的次年，嘉兴人朱国祚果然高中状元，从此烟雨楼不再仅是登临游览的胜地，更是“一郡文风”的象征了。

南湖位于嘉兴城南，原是因江水冲积和古潟湖淤积而形成的湖泊，大致在汉代基本形成。南湖在三国时期称陆渭池，到唐代才改名南湖，唐以后又有滮湖、鸳鸯湖、马场湖和东南湖等名称。

烟雨楼，不仅只是登临的胜地

南湖成为一方名胜而广为人知，是在唐代以后。经过大规模的屯田和兴修水利，嘉兴经济快速发展，所谓“嘉禾一穰，江淮为之康;嘉禾一歉，江淮为之俭”，达官贵人、文人学士也渐渐在湖边休闲隐居。唐德宗时的名相、嘉兴人陆贽在南湖边的一个无名小渚上造一小筑，在此放鹤寄情，还建了一个鹤亭，这小渚时人称鹤渚。而在唐宣宗时，名相、书法家裴休也在湖边建一别墅，这就是裴岛。鹤渚、裴岛以及真如寺，是南湖畔最早的景点。

自然，南湖里最负盛名的景观，非烟雨楼莫属。寻根溯源，烟雨楼的源头当是五代时广陵郡王钱元璙在湖畔所建的“登眺之所”。钱元璙是吴越王钱镠的第四子，在中吴军节度使时驻节苏州，他在苏州建了“胜甲吴中”的名园南园，而在嘉兴则建了烟雨楼。明《万历秀水县志》说：“元璙筑台鸳湖之畔，以馆宾客。”明嘉靖年间的《嘉兴府图记》也说：“鸳鸯湖在县南三里，湖东有烟雨楼。五代时，中吴（军）节度使景陵王钱元璙筑台为登眺之所。”可知当时的烟雨楼是位于湖的东边。到了南宋初年，烟雨楼倾圯。嘉定年间，吏部尚书王希吕致仕回到嘉兴，就在烟雨楼的旧址重建一楼，此后，经过“有司相继拓治缮饬”，烟雨楼成为“一方之胜”。到了元代，烟雨楼在战乱中再次被毁坏，从此湮没了近百年。

烟雨楼再度成为名胜，是在明代。嘉靖二十六年（1547年），嘉兴知府赵瀛疏浚城河，把河里清理出来的淤泥、瓦砾填到了南湖中，竟然堆起了一座小岛，这就是南湖中的湖心岛。接着，赵瀛又在湖心岛上建了一楼。南湖中的楼阁，自然得有一个风雅之名，有个叫范言的名士说，当年钱元璙的登眺之所，宋人诗中称之为“烟雨楼”，不妨以此为名。从此，烟雨楼就从湖东移到了湖中。这是嘉兴的一件大事，赵瀛还特意请当时刚中了状元、后来成为内阁首辅的李春芳写了一篇《重修烟雨楼记》以纪其事。

到了万历十年（1582年），烟雨楼年久失修，已是“圮不可登”。当时的嘉兴知府龚勉对烟雨楼进行了一次大规模的修葺。重修后的烟雨楼，“四顾湖光，一碧千顷，浩浩荡荡，廖廓无涯，濒湖万家，鳞次栉比，诚一方之大观也。”（董醇伯子《游槜李记》）龚勉还在烟雨楼前，修筑了一个平台名之为钓鳌矶，寄意嘉兴读书人在科举考试时能独占鳌头。巧合的是钓鳌矶筑成的次年，嘉兴人朱国祚果然高中状元，从此烟雨楼不再仅是登临游览的胜地，更是“一郡文风”的象征了。龚勉大喜之余，又在湖心岛上修建了大士阁、文昌祠、武安祠、浮玉亭、凝碧亭、栖凤轩等，号称“瀛洲十二胜景”。

此后，万历二十八年（1600年）和崇祯五年（1632年），嘉兴知府刘应钶、李化民都重修过烟雨楼。到了清代，三任嘉兴知府、任职时间长达18年的许瑶光，更是在湖心岛上以烟雨楼为中心，修筑了清晖堂、亦方壶、八咏亭、菱香水榭、孤云簃等建筑。而嘉兴士民为了纪念这位贤太守的功绩，在湖心岛上也建了来许亭、鉴亭，使南湖湖心岛景观更为丰富，烟雨楼之名也因之更盛。一直到现在，湖心岛、烟雨楼基本上便是这个格局。

一方名胜，历来吟咏不绝

南湖作为一方名胜，历来吟咏不绝，留下了许许多多的诗词文赋和以南湖为题材的小说、戏曲，形成了一部丰厚的“南湖艺术志”，以文艺的形式讲述着南湖的前世今生。

最早以南湖入诗的，是中唐时期的嘉兴籍诗人丘为。丘为退休后就住在南湖畔，写下了好几首有关南湖的诗，其中有一首《湖中寄王侍御》是写给他的诗友王维的，这里的“湖中”就是嘉兴南湖。丘为的诗友、有“五言长城”之称的刘长卿，宝应、广德年间（762～764年）曾任嘉兴县尉，他在这里写下了两首送别诗《南湖送徐二十七西上》《送卢判官南湖》，这是最早的以南湖为诗题的诗作。而最早以“烟雨楼”为题的诗词，当是宋代名相吴潜所作的《水调歌头·题烟雨楼》，词中写道：“东湖千顷烟雨，占断几春秋。自有茂林修竹，不用买花沽酒，此乐若为酬。”这里的“东湖”就是南湖。此后，从宋代的叶隆礼、方回一直到清代的曹尔堪、厉鹗、陈维崧等诗词名家，都有不少以烟雨楼为题的诗词。当然，流传最广的，还是明代散文家张岱在《陶庵梦忆》里那略带调侃的一句：“嘉兴人开口烟雨楼，天下笑之。然烟雨楼故自佳。”

大诗人苏轼也与南湖有着不解之缘。历来嘉兴旧志中收有《泛南湖》诗4首，据称为苏轼所作。南湖边的三过堂，纪念的是苏东坡3次看望本觉寺文长老、写下3首诗赠文长老的故事。煮茶亭是因东坡先生与文长老煮茶说禅而得名。光绪《嘉兴府志》载：“南湖中，苏轼与文长老三过湖上汲水煮茶;东坡三过嘉禾，每于鸳湖汲水煮茶，后人建亭湖心，遗址尚存，一名三笑亭。”苏轼的老朋友钱顗（字安道）也住在嘉兴，苏轼来嘉兴看望他，留下了一首名诗《赠钱端公安道并寄其弟惠山山人》，开篇两句“鸳鸯湖边月如水，孤舟夜傍鸳鸯起”，是说到南湖时引用率最高的诗句。

清代在嘉兴政声卓著、有着“贤太守”之称的许瑶光，不但在南湖周边建造了不少景观，更是写下以《南湖八景》为题的诗，来宣扬、推广南湖。这组诗写了南湖及周边最具代表性的八景，分别是南湖烟雨、东塔朝暾、茶禅夕照、杉闸风帆、汉塘春桑、禾墩秋稼、韭溪明月、瓶山积雪。诗成后，许瑶光又请画家秦敏树创作了《南湖八景图》，把诗、画合成一起刻成了碑石，在南湖烟雨楼钓鳌台上建造了一个小亭放置诗碑，名为八咏亭。现在的煙雨楼下，仍可看到这南湖八景的诗碑。

在所有描写南湖的诗词中，最广为人知的当数朱彝尊的《鸳鸯湖棹歌》了。棹歌源出民间，为船工行船时所唱的歌谣，朱彝尊借用了棹歌这一诗歌形式，创作了一百首《鸳鸯湖棹歌》，描绘了嘉兴的古迹、传说、物产、风俗，其中不少写到了南湖，如开篇第一首：“蟹舍渔村两岸平，菱花十里棹歌声。侬家放鹤洲前水，夜半真如塔火明”，写的就是南湖畔的放鹤洲和真如塔。朱彝尊的《鸳鸯湖棹歌》和者众多，流传下来的就有70多位，其中不乏谭吉璁、陆以諴、张燕昌等名家，在嘉兴诗坛上形成“棹歌体”这样一个特色诗派，也在无形间大大提高了南湖的影响力。

同样，在古代的小说、戏曲中，有不少把故事发生的背景设定在南湖的。故事当然不一定是真的，但由此可见南湖的知名度之高。如元末明初瞿佑的传奇小说集《剪灯新话》中有一篇《爱卿传》，其故事就发生在鸳鸯湖畔，里面写到夏日月夜，名士们相聚在南湖凌虚阁，女主角赋诗4首，写的正是明代南湖的夜景。

清代小说《八美图》，其主要场景也是發生在嘉兴，在第六回《想美人灯下看图，观龙舟桥上争气》，把嘉兴人在南湖上看龙船的盛况描绘得热热闹闹、有声有色。如果对照《古禾杂识》等笔记中的有关记载，发现小说所述也是有史实依据的。

名士流连，湖上笙歌陌上箫

从唐代起，历代文人墨客、名士大师流连南湖，留下了一段段佳话，也更增添了南湖深厚的文化底蕴。

南湖畔的放鹤洲是烟波迷蒙、陂塘相连的幽静小渚，历来是营造别业和隐居林泉的好去处。唐时陆贽、裴休在此闲居，宋代著名词人朱敦儒流寓嘉兴时也住在这里，放鹤洲之名就是他取的，陆游还到嘉兴来看望过朱敦儒。明朝时，朱彝尊的伯父贵阳太守朱茂时重建放鹤洲，疏浚河流，广植树木，并请造园大师张南垣设计园林。清顺治九年（1652年），诗人吴伟业到放鹤洲作客，写下了《题朱子葵鹤洲草堂》一诗。第二年，朱茂时又邀请大画家项圣谟来放鹤洲游赏，泛舟湖上，饮酒赋诗，项圣谟据此作了名画《放鹤洲图》。到了康熙年间，大学者吕留良两次游览放鹤洲，写下了《坐鹤州梅花下》《重过鹤洲》诗，以寄托家国之思。

明清时期的嘉兴颇为繁荣，南湖风光秀美，又兼之交通发达、市肆繁华，所谓“朱栏远近万家连，下眺通衢上接天。傍郭酒船邀落日，满湖渔火乱疏烟。”（屠隆《湖上烟雨楼》）成为名流聚会的首选之地。

明代大戏曲家汤显祖数次来嘉兴，留下了“年来更梦谁边好，烟雨楼西看石帆”的诗句。张岱在《陶庵梦忆》中说，“烟雨楼前，画船歌鼓日夜不绝。”屠隆在烟雨楼创作并排演了传奇《彩毫记》，一时间“楼倚重湖酒百巡”，轰动四方。名列“明末四公子”的冒辟疆携“秦淮八艳”之一的董小宛来游南湖，并说烟雨楼之外，南湖之“浩瀚幽渺之致”，更值得一游，故而这一对璧人在南湖游玩了一整天。

南湖更有一桩风流佳话，那便是明末文坛领袖钱谦益与秦淮名妓柳如是在湖畔定情。当时，钱柳两人在南湖畔的勺园作客，两人互相仰慕。柳如是写了《鸳湖舟中送牧翁之新安》，而钱谦益写了长诗《有美一百韵，晦日鸳鸯湖舟中作》送给柳如是，鸳鸯湖成就了他们这一段传世的爱情佳话。正如陈寅恪先生所说，“勺园一地，乃钱柳因缘得以成就之枢纽。”第二年，钱谦益以匹嫡之礼把柳氏娶进家门。

在清初，南湖还有过一件轰动士林的盛事。当时江浙文人、名流在嘉兴南湖举行十郡大社，湖上“连舟数百艘”，“越三日乃定交去”，尤侗、陈维崧、徐乾学、邹祗谟、曹尔堪、毛奇龄、朱彝尊等都前来赴会，场面十分壮观。

顺治年间，写下《圆圆曲》的著名诗人吴伟业来到南湖，作了一首《鸳湖曲》：“鸳鸯湖畔草粘天，二月春深好放船。柳叶乱飘千尺雨，桃花斜带一路烟”，成为吟唱南湖的名句。

《浮生六记》的作者沈复，也曾游过南湖，他眼中的南湖，“四岸皆绿杨，惜无多竹，有平台可远眺。渔舟星列，漠漠平波，似宜月夜。”

而清代有“中兴四大名臣”之一的彭玉麟，在游览南湖后，乘兴作了横直两幅梅花图，并题诗其上。知府许瑶光请人将两幅梅花画镌刻在石上，在烟雨楼北面建亭，壁嵌彭玉麟梅花石刻，称之为“宝梅亭”。

南湖之美名甚至让乾隆皇帝欲罢不能。他六下江南，竟然8次登临烟雨楼，兴致勃勃为之赋诗15首，把烟雨楼比作蓬莱仙岛、方壶仙境、水晶宫，赞叹不已。这还不算，乾隆还让画师把烟雨楼画下来，在承德避暑山庄照模照样地仿造了一座烟雨楼，并得意地赋诗说：“却胜南巡凭赏处，平湖风递芰荷芬。”

乾隆登烟雨楼，还带来了一件“副产品”。烟雨楼自明嘉靖年间重建以来，一直都是坐南朝北，对着嘉兴城垣。乾隆以九五之尊，在烟雨楼上当然不能面北而坐。嘉兴府遂把楼台略加改造，把烟雨楼改成朝南，面向南湖。同时，原来在楼后的栖凤轩变成了在楼前，显得更为雅致美观。此后，嘉兴建造楼堂馆所，就喜欢在楼前依样加上一轩，称之为“反轩”。这反轩，一度成为嘉兴建筑工艺上的一个特色。

The formation of the South Lake in the south of present-day Jiaxing City in northern Zhejiang dates back to the Han Dynasty （206BC-220AD）. It was called the South Lake in the Tang Dynasty （618-907） and then it had several other names after the Tang. But it has been called South Lake since a long time ago.

It was during the Tang that the South Lake became a sightseeing attraction. Thanks to the large-scale rice farming organized by the government and advanced irrigation systems put into place， Jiaxing witnessed economic prosperity never seen before. It was said back then that a bumper harvest in Jiaxing benefited neighboring regions along the Yangtze River and the Huai River. Lu Zhi， a prime minister of the Tang， had a house and a pavilion built on an isle in the South Lake， where he kept some cranes. Pei Xiu， a prime minister and calligrapher of the Tang， had a villa built by the South Lake. The isle and the villa as well as a Buddhist temple by the lake became sightseeing attractions.

The best known attraction of the South Lake is the Misty Rain Pavilion. Today， it stands on an isle in the center of the Lake. It dates back to a lakeside pavilion built by Prince Qian Yuanliao， fourth son of Qian Liu， the king of the Wuyue State during the Five Dynasties （907-960）， a period between the Tang and the Song （960-1279）. From the pavilion the prince could take a commanding view of the lake. From historical accounts it can be deduced that the pavilion was located on the eastern bank of the lake. The pavilion collapsed in the early years of the Southern Song （1127-1279）. During the Jiading period （1208-1224） of Emperor Ningzong of the Southern Song， the pavilion was restored on the same spot by Wang Xilyu， Minister of Personnel. The new pavilion was short-lived. It was destroyed in the Yuan （1279-1368）. It made a grand comeback in 1547， that is， in the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）. The governor of Jiaxing Prefecture had the city moat dredged and had all the silt and rubbish removed to the center of the lake and had a small isle built there. The governor then had a pavilion built on the isle and named it Misty Rain Pavilion after learning about the previous sightseeing structure from a local scholar.

The pavilion dilapidated over years. In 1582， it was restored by Gong Mian， then governor of Jiaxing Prefecture. The governor had a platform built in front of the pavilion and giving it a name suggesting good luck to young scholars who were going to sit for the top imperial examination. It just happened that a scholar from Jiaxing became the nations top scorer of the imperial examination in 1583. The pavilion and the platform became famous， attracting numerous visitors from all over Jiaxing and beyond as the isle became a symbol of cultural prosperity of Jiaxing. Gongs ecstasy knew no bounds and had a series of new buildings added to the isle.

The pavilion underwent two refurbishments respectively in 1600 and 1632. In the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911）， some more buildings were added. The basic structure of attractions on the isle has remained.

The South Lake is more than a sightseeing attraction in Jiaxing. The scenic lake is also the centerpiece of a history of local culture and art. There are poems， stories， and opera plays with the lake as the center or as the background. The first poems about the South Lake were written by Qiu Wei， a poet of the Tang Dynasty. He retired to the lake and wrote a few poems about his experiences on the lake. In fact， of all the poets who composed poems that mentioned the South Lake are some big names such as Liu Changqing and Su Dongpo. Though Liu Changqing and Su Dongpo are more prominent poets， Zhu Yizun （1629-1709）， a native of Jiaxing and poet of the Qing Dynasty， wrote more popular poems about the South Lake. He wrote 100 in the format of boat song， a popular local poetry genre. The 100 boat songs add up to be a general introduction to Jiaxing and many of the 100 are about the South Lake. Zhus poems about Jiaxing were so popular that quite a few local poets adopted the format and wrote similar poems. Boat songs by more than 70 poets have come down in history.

And there are numerous anecdotes about celebrated personages who visited Jiaxing and did sightseeing on the South Lake. The best known of them all is Emperor Qianlong who reigned from 1735 to 1796. On his six inspection tours from the capital in the north to Jiangnan， or the south of the Yangtze River Delta， he visited the Misty Rain Pavilion eight times and wrote 15 poems about the pavilion. Moreover， under his decree， an exact replica of the pavilion on the South Lake was made in Chengde Imperial Mountain Resort， a summer palace of the dynasty built over a period of 90 years and about 230 kilometers from Beijing.