◇ 文|本刊記者 陳科龍 圖| 游 宇

東水門至南紀門沿江一帶的下半城，是重慶這座城市最為古老的城區(qū)。

早在數(shù)百年前，這一帶連檐烏瓦之下，來自本幫外埠的客商販夫、船工腳力，把重慶這片大碼頭營造得風聲水起，熱鬧非凡。

彼時，販夫船家們沿著江邊碼頭石階搭建起吊腳樓，比鄰而居。那些家中殷實的富商巨賈，則在半山坡上，營造起山墻高聳的寬門大宅。

半個世紀以來，那些沿江層層疊疊的吊腳樓已所剩無幾，那些雕鏤精美的百年老宅也大都消逝。

所幸的是，道門口一處有著近三百年歷史的老宅保存了下來。

Lower urban areas from Dongshuimen to Nanjimen along the Yangtze River are the oldest districts in Chongqing.

Hundreds of years ago, countless market transactions made by local boaters or merchants from other cities flourished this thriving city.

At that time, boaters and merchants built up their stilted buildings along the river-side wharf in close proximity. However, rich merchants set up their magnificent compounds on half hillside.

Over the half century, very few stilted buildings and exquisite compounds existed as time went on.

Fortunately, an ancient compound with a history of nearly three hundred years in Daomenkou, Yuzhong District is properly preserved.

西南首富“湯半城” The Richest Man in Western China—Tang Bancheng

仲夏，山城的陽光很好，照得人有些睜不開眼。從小什字經(jīng)打銅街往道門口方向走，一路上人聲鼎沸、車水馬龍。

道門口公交車站對面的人行道旁，一面黃燦燦的土墻在陽光下甚是醒目。黃墻邊上，“消逝的時光都讓它重返”的廣告語，溫潤，極具情懷。

一塊黑色招牌上，“謝家大院”四個大字設計得頗有些現(xiàn)代感。從招牌左側(cè)一條不起眼的小巷進去，沿著不到兩米寬的石梯坎向下走十多步，就來到了謝家大院的大門前。

說到這座大院，不得不提到它曾經(jīng)的兩個主人：謝藝誠和湯子敬。

謝藝誠是江西臨川人，祖輩明末清初時來到重慶。清同治年間，他開辦的“謝億泰”布行，是西南最大的布行，后來又把業(yè)務拓展到商行、錢莊，構(gòu)筑起重慶最早的金融地圖。

湯子敬則是謝藝誠的同鄉(xiāng)，因兵禍致家道中落，從故鄉(xiāng)流落到重慶。14歲時，他拜師謝藝誠，謝藝誠見其聰明篤厚，喜愛有加，手把手教其學藝。從管賬、內(nèi)事、跑街做起，湯子敬逐漸熟悉經(jīng)商秘訣，成為謝藝誠的得力助手。

湯子敬30歲時，謝藝誠把女兒嫁給了他，并幫助他發(fā)展事業(yè)。擅于經(jīng)營的湯子敬，逐漸成為重慶商界的泰斗，一度成為西南地區(qū)的首富，時稱“湯百萬”。

由于湯子敬大量投資購買宅院，其院落遍及重慶大街小巷，人稱“湯半城”。

In midsummer, the sunshine of Chongqing is quite bright. Streets from Xiaoshizi to Daomenkou are jostled with large crowds and vehicles.

Beside the sidewalk opposite to Daomenkou Bus Stop, a cob wall shines brightly in sunlight. On the edge of the wall, a conspicuous slogan “Get Back to the Old Times” shows reminiscent of the past.

On a black signboard, four characters “Xie’s Family Compound (Xiejiadayuan)” are modern designed. Passing through a small lane on the left side of the signboard and walking down the stone ladder,we came to the gate of Xie’s Family Compound.

Speaking of this compound, I have to mention its two owners: Xie Yicheng and Tang Zijing.

Xie, born in Linchuan, Jiangxi Province, came to Chongqing with his ancestors in late Ming Dynasty. During Emperor Tongzhi’s reign in Qing dynasty, he opened a cloth store called “Xieyitai”,which was the largest cloth store in southwest of China. Later he expanded his business to various sectors, constructing the earliest financial map of Chongqing.

Tang was the fellow-villager of Xie and Xie took Tang as his apprentice when Tang was 14 by the virtue of his intelligence and sincerity. Starting from managing accounts, internal and commercial affairs, Tang became Xie’s favorite assistant after being familiar with the tricks of business.

Tang married Xie’s daughter at 30 and helped him develop business. Tang was skilled at operation and became a leading businessman in western China and was called “Millionaire Tang”.

Since his house properties spread all over Chongqing, he was also called “Tang Bancheng (half of the city)”.

匾額里的謝氏典故 The Tale of Xie’s Family

站在謝家大院門前的巷道，看著這挺立了三百年春秋的謝家大宅門，恍惚間給人一種“穿越時空”的感覺。與小巷上面熱鬧的街市相比，這里十分安靜。

小巷子名喚太華樓巷，呈東西向，東起江邊東水門碼頭，向上經(jīng)過湖廣會館后，再西接舊時的絲綢絹帛集散地陜西路。雖地處昔日的繁華之地，但老巷子里卻顯得格外幽靜，深深的石階小巷山墻高聳，少有人家，更無商戶，如今只有這謝家的宅院。

老宅的大門門樓呈八字形，青磚筑墻，條石砌門，大門兩側(cè)雕刻的喜鵲鬧梅圖栩栩如生。門旁分列雕花石門墩，朱紅色大門上古銅色的門環(huán)完好無缺。

門上還懸有木架蓮花門罩，雖說有些破舊，但還算保存較好，檐板、撐拱、垂花短柱等木構(gòu)精雕細鏤。大門上的匾額“寶樹傳芳”四個字雖然斑駁，但還能依稀辨認。

“寶樹傳芳”是有典故的。相傳東晉謝安因淝水之戰(zhàn)有功，當時孝武帝駕臨謝安府邸，在庭院中看到一棵非常雄偉壯碩的大樹，便指著那棵大樹說：“此乃謝氏之寶樹也?！庇谑?，謝家堂號就以皇帝賜句為“寶樹堂”。在唐代王勃的《滕王閣序》里也引用了這個典故：“非謝家之寶樹，接孟氏之芳鄰。”后來，各地謝姓人家開始將“寶樹傳芳”刻于大門門楣，作為家族榮光。

Embodied the beauty of peace and tranquil,Xie’s primitive compound gate gives us an illusion of time travel.

Taihualou Lane runs east to west. To the east lies Dongshuimen wharf and connects ancient silk distributing center by Huguang Guild Hall to the west. Although the lane with towering walls was prosperous in the old days, yet now it seems to be very quiet and solitary.

Lively magpies are carved on both sides of the magnificent splayed gate. Two stone plinths carved with various flowers and patterns separate the vermilion gate, with knockers properly preserved.

Exquisite wooden structures including lotusshaped cover, eaves board and short columns are also well preserved. Four characters “Baoshuchuanfang” carved on the gate tablet become blurred yet still recognizable.

“Baoshuchuanfang” has its literary allusion. It was said that Xie’an in Eastern Jin Dynasty made so great contributions to the success of Feishui Battle that Emperor Xiaowu personally came to Xie’s compound, where he saw a lofty tree and thought it was a tree of treasure. Therefore he granted Xie’s Hall as “Baoshutang”. This allusion was widely spread and all Xie’s family began to carve“Baoshuchangfang” on their lintel.

愛聽戲的謝家人 Playgoers—Xie’s Family

進入大門后，是第二道石門。兩道石門之間有一個小天井，也有叫過井的，過去有客拜見，下人進屋傳話，客人就在此等候；主人作揖送客，也送到這里為止。

跨入兩道石門后便入了宅院。大院分為前堂、后堂，分別有兩處石板天井，天井內(nèi)的石缸雕刻精美，盛滿水，波光粼粼。前堂迎客、議事，后堂則是休息的地方，兩側(cè)是作臥室的廂樓，院子四角有木梯上下。同行的渝中區(qū)文管所工作人員告訴我們，當年謝藝誠家人住在樓上，丫鬟和傭人則住在樓下。

屋內(nèi)朱紅、墨黑交錯，富貴而大氣。飛檐上雕刻著精美的龍頭魚身和葡萄雕像，隨處可見的雕花構(gòu)建讓人目不暇接。繁復的花鳥紋在柱頭檐口間的額枋、雀替、牛腿上纏繞盤曲，穿插自如，令人不得不佩服古人高超的雕鏤技藝。

院子中間有座雕花的閣樓，是昔日的小戲臺。小戲臺如今已被徹底封存了起來，里面沒有了漂亮的花旦、小生，也聽不見那些千古傳唱的浪漫愛情戲。

一塊額枋的正中，刻有一幅戲文故事，二十多個人物栩栩如生，據(jù)說畫的是“鍘美案”，包公審陳世美的戲文。

細細想來，刻下這幅“鍘美案”，或許是喜歡聽戲的謝家人，定是要湯子敬引以為戒，別學陳世美做那忘恩負義之人。

After entering the gate, the second stone-gate jumps into our eyes. Between the two gates lies a small open yard. In the past, this small yard was a place for message passing and seeing off.

Two flagstone open yards divide the compound into front and rear halls. Inside the yard, stone cylinders are filled with sparkling water. Every part of this compound is elaborately designed for different purpose, which reflects the essence of ancient people’s wisdom. Our companion, staff of Administration of Cultural Relics at Yuzhong District, told us that upstairs lived the family of Xie, and downstairs were their maids and servants.

Rooms are blazed with fantastic color and our eyes are dazzled by eaves carved with exquisite sculptures.The complexity of the flower-bird patterns twining around architrave, sparrow brace and bracket are indications of superb ancient craftsmanship.

In the middle of the compound lies a carved attic,which used to be a performance stage. Unfortunately,the attic is sealed up due to the preservation of cultural relics, so we fail to enjoy these romantic plays.

The center of an architrave is carved with more than 20 lifelike characters, among which Bao Zheng is interrogating Chen Shimei, usually known as“Chen Shimei’s Beheading Case”

Xie’s families are fans of classic plays. I was wondering maybe they hope this carving can remind Tang of learning lessons from Chen Shimei’s beheading case and always being grateful to his benefactors.