◇ 文|本刊記者 圖|

與大多數(shù)長江邊上沿江平行而建的古鎮(zhèn)不同，石柱的西沱古鎮(zhèn)顯得有點“另類”——唯一與長江形成垂直布局。西沱原名“西界沱”，這個占據(jù)著水路交通先天優(yōu)勢的地方，似乎一出世就已決定了它將是一個商業(yè)重鎮(zhèn)。

早在秦漢時期，西沱就已經(jīng)因鹽而成為川東地區(qū)重要的商業(yè)重鎮(zhèn)。上世紀(jì)七八十年代，每逢趕場天，西沱總是摩肩接踵。

穿越千年，西沱古鎮(zhèn)由盛轉(zhuǎn)衰，又于當(dāng)下涅槃。古鎮(zhèn)游的興起，正吸引著越來越多的游客，再度向古鎮(zhèn)聚攏。

Unlike most of ancient towns parallel to the Yangtze River, Xituo Town seems a bit "alternative"being vertically built along the river. Xituo was originally called "Xijietuo". The place occupying the natural advantage of waterway transportation was predestined to be an important commercial town.

As early as in Qin and Han Dynasties, Xituo Town has been dominant in commerce in the east of Sichuan Province depending on its salt resources. In the 1970s and 1980s, the town was always in hustle and bustle when it came to the market day.

After thousands of years, Xituo Town experienced both prosperity and decline. It is prosperous again today. With the rise of tourism wave of ancient towns, more and more tourists are being attracted to come to Xituo Town.

因鹽而生的貨物周轉(zhuǎn)中心

Turnover Center of Salt

上午的太陽已明晃晃地眷顧了西沱古鎮(zhèn)。我們沿著西沱古鎮(zhèn)的云梯街拾級而上，兩旁的老舊建筑靜靜地立著。在幽深的云梯街某個拐角處，一隊“背腳子”迎面而來。

譚碧祥就走在隊伍中間。

這自然不是當(dāng)年真實場景，卻真實還原了歷史深處的某一段風(fēng)云。鹽運背景下誕生的特殊角色“背腳子”，當(dāng)下成為西沱古鎮(zhèn)向游客展示的一個項目。

現(xiàn)在的云梯街，曾是“背腳子”們背著鹽前往湖北湖南的必經(jīng)之路。云梯街上，歷經(jīng)千年歲月打磨的青石板，棱角已經(jīng)被打磨得格外圓潤，依山而建的當(dāng)?shù)孛窬?，層層疊疊向上延伸。想象一下雨天，當(dāng)淅瀝瀝的小雨打在青石板上，遠處青山如黛，近處水滴落到石板上的凹痕里，傳來啪啪聲響，那是一種典型的中式水墨意境。

提到這些凹痕，就不得不提西沱商業(yè)繁榮的另一個重要因素，鹽。忠縣、巫山、巫溪一帶，自古便是井鹽的生產(chǎn)重地。民國時期，僅這三地便有鹽井四百余口。古時，這一地區(qū)鹽井所產(chǎn)出的鹽，大多便是通過西沱向外運輸。

當(dāng)鹽通過水路運到西沱碼頭后，即改為陸路，用肩挑背扛的方式向外運輸。因此，西沱古鎮(zhèn)上也誕生了一項古鎮(zhèn)上特有的、傳承千年的職業(yè)“背腳子”。云梯街上那些凹痕，便來自于千百年來“背腳子”們歇腳時，用手杖支撐、常年累月杵出的痕跡。

過去，一名“背腳子”啟程后，至少要背上120斤以上的鹽，行走33天，往返于湖南與西沱兩地。返程時，又需要將山羊皮、桐油、藥材等背回西沱。商販則會將“背腳子”帶回的山貨、桐油、藥材等貨物，通過水路販賣到長江上游地區(qū)。

由于西沱碼頭上商旅往來頻繁，與人們衣食住行息息相關(guān)的諸如茶水鋪、客棧、飯館、藥鋪等等商業(yè)業(yè)態(tài)，便開始在這里聚集。據(jù)當(dāng)?shù)乜h志記載，西沱一帶，曾有店鋪三百多家。

The ancient town is shiny in the morning sun.We went up the Yunti Stairs and old buildings stand quietly on both sides. At the deep corner of the Yunti Stairs, a line of “carriers” can be seen.

Tan Bixiang was among them.

It is sure not the real scene of that year, but it restores a certain period of history. It was a special group of "carrier" in the background of salt carrying,which has been an attraction that tourists would be introduced.

The Yunti Stairs were the only way for the"carriers" to carry salt to Hubei and Hunan Provinces.The edges and corners of the bluestones have been polished particularly round after thousands of years,and local dwellings, extending upward with layers, are at the foot of the hills. A picture of typical Chinese ink could be imagined: in a rainy day, the green hills in the distance are bathed in dark, and the nearby water drops sound pattering dripping into the dents of the bluestones.

The mention of these dents reminds people of salt,another important factor leading to the commercial prosperity of Xituo Town. Zhongxian County, Wushan Mountain, and Wuxi County have been important production areas of Jingyan County since the ancient times. In the period of the Republic of China, there existed over four hundred salt wells in these three places. In the ancient times, well salts produced in this region were largely transported to other places through Xituo.

After the salts were transported by water to the Xituo Wharf, landway was then adopted for further transportation by shoulder and back. Therefore, a peculiar occupation of labor transportation of the "carrier" was born and passed down from generation to generation. Those dents were left by the "carriers" from generation to generation when they rested by sticking canes to the bluestones.

In the past, a "carrier" walked between Hunan Province and Xituo Town with at least 60 kilograms salts for 33 days. Goatskins, tung oils, herbs were carried by them to come back to Xituo. Merchants would sell these goods brought by the "carriers"to the upper reaches of the Yangtze River through waterway.

Due to the frequent business communication in the Xituo Wharf, commercial activities such as tea shops, inns, restaurants, and pharmacies began to gather here. According to local county records, there were more than 300 shops in the Xituo area in that time.

古老商業(yè)街上生活往事

Life on the Old Commercial Street

至今，當(dāng)?shù)厝诉€清楚記得這句話：譚家的銀子，楊家的頂子，黃家的錠子（拳頭），都比不過熊家的藥鋪子。

這是對當(dāng)年西沱古鎮(zhèn)形態(tài)的最好描述。譚家人擅長經(jīng)商，古鎮(zhèn)上德盛強、永貿(mào)強、永城商號等商鋪，都是譚家人的產(chǎn)業(yè)。楊家人以子嗣中做官的多而聞名，碼頭附近的下鹽店便是當(dāng)年楊氏家族的住宅。黃家人子嗣眾多，“人多”自然“勢眾”，打架斗狠誰也敵不過。最為出名的還要數(shù)在西沱鎮(zhèn)上做藥材生意的熊家，熊家主人熊福田早年留學(xué)日本，學(xué)過西醫(yī)，是古鎮(zhèn)上最早的中西醫(yī)結(jié)合醫(yī)生。

當(dāng)年的古鎮(zhèn)上，商業(yè)競爭相當(dāng)激烈。碼頭的繁榮，讓各地客商在此云集，商會也隨之出現(xiàn)。二圣宮便是當(dāng)年山東商人與山西商人合建的會館，里面同時供奉著孔子與關(guān)羽。現(xiàn)在二圣宮門口的一對石獅上，還能看出端倪，兩只石獅的頭，分別向著山東和山西方向。

古鎮(zhèn)上有一處單獨的關(guān)帝廟，實際上是因為后期山西商人實力變強，單獨另立會館。古鎮(zhèn)上的禹王宮，是當(dāng)年湖廣一帶商人的會館。紫云宮處，曾有秦良玉行宮，更多為當(dāng)?shù)厝思漓?。而萬天宮，則是當(dāng)年四川人的會館。

以前的西沱，誰掌握了碼頭，誰就擁有話語權(quán)，使用碼頭難免有紛爭，此時便是袍哥上場的時候。據(jù)當(dāng)?shù)剜l(xiāng)民的說法，最初碼頭為楊家人所建，后來譚家人因為各種糾紛，也立志建自家碼頭，最后終于達成所愿，在楊家的碼頭上游，又建起了一座碼頭。

自古以來，古鎮(zhèn)上往來交流的，除了貨物還有文化。在水路交通占據(jù)絕對優(yōu)勢的很長一段時間里，古鎮(zhèn)一直是時尚的弄潮兒。古鎮(zhèn)居民回憶，上世紀(jì)八十年代初，很多人還不知鄧麗君時，古鎮(zhèn)人就已經(jīng)在船員的帶領(lǐng)下，哼起了鄧麗君的歌，也穿起了花襯衫。

Up to now, the locals still say that the drug store of the Xiong family dwarfs the money of the Tan family, officials of the Yang family and fists of the Huang family.

which best described Xituo Town in that time.The Tan family was good at business, and the shops such as Deshengqiang, Yongmaoqiang, and Yongchengshanghao all belonged to the Tan family.The Yang family was well-known for having many officials, the Xiayan Shop near the wharf was the family's residence. Members of the Huang family were so numerous that whoever couldn't win them in fights, because just as a Chinese idiom says that many hands provide great strength. However, the Xiong family operating medicine business were particularly famous. The family owner Xiong Futian once studied in Japan and studied western medicine. He was the town's first doctor to combine traditional Chinese medicine with western medicine.

Business competition was fierce in this old town.The prosperity of the wharf attracted business men from various places, which directly started chambers of commerce. The Holy Palace was jointly built by merchants from Shandong and Shanxi provinces, in which Confucius and Guan Yu were enshrined. We can still see some clues from the pair of stone lions at the entrance of the palace, they turned to the direction of Shandong and Shanxi respectively.

The separate Guandi Temple actually was for Shanxi merchants after they became much strong later. Yuwang Palace was the assembly hall for the merchants in the area of Hunan and Hubei Provinces.There was Qin Liangyu Palace in Ziyun Palace, which was for worships for the locals. And Wantian Palace was the assembly hall of Sichuan people.

In the past time, whoever mastering the dock had the speak power. Therefore disputes were inevitable, which was often mediated by Paoge (a folk organization). According to local people, the initial wharf was built by the Yang family. And various disputes stimulated the Tan family to construct its own one. So a new dock was then built in the upper reaches of the Yang family's.

Since ancient times, cultural exchanges were also popular in the ancient town in addition to goods. For a long time of waterway transportation being dominant,the ancient town was at the forefront of the fashion.The residents recalled that boatmen had taught them to sing the songs of Teresa Teng who was known by rare people in the early 1980s. And flowery shirts had also been introduced to the ancient town at that time.

千年古鎮(zhèn)重獲新生

The Renaissance of the Thousands-year-old Town

隨著交通條件的改變，“背腳子”這一鹽運孕育出的特殊工種，早已消失在歷史長河中。

然而，背夫號子沉寂數(shù)十年后，再度在古鎮(zhèn)曲折幽深的云梯街響起。

如今，“背腳子”成了古鎮(zhèn)上一支特殊的演出隊伍，隊長便是祖上兩代人以“背腳子”為生的彭家勝?！氨衬_子”的表演者們翻出了父輩的服飾，背上當(dāng)?shù)鬲氂械谋雏}工具扁背，還著馬燈。他們穿行在青石板鋪就的云梯街上，吼起久違的背夫號子，帶著游客一起穿越千年風(fēng)云。

目前，西沱古鎮(zhèn)在保護傳統(tǒng)文物、保持民居原始風(fēng)貌基礎(chǔ)上，對古鎮(zhèn)建筑進行修復(fù)。據(jù)說，云梯街將在今年10月開街。屆時，二圣宮的戲臺上，鑼鼓將再度敲響，川劇、土家儺戲等，都將輪番上陣。

古鎮(zhèn)上豐富的文化交流，將立春打春牛這一習(xí)俗演變成了玩牛。與舞獅有些類似，人們披著“牛皮”，模仿著牛在田間的各種姿態(tài)。未來，西沱還準(zhǔn)備成立全國玩牛聯(lián)盟，舉辦全國玩牛大賽。

由于運鹽這一特殊的背景，古鎮(zhèn)上歷來就少不了鹽幫，也孕育出不少民俗活動。過去每逢端午、龍?zhí)ь^等節(jié)日，每個鹽幫都會組織自己的舞龍隊伍，進行舞龍比賽，沿途居民參與其中，不斷向巨龍潑水。目前，古鎮(zhèn)上的舞龍隊伍也已重新組建完成，巨龍沿著古鎮(zhèn)云梯街而行，舞出各種花樣，游客還可以參與到潑水的互動中來。

穿越千年的江邊古鎮(zhèn)，正在涅槃。

The development of transportation mode has replaced the means of the "carrier".

However, the work song is played again in the winding and deep Yunti Stairs after decades of silence.

Today, a special performance team of the"carrier" is organized to commemorate those labors depending on their back and feet. The team leader is Peng Jiasheng whose ancestors for two generations once lived their lives as "carrier". The performers of"carrier" wear the clothes of their ancestors, carry the unique local tools for salt, and take the lanterns. They perform on the Yunti Stairs paved with bluestones singing the work song. Tourists are taken back to the history.

At present, Xituo Town is in the restoration on the basis of protecting traditional cultural relics and maintaining its original features. Accordingly, Yunti Stairs will be opened to tourists in October this year.At that time, on the stage of Ersheng Palace, gongs and drums, the Sichuan Opera, and Tujia Opera will be shown.

The rich cultural exchanges in the ancient town have developed the custom of whipping cattle on the Start of Spring into imitating cattle. Similar to lion dance, people wear "cattlehide" imitating various postures of cattle working in the field. Xituo Town intends to set up national cattle performing alliance and held competition in the future.

The special background of transporting salts gave birth to certain organizations and many folk activities.In the past, they would organize their own teams for dragon dance on every Dragon Boat Festival,Dragon Heads-raising Day, etc.. Residents nearby would participate in it and constantly splash water to the giant "dragon". So for the work of regrouping the dragon dance team has been completed. The giant"dragon" walked through the Yunti Stairs and danced out a variety of tricks. Tourists are allowed to interact by splashing.

The ancient town with a history of thousands of years is rallying to boom.