我的名字是文森·佩杜瓦隆。我接受過建筑師專業(yè)教育,目前在溫州肯恩大學(xué)教授建筑學(xué)課程。
雖說在溫州已生活7年,城里城外都住過,卻依然感覺還沒看全、看夠溫州的旖旎風(fēng)光和鄉(xiāng)村景色。曹村鎮(zhèn)就是這么一個(gè)地方。
曹村鎮(zhèn)是同事向我推薦的。曹村鎮(zhèn)是由14個(gè)村莊和一個(gè)有田園風(fēng)光的山谷組成。在當(dāng)?shù)貛孜绘?zhèn)干部陪同下,我造訪了曹村鎮(zhèn)下屬的村莊。這幾個(gè)村莊是當(dāng)?shù)貥O力想對(duì)外推介的。之后我又多次去曹村,試圖了解當(dāng)?shù)仫L(fēng)景何以如此迷人。
法國(guó)地理學(xué)家奧古斯丁·伯克將風(fēng)景定義為連接人類與周邊環(huán)境的紐帶。他認(rèn)為風(fēng)景文明有五大標(biāo)準(zhǔn):風(fēng)景有一個(gè)或幾個(gè)名字,有關(guān)于風(fēng)景的文獻(xiàn),有風(fēng)景畫,有建筑物可欣賞,有花園。他因此認(rèn)為風(fēng)景起源于中國(guó)六朝,尤其在現(xiàn)在的江浙一帶有特別發(fā)展。奧古斯丁·伯克特別指出,六朝時(shí)期的畫家宗炳首次將風(fēng)景的形與神相關(guān)聯(lián),而歐洲則在一千年后的文藝復(fù)興時(shí)期才形成風(fēng)景文明。
在我看來(lái),風(fēng)景保護(hù)在中國(guó)尤其在浙江具有特別的意義。
位于溫州南部的瑞安市曹村鎮(zhèn)被列為浙南地區(qū)首個(gè)鄉(xiāng)村保護(hù)項(xiàng)目之一。這一地區(qū)的風(fēng)景,歷經(jīng)本地居民500多年的打造,山谷與周圍的村莊形成了別具一格的風(fēng)光。
尊敬與保護(hù)
這一保護(hù)項(xiàng)目令人贊嘆之處在于,歷史建筑雖然大多已杳無(wú)蹤跡,但當(dāng)?shù)卣畢s保存了這一風(fēng)景文化的精華,即田園風(fēng)味濃郁的風(fēng)景、周圍的村莊以及村莊與地形完美的關(guān)聯(lián)。
許岙村是曹村鎮(zhèn)14個(gè)鄉(xiāng)村中的一個(gè)。村中的許岙亭,是曹村僅存的若干建于20世紀(jì)之前的古建筑之一,與許岙亭相對(duì)的永勝橋也是清朝建筑。許岙亭至今依然能遮風(fēng)擋雨,同時(shí)也是村民們集體觀看電視的場(chǎng)所(這是村民所喜歡的一種交流形式,雖然他們家里都有電視)。
許岙亭與永勝橋仿佛解說詞,令人贊嘆地講述華東地區(qū)公共空間與水的密切關(guān)聯(lián)。梅龍溪沿許岙村蜿蜒,村民沿溪而居,梅龍溪仿佛是主街:是交通和公眾活動(dòng)的場(chǎng)地(在許岙亭),也有洗滌、垂釣等與水相關(guān)的各種活動(dòng)。
沙帽橋完美地體現(xiàn)了人與自然那種若即若離的關(guān)系。它的巨大的橋墩,顯然是一塊溪中的巨石,本地人在巨石之上添加了一些體積較小的石頭,構(gòu)成橋體,橫跨溪流。
當(dāng)?shù)剞r(nóng)民在橋邊不遠(yuǎn)處建造了一個(gè)巧奪天工的裝置,抽取溪水灌溉農(nóng)田。農(nóng)民在風(fēng)景改造中體現(xiàn)的簡(jiǎn)潔和經(jīng)濟(jì)的方式甚是美妙,完全有必要作為寶貴的文化遺跡予以保留。
老臺(tái)門是曹村的老古董之一,建于晚清,西方古典建筑的風(fēng)韻依稀可見。老臺(tái)門還是絕佳的取景鏡框,古建筑成為觀看者與風(fēng)景之間的標(biāo)尺。房屋坐落在山腳,從前與田野毗連。屋舍與農(nóng)田之間,過去有院子,現(xiàn)在老墻殘存,但保存幾近完好,足以讓人暢想當(dāng)時(shí)從內(nèi)向外可以看到怎樣的風(fēng)景:風(fēng)景并非現(xiàn)代全景式的,而是半遮半掩的。當(dāng)時(shí)的墻,遮住了近在眼前的日常鄉(xiāng)村景色,卻能顯示出天邊秀美的山巒。
新動(dòng)態(tài)
曹村鎮(zhèn)是國(guó)家級(jí)美麗鄉(xiāng)村建設(shè)示范點(diǎn)。除保護(hù)外,當(dāng)?shù)卣O(shè)計(jì)了一系列景點(diǎn),這些景點(diǎn)完美地闡釋了曹村鎮(zhèn)風(fēng)景和文化的主要特點(diǎn)。
梅龍書院是舊址重建。在這里,我覺得可以將文化風(fēng)景定義為學(xué)者風(fēng)景:學(xué)術(shù)世界(學(xué)者與書院)與中國(guó)文化氛圍中的自然環(huán)境之間,存在著由來(lái)已久的關(guān)聯(lián)。這讓我想起諸如屏山書院那樣的韓國(guó)新儒學(xué)書院。屏山書院體現(xiàn)的不僅是儒教文化對(duì)周遭環(huán)境的深厚敬意,還有對(duì)學(xué)院周圍山地風(fēng)景的深刻了解。梅龍書院還讓我觸景生情地想到了浙江、江西、江蘇一帶文人寫作的風(fēng)景詩(shī)。我覺得,這種學(xué)者與自然環(huán)境的密切關(guān)聯(lián)是中國(guó)特有的,歐洲直到15世紀(jì)才將文化內(nèi)涵賦予風(fēng)景。
第一次造訪曹村時(shí),從塔上遠(yuǎn)望,看見趙山渡引水渠從山谷的一邊橫貫到另一邊。從規(guī)模上講,水渠也算是能與風(fēng)景相提并論的唯一建筑物(此處將基本建設(shè)項(xiàng)目視為建筑)。這讓我想起瑞士建筑師蓋凡提1970年在瑞士提契諾設(shè)計(jì)的一個(gè)美麗項(xiàng)目:高達(dá)5米的橋邊上有眾多公共游泳池首尾相連,泳者可一邊游泳一邊觀賞瑞士美麗風(fēng)景。從曹村這個(gè)水渠,我們觀賞山谷美景,不必看古老建筑,也不必聽各種逸聞趣事,而是要沉思幾百年以來(lái)人們?nèi)绾卧谶@里居住并造就風(fēng)景,沉思這里的鄉(xiāng)村文化歷史。
垟心島公園位于山谷中央兩大河流交匯之處。為吸引游客,當(dāng)?shù)卣O(shè)計(jì)了這個(gè)公園。公園是一個(gè)親水平臺(tái),游客可漫步,可垂釣,亦可在草地上悠閑地躺著消磨時(shí)光。
這里我們要理解的,并不僅僅是討論小組標(biāo)注的不同要點(diǎn),而是幾百年來(lái)當(dāng)?shù)剞r(nóng)人既要與洪水抗?fàn)幱忠喔绒r(nóng)田這一事實(shí)。
在曹村,雖說大多數(shù)磚木建筑均已被現(xiàn)代水泥結(jié)構(gòu)取代,但最重要的卻得以保留,那便是它的風(fēng)景。這里的風(fēng)景不能與旅游雜志上照片中的美輪美奐的風(fēng)景相提并論,但卻彰顯多少個(gè)世紀(jì)以來(lái)人與自然和諧相處的真實(shí)關(guān)系。
曹村對(duì)文化風(fēng)景的保護(hù)是一項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn),我希望這一實(shí)驗(yàn)會(huì)給中國(guó)其他地區(qū)帶來(lái)啟發(fā),讓風(fēng)景承載文化。
風(fēng)景保護(hù)遠(yuǎn)不止于肉眼可見的遺產(chǎn)或者地區(qū)旅游名牌,風(fēng)景保護(hù)是讓我們向祖先學(xué)習(xí)如何與環(huán)境和諧相處,如何將環(huán)境改造得既成為能讓人豐衣足食又能持續(xù)發(fā)展并具有活力。風(fēng)景保護(hù)涉及到美學(xué)(我們?nèi)绾螌徱暛h(huán)境)、倫理(工作者建造的環(huán)境)和環(huán)境方面的諸多內(nèi)容。
Discovering Caocun Cultural Landscape: Landscape Preservation in Wenzhou Region
By Vincent Peu Duvallon (France)
My name is Vincent Peu Duvallon. I am trained as an architect in France, and I am currently teaching architecture in Wenzhou-Kean University.
Although I have lived in and out Wenzhou for more than seven years, I still have to discover new amazing places and landscapes. Caocun town, actually a network of 14 villages around an agricultural valley, is one of these. Recommended by my colleagues, I have been guided by the local public servants through the several sites that they decided to promote. But amazed by this amazing landscape, I have been there again several times since my first visit to try to understand what makes Caocun so particular.
French geographer Augustin Berque defines landscape as the mediation between human kind and its environment. What defines a landscape civilization for him is the combination of five criteria: one or several names to name landscape, a literature about landscape, landscape painting, an architecture to enjoy landscape, and ornamental gardens. Therefore he situates the birth of landscape during the period of the Six Dynasties (317-589) in China, particularly the region around Jiangsu and Zhejiang. He particularly insists on the work of Zong Bing (宗炳) who related the physical characteristics of landscape to its spiritual value. Europe would only become a landscape civilization during the renaissance, one thousand years later. Therefore for me, landscape defines Chinese civilization and landscape preservation takes a particular dimension in China and particularly in the region of Zhejiang.
The Town of Caocun, in Ruian, south of metropolitan Wenzhou is one of the first large scale preservation operations done in the south of Zhejiang. Its landscape had been forged by its inhabitants for more than 500 years giving the valley its particular form.
Respect &Preservation
What is amazing in this preservation operation is that although most of its historical architecture has disappeared, local authorities have been able to preserve the essence of its culture: the agriculture landscape, the settlements around and their relation to the topography.
Xu‘a(chǎn)o village is one of the 14 villages in Caocun. In the middle of the village,there is a Xuao Pavilion, which is one of the last architecture heritage built before the 20th century in Caocun, and the Yongsheng Bridge facing it is an amazing infrastructural heritage also dating from the Qing Dynasty. And the pavilion is still in use, providing shelter and space for the villagers to watch TV.
This pavilion and the bridge are an amazing narrative of this strong relationship that links water in public space in Easter China. The Meilong Creek structures the entire Xuao village settlements, with its construction on both sides forming the main street, but also organizes the public life: communication, public activities (in the pavilion) as well as all activities related to the water: washing, fishing and so on.
Shamao Bridge is a beautiful example of this ambiguity between what belongs to the realm of nature and what belongs to the manmade. Its huge column is obviously a massive stone that was there and local people just added some small stones for the lintels that link the both edges of the river.
In addition, around this bridge, local farmers have developed a very ingenious apparatus to take the water from the stream and redirect it for agriculture irrigation. The amazing economy of means in the farmers landscape crafting is beautiful, and need to be preserved as cultural treasures.
Laomentai (Old Gate) is one of the few pieces of heritage in Caocun. We can date this architectural fragment easily to the late Qing dynasty with its subtle influences from western classical architecture. More than the gate itself, what has been preserved is the way it frames the landscape, and how this historical architecture provides an intermediary scale between the viewer and the landscape. The house is located at the edge of the fields, at the bottom of a mountain. The wall that surrounded the courtyard between the house and the fields is almost intact and gives us an idea of the way landscape was perceived: not all revealed like a modern panorama but partly hidden. The wall hid the daily agricultural life but didnt hide the beautiful mountains on the horizon.
New Developments
Caocun is part of a national landscape preservation program and is one of its experimental sites. Besides preservation, local authorities have designed a series of sites that narrate the key landscape and cultural features of the area.
Meilong Academy is a reconstitution of an old house. Here I think we could define cultural landscape as a scholarly landscape: this long tradition of relationship between the academic world (scholars and academy) and the natural environment in the Chinese cultural sphere. It reminds me of the Neo-Confucian academies in South Korea, such as the Byeongsan Seowon, which embodies the profound respects that Confucian culture has for natural environment but also the high knowledge of the mountainous landscape they develop in the way that settles their academy in its settings. It also reminds me of all the landscape poetry that have been done by scholars, in this same region, in Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Jiangsu, and that structured our ways of perceiving landscape. I think this relation between scholars and the natural environment is very specific to China and I cant see in European tradition such a cultural construction of the landscape until the 15th century.
During my first visit to the site, and looking at the valley landscape from the tower we saw previously, I was amazed by a long construction—Zhaoshandu Aqueduct, which is the only piece of architecture (we consider here infrastructure as architecture) that has the scale of the landscape, and crosses the valley from one side to the other. It immediately made me think of a beautiful project that the Swiss architect Aurelio Galfetti did in Ticino in the 1970s: a series of public swimming pool arranged along a 5-meter-high bridge that gives the users an amazing perspective on the Swiss landscape. From this aqueduct in Caocun we can grasp the treasure of this valley, not some old buildings or some specific anecdotes, but the centuries old history of man inhabiting landscape, the cultural history of this countryside.
Yangxindao Park is located at the heart of the valley, at the confluence between two of its main rivers. In order to attract tourists, the local authorities have designed this interesting park that provides a more recreational access to the water, for fishing, for laying or for strolling.
What we have to understand here is not necessarily the different points that are marked on the panel, but its how this landscape has been built over centuries by farmers fighting with (the) flood, fighting with irrigation for their fields.
In an area where most historical wood-and-brick architecture has been replaced by concrete structure, Caocun has preserved what is the most important: its landscape. Not an ideal picture you see in the travel magazines, but an authentic relationship to the natural environment, transformed by mankind over centuries of settlements. Its agriculture landscape but also the villages, that even doesnt count much of historical building, preserved its original footprint, between the fields and the mountain, along the water, on the edge of landscape. Caocun heritage is not only its natural or manmade features. It is the way we understand our relation to the environment, and how we inhabit the world. This is what had been preserved and what constitute a universal treasure.
The preservation of Caocun cultural landscape is an experiment that I hope will inspire other regions in China, where landscape is so profoundly anchor it its culture.
Landscape preservation goes beyond tangible heritage, and touristic regional branding. It gives us a lesson from past generations of how to relate to the environment, and transform it into a productive, sustainable and resilient landscape. Landscape preservation addresses aesthetic (our perception of the environment), ethics (the environment as the built by the working class) and environment issues.