中华名园水西庄的修葺

·清代田雪峰绘《水西庄修禊图》

一直繁华兴盛的历史名园水西庄，至清道光年间开始呈现出衰落景象。天津地方官员对它进行了两次重修。第一次是道光八年(1828),重修后，天津著名诗人梅成栋结梅花诗社于其中，使“胜地重游息焕然” 。第二次重修是道光二十二年 (1842),由直隶按察使陆建瀛倡议，经过4年的努力，恢复了芥园 “古柳藏门” 的旧貌，画家田雪峰绘作了 《水西庄修禊图》,许多文人学士会聚于此。崔旭有诗赞曰： “芥园高傍卫河旁，楼阁参差映绿杨； 曾是当年诗酒地，行人犹指水西庄。”
水西庄的庄主，是中国旺族查氏家族。查氏分南查和北查，南查在浙江海城，后世有香港著名的武侠小说大师查良镛，即金庸。北查在顺天宛平(今属北京),从尚未公布于世的 《宛平查氏支谱》看，查氏北迁是从七十三世查朴开始的，到七十八世查日乾，移居天津，因经营盐业发了家，查日乾和其长子查为仁便于清雍正元年(1723),始建了刻意杰作水西庄。该庄园位于天津城西三五里，“地周百亩，水木清华，为津门园亭之冠，中有揽翠轩、枕溪廊、数帆台、藕香榭、花影庵、碧海浮螺亭、泊月舫、绣野簃、一梨春雨诸胜” ( 《天津县志》 )。
乾隆年间，水西庄又进行了3次大规模的扩建。第一次在乾隆四年(1739),查为仁兄弟3人新辟 “屋南小筑” ,又称舍南小筑。第二次是乾隆十二年(1747),查为仁扩建 “小水西” ,“小圃新成复向西” 。第三次是乾隆二十二年(1757年),查日乾之次子查为义在水西庄东侧建介园。清高宗出巡，分别于乾隆十三年、三十六年、三十八年、四十一年，慕名4次驻跸水西庄，并即兴赋诗。一次春夏之交，紫芥盛开，“龙心大悦” ,挥笔赐名 “芥园” ,使水西庄名声大振。经过在水西庄之南、之西、之东的3次扩建，水西庄达到了150多亩。乾隆三十五年(1770),在“芥园”东侧修建了河神庙，园盛之余又添庙热之况。道光年间又进行两次修葺，使水西庄前后兴盛了150多年。
咸丰三年(1853)和同治十二年(1873),水西庄两次被淹，园基日颓； 加之庙僧任意开畦种菜，引泉植竹，加速了园林的荒芜。无怪乎诗人感叹： “问柳寻花过水西，万竹烟雨绿凄凄。雪泥鸿爪痕何在？行到河干路欲迷。”(华鼎元《津门征迹诗》 )到光绪二十六年( 1900) ,水西庄被军警所占，园内名胜被践踏殆尽。1912年，济安自来水公司在此占地营厂。随后聚丰曲店、贫民小学、北洋火柴公司，也相继踏进。至此水西庄面目全非。当年河神庙的那对珍品石狮子，也被移至现今建设路自来水公司守卫大门了。
水西庄不单是桃妖柳娜，水曲廊回的一般私人别墅，更是集园林之大成，达文化之高峰的文化大观园。它荟萃的知识精英数量，是空前的，前后不下百人； 它举办的饮酒赋诗盛况是空前的，百多年间举办了一千多场。水西庄具有文人的高文化特征，交融的深文化特征，综合的大文化特征。它是中国古典名著《红楼梦》大观园的重要原型之一。口述史材料说明，曹家被抄家后，少年的曹雪芹(13岁),曾客居在水西庄。周汝昌先生认为，水西庄的发掘，是红学研究的突破性进展。水西庄的兴衰历史，是清代王朝、乃至中国封建社会兴衰之变的历史缩影。
After enjoying a long-term prosperity,the historicalgarden Shuixizhuang began to lose its lusters in theperiod of Emperor Daoguang in Qing Dynasty. Officials in Tianjin organized two repairsin 1828 and 1842 respectively. The lasting renovation efforts enabled the garden to enjoy a lasting prosperity of 150 years. The garden was originally owned by the Zha family,which could be divided into two branches. In south,the Zha folks mainly dwelt inHaicheng of Zhejiang Province.The contemporary swordsmanwriter Zha Liangyong in HongKong,widely known for his penname Jin Yong,is from the southernbranch. In north,they mainly lived in Wanping. Anunpublished pedigree disclosed that Zha Pu,who was the73 descendent of the Zha family,was the first migrating into the north. Zha Riqian,the 78 descendent of the Zha family,later moved to Tianjin,wherehe became rich for salt business.Zha Riqian and his eldest sonZha Weiren began to build theShuixizhuang in 1927.
Located some miles western of Tianjin,the garden is famousfor its landscape and pavilions.

·原水西庄的一对石狮 (现摆放自来水公司门前)

During the period ofEmperor Qianglong,anotherthree large-scale repairs wereorganized in 1739,1747 and1757 respectively. After that,the garden got enlarged to150 mu (1 mu equals to 667 square meteres) from theoriginal 100 mu. The emperor of Qing Dynasty at thattime paid four visits to the garden,bringing great fame for it.
In 1853 and 1873,the garden was flooded twice,threatening the safety of the foundation. Besides,theunplanned planting of bamboo by monks accelerated thedesolation of the garden. By the year 1900,the gardenwas occupied by army and police,who nearly destroyedall its landscape. In 1912,Ji`an Tap Water Companybuilt a factory in the garden. After that,several othercompanies as well as a primary school were movedinto the garden,totally changing the appearance of thegarden. For example,the two stone lions which used tostand before the River God Temple inside the gardenhave been relocated before the gate of the tap watercompany.
Famous not only for its peach and willow trees,theprivate garden was also a token of traditional Chinesegardening art. It witnessed the gathering of more than100 outstanding persons by organizing more than 1,000parties. It was believed as one of the antetypes of theChinese classic novel - A Dream of Red Mansion. Oralhistorical materials indicated that Cao Xueqin,authorof the work,used to live in Shuixizhuang when hewas 13 and his family`s assets were confiscated. ZhouRuchang,a well-knowen researcher on A Dream of RedMansions,said the excavation of Shuixizhuang Gardenis a breakthrough development on the research of themasterpiece work.The ups and downs of Shuixizhaungare an epitome of the history of Qing Dynasty as well asof the feudal society of China.

·慕园老人(查日乾)携孙采菊图 (中部)