Jiexiu has a long history and founded during Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 B.C.) and became an important township during the period when the State of Jin was separated into three parts in early years of the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 B.C.). In February 1992, it was designed Jiexiu City and has become an important tourist city in central Shanxi Province. Jiexiu City boasts many historical and cultural sites. It is the hometown of three persons of virtue: Jie Zitui (676-635 B.C.), a minister of the State of Jin, who refused the confer from Lord Wen of the State of Jin for his great merits and went to hide on the Mianshan Mountains together with his mother; Guo Linzong (128-169), a great educator from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220); and Wen Yanbo (1006-1097) who was senior statesman working for 50 years for four emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). Jiexiu is one of the birthplaces of culture of Shanxi businesses and the culture of loyalty and filial piety. The culture of loyalty and filial piety on the Mianshan Mountains in Jiexiu has been developed mainly owing to a dozen celebrities from history including Jie Zitui, Guo Linzong and Wen Yanbo who are famous for their loyalty and filial piety.
Jie Zitui followed Chong Er, a prince of the State of Jin, and lived outside his hometown for 19 years and cut his leg flesh to cook food for the starving prince. After Chong Er returned to the State of Jin and became Lord Wen, he entitled Jie as one of his ministers for his great merits. But Jie refused and went back to his hometown in Xiaxian County. In early spring of 635, Jie Zitui went to his maternal grandmother¡¯s home in Xiaosongqu Village in Jiexiu (Dingyang County) together with his mother in order to avoid the lord. After knowing the news, Lord Wen asked his neighbor Xie Zhang to be his guide to Jiexiu to find Jie Zitui. Jie refused to accept the offer and carried his mother on his back to the Mianshan Mountains and lived on cold food in a cave. Lord Wen tried to persuade Jie Zitui to help him in his administration and came to the foot of the mountain together with his ministers. He sent his men to climb up the mountain and called Jie to come out of the cave. But Jie did not show up. At this time, some treacherous ministers advised the king, ¡°Jie Zitui is a worthy progeny. If we light fire on three sides, he should come out from one side carrying his mother on his back.¡± Then the treacherous court officials Gu Yan and Zhao Shuai lit the fire on four sides. The fire became strong in the spring wind and burnt for three days. The fire stopped Jie coming out together with his mother. Then Lord Wen sent his ministers to look for Jie on the mountain and finally found a piece of broken weed mattress in the cave. Lord Wen looked carefully at the mattress and found some words on it and found some words on it. The words say, ¡°I cut my flesh for making food for you in order to express my loyalty. I hope the king to reward me the Pure Brightness Festival. I do not regret I will die. But I hope you will be sober and calm in your administration of state affairs.¡± After reading the words, Lord Wen was sad and regret. To remember Jie, the king renamed the mountain Jieshan Mountain and the county the Jiexiu County. Also he designed the day the mountain was burnt the Cold-Food Day and banned the people in the state to cook the food with fire for three days, having cold food only.
The story of Jie Zitui is moving and has been spread for more than 2,000 years in China. Jie Zitui¡¯s loyal character of cutting leg fresh for cooking food for the starving Chong Er and refusing any offer from the king has become praiseworthy treasure of the Chinese culture of loyalty and filial piety. Marshal Ye Jianying placed Jie Zitui on the bar of Qu Yuan in his related article and wrote ¡°there is Qu Yuan in the south and Jie Zitui in the north.¡± Today people pay their respects to the dead on the Pure Brightness Festival to express their missing of loyal and bright people like Jie Zitui but also persuade the people to be a pure and clean people.
Guo Linzong, a native of Guojia Village in Jiexiu, was born in 128, or the third year of Yongjian reign period (126-132) of Emperor Shundi of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). His father died when he was a child. He lived with his mother. Although he came from a poor family he had lofty aspiration and studied very hard. He was wise and of great learning. He could see clearly what happened in the world and made many friends. Later he became the leader of tens of thousands of scholars. He was praised as Mr. Morality for his good conducts to follow virtue and morality. Also he had it as his assumed name. When he came to Luoyang on his study trip, he always tried his best to help backward people even some not benevolent people. He was a reputable leader, upright by nature, not seeking power and hating bitterly corruption. He refused to be court official on three occasions and was praised as one of the eight scholars who influenced others with their own conducts from the Eastern Han Dynasty. He won high reputation in the country. When he left Luoyang for his hometown, thousands of scholars stood on the bank of the Yellow River to say goodbye to him. Later, he lectured in his hometown without any subsidies from the imperial court. He had some 1,000 disciples. In early spring of 169, Emperor Ling ordered to arrest or killed hundred of famous figures and arrested some 1,000 scholars. When Guo knew the news, he was sad and fell ill. On his deathbed, he said to his disciples, ¡°The Han Dynasty has not too many days to go.¡± Knowing his death, many scholars, totaling 1,000, came to his funeral. Although Guo was unwilling to be official, he had clear political viewpoints and opinions. He was not interested in fame or wealth. Instead, he educated people in morality. He had some 1,000 disciples and had pupils all over the country. As a leader of tens of thousands of students and a well-known educator, he showed filial obedience to his mother, did not seek any rights. Also he was diligent and was a scholar famous for his loyalty and filial piety.
