在距北京市中心西南近300公里处，坐落于河北省石家庄市北部的滹沱河畔，有一座国家级历史文化名城。那里的古建筑曾深深吸引梁思成。
1933年四月的一天，黄昏时分，梁思成教授和同伴从北平乘火车抵达正定火车站。由此拉开了他考察河北正定古城的序幕。
梁思成在隆兴寺转轮藏殿檐下（正定县文旅局供图）
“我因在进城后几分钟内所得到的印象，才恍然大悟正定城之大出乎意料之外。但是当时我却不知在我眼前这一大片鳞次栉比屋舍之中，还蕴藏着许多宝贝。”这是梁思成后来回忆时所说的话。这段话在《品读正定》中引述。该书作者为孙万勇，曾任中共正定县委书记。
"I was struck by the grandeur of Zhengding within minutes of arriving, which came as a surprise to me. However, at the time, I was unaware that amid the densely packed houses there were many treasures waiting to be discovered," Liang was quoted as saying in Pindu Zhengding ("savoring Zhengding"), a book by Sun Wanyong, a former Party secretary of the county.
正定历史悠久，文化璀璨，有1600多年的建城史。与中国许多其他古城不同之处在于，正定的许多古建筑经过战火和自然灾害的侵蚀，仍然幸存了下来。如今，约10平方公里的古城内，分布着10处国家级文保单位、5处省级文保单位。此外，还有7600余件馆藏文物。
正定自古就有“九楼四塔八大寺，二十四座金牌坊”之说，形容名胜古迹之多。其中，四塔，是指坐落在四座寺庙中的古塔。而八大寺，则指正定城内分布着的八座寺宇。如今，有五座依然保存完好。
Within the small historical county, which covers less than 10 square kilometers, there are dozens of ancient structures, including 10 national-level key cultural heritage protection units, five provincial-level cultural protection units, and more than 7,600 cultural artifacts in the local museum collection. Today, 38 ancient buildings still exist in the county seat. Zhengding was mainly known for its "nine towers, four pagodas, and eight major temples, along with 24 ornamental archways", evidence of its abundance of famous historical sites dating back to as early as the Sui Dynasty (581-618).
其中，最著名的要属规模宏大的隆兴寺。梁思成称其为“京外名刹之首”。隆兴寺为国务院公布的首批全国重点文物保护单位，国家AAAA级旅游景区。始建于隋开皇六年（586年），是我国现存时代较早、规模较大而又保存较完整的一座著名的佛教寺院。据孙万勇书中介绍，在梁思成日后的古建筑研究中，多次称隆兴寺是“精彩的、伟大的，是那样的深邃”。
正定隆兴寺 （摄影 赵尤）
正定隆兴寺（摄影 张余）
Among them, Liang referred to Longxing Temple as one of the most well-known temples outside Beijing. Built in 586, it is one of the earliest and largest well-preserved Buddhist temples in China, and it left a deep impression on him. In his later research on ancient architecture, he repeatedly referred to Longxing as "brilliant", "magnificent" and "profound", according to Sun.
看到隆兴寺转轮藏，他称之为“是中国现存的唯一第十世纪的真正可以转动的佛经的书架。转轮藏殿之结构，尤为精巧，是木构建筑之杰作……使我们高兴到发狂。”
"It has the only surviving revolving Buddhist scripture bookcase from the 10th century in China. The structure of the bookcase pavilion is particularly exquisite, a masterpiece of wooden architecture. It made us ecstatic, and happily thrilled," Liang was quoted as saying, upon seeing the Zhuanlunzang Ge, or revolving bookcase pavilion, at Longxing Temple. The quote is recorded in Sun's book.
正定隆兴寺转轮藏 （摄影 张余）
此外，隆兴寺内的五彩悬塑倒坐观音，为佛教美学艺术的上乘之作。这尊观音像，头戴宝冠，身披璎珞，一足踏莲，一足踞起，两手自然抚膝，神态恬静自若。
正定隆兴寺五彩悬塑倒坐观音（摄影 张余）
正定隆兴寺千手观音（正定县文旅局供图）
距离隆兴寺不远处，还有一座天宁寺。其中的凌霄塔，为一座砖木混合平面呈八角形的楼阁式塔，塔高40.98米。还有位于开元寺内建于唐贞观十年（636年）的须弥塔，高42.5米，是一座砖石结构九级密檐式方塔。这些使经历了疲劳旅途的梁思成心情豁然开朗。
The statue, in a sitting posture, wears a crown, draped in ornaments. One foot rests on a lotus, while the other rests on the thigh. Both hands are placed naturally on the knee, exuding a sense of tranquillity. The statue breaks with the stiffness often associated with religious images, and embodies a more natural and graceful presence.
正定天宁寺凌霄塔（正定县文旅局供图）
正定开元寺须弥塔（摄影 张余）
第一次到访后，梁思成又多次来到正定，发现、测量或拍摄的建筑物18处，详细绘制摩尼殿、转轮藏阁、阳和楼、县文庙大成殿等八处图纸，形成了考察总结，将正定古建筑列入中国建筑的典范和教材。
“如果说，这些都体现了梁思成的爱和暖，那么，对修缮保护好正定古建筑，则是殷切的希望和期待。”孙万勇在《品读正定》中写道。带着梁思成的希望，20世纪80年代以来，正定一大批古建筑得到有效保护，隆兴寺的摩尼殿、临济寺的澄灵塔、开元寺的须弥塔等陆续得到修缮。
正定广惠寺华塔（正定县文旅局供图）
正定临济寺澄灵塔（正定县文旅局供图）
"If all of this reflects Liang's love for Zhengding's ancient buildings, then the meticulous restoration and protection of these ancient buildings embodies his earnest hopes and expectations," Sun says. The county has not let Liang down. Since the 1980s, its ancient buildings have been protected, and buildings like the Moni Dian in Longxing Temple and the Xumi pagoda have been restored.
时光快进到当下的2024年，正定县已成为中国华北地区著名的旅游胜地之一，吸引着来自全国各地甚至海外的游客。
初到正定，游客可以沿着古城那条主要的历史文化街道燕赵南大街漫步，你会看到身着汉服的年轻游客，或嬉戏玩笑，或以寺庙红墙为背景打卡拍照，呈现出古今交融的美感。待华灯初上，南城门便成为正定最热闹的地点之一，它靠近这条古文化街的最南端。假期期间，人们涌上城门，欣赏正定古城美丽的夜景。站在南城门上，从南向北望去，整个县城的景色尽收眼底，令人惊叹。最引人注目的元素要属那几座被照亮的古塔。
正定南城门（摄影 武志伟）
Walk along Yanzhao South Street, a major historical and cultural street in Zhengding lined with temples on both sides, which leads to the Nanchengmen ("south gate") area, and you'll see tourists dressed in hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing), strolling along the street, joking, and posing for photos against the backdrop of red brick walls.
对于36岁的北京游客李楠来说，正定是她周末带家人出行的最佳选择之一。当然，不像梁思成在20世纪30年代花了十个小时才到达正定，李楠一家四口乘坐的火车只用了一个多小时便到达目的地。
“第一天，我们乘高铁到正定，然后参观了几个著名的景点，包括隆兴寺和荣国府。”“我们还品尝了许多当地的美食，比如八大碗。晚上看了看正定夜景，品尝了最近火爆的夜市小吃。”
正定荣国府 （摄影 赵尤）
2024年国庆假期期间，在正定荣国府上演多场沉浸式演绎（正定县委宣传部供图）
她的行程是经典的正定一日游路线。说起正定之旅，李楠说她回去要向她的同事朋友们推荐这个宝藏地。确是周末好去处。“那里食物很美味，古建很壮观。如果有导游讲解古建筑的细节和故事，你会更好地了解它们，”她说道。
Her itinerary is typical of a one-day tour of Zhengding. Rong Mansion, or Rongguo Fu is a group of buildings built in the 1980s in the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), and is based on the classical novel Dream of the Red Chamber by Qingera writer Cao Xueqin. "The food was delicious, while the ancient buildings were magnificent, but you can only get to know them better if you go with a guide, who can tell you details and stories about the old buildings," she says.
记者：张余
（文章内容部分节选自孙万勇著《品读正定》）