·清代田雪峰繪《水西莊修禊圖》

一直繁華興盛的歷史名園水西莊，至清道光年間開始呈現(xiàn)出衰落景象。天津地方官員對(duì)它進(jìn)行了兩次重修。第一次是道光八年(1828),重修后，天津著名詩人梅成棟結(jié)梅花詩社于其中，使“勝地重游息煥然” 。第二次重修是道光二十二年 (1842),由直隸按察使陸建瀛倡議，經(jīng)過4年的努力，恢復(fù)了芥園 “古柳藏門” 的舊貌，畫家田雪峰繪作了 《水西莊修禊圖》,許多文人學(xué)士會(huì)聚于此。崔旭有詩贊曰： “芥園高傍衛(wèi)河旁，樓閣參差映綠楊； 曾是當(dāng)年詩酒地，行人猶指水西莊?！?br>水西莊的莊主，是中國旺族查氏家族。查氏分南查和北查，南查在浙江海城，后世有香港著名的武俠小說大師查良鏞，即金庸。北查在順天宛平(今屬北京),從尚未公布于世的 《宛平查氏支譜》看，查氏北遷是從七十三世查樸開始的，到七十八世查日乾，移居天津，因經(jīng)營鹽業(yè)發(fā)了家，查日乾和其長子查為仁便于清雍正元年(1723),始建了刻意杰作水西莊。該莊園位于天津城西三五里，“地周百畝，水木清華，為津門園亭之冠，中有攬翠軒、枕溪廊、數(shù)帆臺(tái)、藕香榭、花影庵、碧海浮螺亭、泊月舫、繡野簃、一梨春雨諸勝” ( 《天津縣志》 )。
乾隆年間，水西莊又進(jìn)行了3次大規(guī)模的擴(kuò)建。第一次在乾隆四年(1739),查為仁兄弟3人新辟 “屋南小筑” ,又稱舍南小筑。第二次是乾隆十二年(1747),查為仁擴(kuò)建 “小水西” ,“小圃新成復(fù)向西” 。第三次是乾隆二十二年(1757年),查日乾之次子查為義在水西莊東側(cè)建介園。清高宗出巡，分別于乾隆十三年、三十六年、三十八年、四十一年，慕名4次駐蹕水西莊，并即興賦詩。一次春夏之交，紫芥盛開，“龍心大悅” ,揮筆賜名 “芥園” ,使水西莊名聲大振。經(jīng)過在水西莊之南、之西、之東的3次擴(kuò)建，水西莊達(dá)到了150多畝。乾隆三十五年(1770),在“芥園”東側(cè)修建了河神廟，園盛之余又添廟熱之況。道光年間又進(jìn)行兩次修葺，使水西莊前后興盛了150多年。
咸豐三年(1853)和同治十二年(1873),水西莊兩次被淹，園基日頹； 加之廟僧任意開畦種菜，引泉植竹，加速了園林的荒蕪。無怪乎詩人感嘆： “問柳尋花過水西，萬竹煙雨綠凄凄。雪泥鴻爪痕何在？行到河干路欲迷?！?華鼎元《津門征跡詩》 )到光緒二十六年( 1900) ,水西莊被軍警所占，園內(nèi)名勝被踐踏殆盡。1912年，濟(jì)安自來水公司在此占地營廠。隨后聚豐曲店、貧民小學(xué)、北洋火柴公司，也相繼踏進(jìn)。至此水西莊面目全非。當(dāng)年河神廟的那對(duì)珍品石獅子，也被移至現(xiàn)今建設(shè)路自來水公司守衛(wèi)大門了。
水西莊不單是桃妖柳娜，水曲廊回的一般私人別墅，更是集園林之大成，達(dá)文化之高峰的文化大觀園。它薈萃的知識(shí)精英數(shù)量，是空前的，前后不下百人； 它舉辦的飲酒賦詩盛況是空前的，百多年間舉辦了一千多場(chǎng)。水西莊具有文人的高文化特征，交融的深文化特征，綜合的大文化特征。它是中國古典名著《紅樓夢(mèng)》大觀園的重要原型之一?？谑鍪凡牧险f明，曹家被抄家后，少年的曹雪芹(13歲),曾客居在水西莊。周汝昌先生認(rèn)為，水西莊的發(fā)掘，是紅學(xué)研究的突破性進(jìn)展。水西莊的興衰歷史，是清代王朝、乃至中國封建社會(huì)興衰之變的歷史縮影。
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.

·原水西莊的一對(duì)石獅 (現(xiàn)擺放自來水公司門前)

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.

·慕園老人(查日乾)攜孫采菊?qǐng)D (中部)