If the mountain is not high, it will be famous if there are immortals; if the water is not deep, if there is a dragon, it will be spiritual. The small Xinghua Village became famous due to the poem "Qingming" written by Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty. As a result, many Xinghua Villages popped up across the country, and they all claimed that Du Mu's works were authentic. But over the past thousand years, who is the Xinghua Village in Du Mu's novel has long been an open case, and it is difficult to verify.

Some time ago, an article was published in the column "Jinling Evening News? Old Nanjing". The author believed that Xinghua Village in Nanjing was a "Ming Dynasty product" and not the "Xinghua Village" described by Du Mu. It is indeed difficult to verify the latter sentence, but I still have different opinions on the first sentence.

The earliest extant chronicle in Nanjing, "Jingding Jiankang Chronicle", was compiled by Ma Guangzu, the prefect of Jingding in the Southern Song Dynasty, and co-authored by Zhou Ying. The book clearly records in the twenty-third volume that "there are two military strongholds, one at Hutoushan outside the south gate of the city, and the other at Xinghua Village in the city."

This shows that during the Southern Song Dynasty, the name of Xinghua Village existed in the city of Jiankang (now Nanjing). Unfortunately, it is only stated here that the general location of Xinghua Village is within the city, and the specific location is unknown.

However, in the article "Phoenix Terrace" in Volume 22 of "Jingding Jiankang Chronicles", a poem by Yang Wanli (Chengzhai), a famous poet in the Southern Song Dynasty, is recorded: "The thousand-year-old Phoenix Terrace, which is hundreds of feet long, is gone." When the tide returns, the phoenix will not return. The egrets are in the north and the rivers are blooming. The apricots are blooming in the west. The dragons and tigers are in the mountains and rivers. From ancient times to the present, there are only mourning places where the immortals are banished and the spring breeze is in charge of blowing the spiders."

This poem mentions that the poet looked far into the distance from Phoenix Terrace and saw a large area of ??apricot flowers blooming west of Wuyi Lane. The former site of Xinghua Village in Nanjing is Hualugang on the south side of Jiqingmen in today's Jianye District, just west of Wuyi Lane. Therefore, the apricot blossoms in the west of Wuyi Lane are most likely where Xinghua Village was located in the Song Dynasty.

The "Complete Poems of the Song Dynasty" records the poet Wan Qishaozhi's "Jinling Suburban Journey": "Quickly lift Jinle and walk through the countryside, and the east wind blows in your face to wake up your soul. The good scenery lingers all day and night, "I will pass by Xinghua Village when I come to court." It also shows that Xinghua Village on the outskirts of Jinling was a beautiful scene in the Song Dynasty.

Du Mu (803 AD - about 852 AD), courtesy name Muzhi, also known as Fanchuan Jushi, was of Han nationality and was born in Jingzhao Wannian (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province). Du Mu was an outstanding poet and essayist in the Tang Dynasty. He was the grandson of Prime Minister Du You and the son of Du Congyu. In the second year of Emperor Wenzong of the Tang Dynasty, he was awarded Jinshi at the age of 26 and was awarded the title of School Secretary of Hongwen Hall. Later, he went to Jiangxi to observe the envoys, transferred to Huainan Jiedu, and then joined the observation envoys. He was in charge of the compilation of the National History Museum, served as a member of the Ministry of Food, Bibu, Si Xunyuanwailang, and the governor of Huangzhou, Chizhou, and Muzhou.

Because he lived in the Fanchuan Villa in South Chang'an in his later years, he was later called "Du Fanchuan" and wrote "Collected Works of Fanchuan". Du Mu's poems are famous for their seven-character quatrains. The content is mainly about chanting history and expressing feelings. His poems are handsome and refreshing, and contain many historical things. He achieved great success in the late Tang Dynasty. Du Mu was called "Xiao Du" to distinguish him from Du Fu, "Big Du". Together with Li Shangyin, he is known as "Little Li Du".