Qiqihar, formerly known as "Bukui", is the starting point of the ancient golden station, located in the southwest of the Songnen Plain, with thousands of miles of fertile fields and abundant water and grass, and was once the capital of Heilongjiang.
I've been to Qiqihar twice, but I've passed through it seventy or eighty times, right? It is the only way to travel between my hometown and Harbin, so in my mind, it is the "Shanhaiguan" of Heilongjiang. Out of Qiqihar, to the north, the scenery is vast, even the wind is hard; However, from Qiqihar to the south, it is warm step by step, and the more you walk, the brighter you go.
Compared with the cities of the Central Plains, the history of Qiqihar is not very long. More than three hundred years ago, the Qing government sent Jilin water divisions to garrison Qiqihar, which gradually became popular. During the puppet Manchu period, Ma Zhanshan led his troops to defend the river bridge against japan, which took place here. After the founding of New China, it is an important industrial base of the country, and the famous first heavy machinery factory, the first and second machine tool factory, the Qiqihar Vehicle Factory and the three major military industrial production enterprises in China are all here. It can be said that Qiqihar is a giant in the construction of new China.
Don't think that this steel-rich city has a cold face and a majestic temperament, but in fact, it is beautiful and has a soft heart. There are more than 170 rivers in Qiqihar, such as the Nen River, the Nomin River, the Yalu River, the Khandahan River, the Wuyuer River, etc., in addition, there are more than 800 small lakes and blisters, and the Daur people, who live by fishing and hunting, rest and recuperate here. In the Daur language, "Qiqihar" means "natural pasture", and this northern city is indeed like a vast pasture.
Today's Qiqihar, the most well-known to the world, is the Zhalong Wetland Nature Reserve, where the bird paradise, the famous red-crowned crane inhabits there, so Qiqihar is also called "Crane City".
This protected area is more than 20 kilometers away from Qiqihar and covers an area of about 40,000 square kilometers. Every year in April and May, when everything recovers, those rare birds that go to the south to overwinter, swans, egrets, white cranes, etc., will gather together in clusters, carrying the mighty spring wind and flying back to the north. They probably think that the wildflowers in the northern wetlands are not large enough, and they deliberately use their flower-like posture to fly in the green grass to add color to the northern wilderness. Among these migratory birds, the most eye-catching is the crane. Of the fifteen crane species in the world, Zalong has six species: red-crowned cranes, white-headed cranes, white-naped cranes, egrets, white cranes and grey cranes. Among them, the red-crowned crane is called "crane" and is particularly loved.
The crane is the most beautiful bird, it has a small head and long neck, slender legs, is the "ballet angel" of birds, flying gracefully, and landing lightly and silently. Cranes have a lifespan that is about the same as that of humans, so the glory and disgrace they feel in the world and the rise and fall, like us, they have become the birds with the most vicissitudes. Last year, I watched a feature film about the Zhalong Nature Reserve, in which a red-crowned crane, because it had lost its partner, stood lonely by the water's edge, and from time to time spread its wings against the wind, mourning incessantly. The red-crowned crane is particularly loyal to love, one crane is gone, and the other is never looking for a partner. Looking at the lonely, sad red-crowned crane, my tears flowed down.
More than ten years ago, in the summer, I set off from Daxing'anling, and after a night trip to Qiqihar, I saw a thrilling picture. The sun had just come out, and outside the window was the fresh and moist morning of the Great Plains. Suddenly, in a thick green grass, a white crane rose up and skimmed through the air. The plains were brilliant enough because of the sunrise, but it was not enough, and a sunrise was dedicated to it. Cloaked in glow, its head facing the dew, fluttering and sprinkling, it flew like a spirit, illuminating the tired travelers in the car. This unexpected "sunrise" made me understand that it was the masters of the Great Plains, and we were just hurried visitors.