The green peacock inhabits the Ailao Mountain

Reckless Mourning Mountain

Not long ago, when I returned to my hometown, I heard from the villagers that in the deep mountains and dense forests around the village of red bean trees and small water wells, some people saw green peacocks. I am surprised and happy that my hometown of Shuangbai is a sparsely populated land in the eastern foothills of the middle section of the Ailao Mountain in Yunnan Province, which is far from urban noise and human pollution, and has been the home of green peacocks since ancient times.

As early as the autumn of 2017, a piece of news attracted countless people's attention: the green peacock known as the king of the hundred birds and the prototype of the Chinese sacred bird Phoenix reappeared in Shuangbai. According to reports, there are less than 10,000 green peacocks in the world, and only 500 in China, distributed in the Ailao Mountains of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture and neighboring borders, there are more than 200 in Shuangbai, and there are more than 20 groups of more than 100 animals found in the Area of The Empty Dragon River in Shuangbai Ejia Town. Green peacock body length of 180 cm to 230 cm, belongs to the large chicken, male peacock feathers are emerald blue-green, the top of the head has a cluster of upright crown feathers, the lower back of emerald green, copper luster, male posture, beautiful abnormality, is a national level key protected animals, is listed as a critically endangered species.

Why does the green peacock appear in Shuangbai? The double cypress forest in the Ailao Mountains is dense, which is an important green barrier at the source of the Red River, the core area of the Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve, the highest altitude is 2946 meters, the lowest altitude is 556 meters, the four seasons are distinct, the daylight is sufficient, the rainfall is abundant, the altitude difference is large, and it has the components of the flora of the cool, warm and hot three belts, which is suitable for the survival of various animals and plants. From the satellite cloud map, the Ailao Mountains are interspersed with mountains and rivers, the canyons are longitudinal, the majestic and dangerous, the forest and the sea are vast, just like a "green gem" embedded in the southwest frontier of the motherland, and the green fertile soil of 4045 square kilometers of shuangbai is the most shining part of the gem.

According to the records of Shuangbai County, Shuangbai is the ancient "Pu people" settlement, which was originally the ancestor of the indigenous Yi people, the "Black Kuoman" tribe. In the second year of emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (109 AD), Yizhou County was established, and Shuangbai was one of its 24 counties. When I first arrived in Zhixian County, I saw that the territory of the county was full of dense forests, and I didn't know what county to name for a while. When he saw that there were two tall and large ancient cypress trees at the gate of Jingle'an County, where the county government was located, he suddenly came to the inspiration and named it Double Cypress, which has been used to this day.

This place named after a tree lives up to its name. If you walk into this mysterious land, no matter which township you go to, you will be surrounded by verdant greenery. Countless tourists, photographers, painters, writers and poets who travel from south to north have worked hard for several days, often only to see the corner of the Ailao Mountain, hate not to grow wings, rise and fall freely like birds, and see through and tour the mysterious and colorful Ailao Mountain.

In the territory of Shuangbai County, the three mountains are standing, the five peaks are stacked with greenery, the forest sea is reckless, and the mountains are green and lush, the water is beautiful, and the kingfishers fly. Green is the "base color" of double cypress. Dense forests, water resources are bound to be abundant, Shuangbai County's 2325 rivers and streams are dotted with jasper, babbling streams between mountains and forests, wild and lively waterfalls on the mountainside can be seen everywhere. The land moistened by mountains and rivers is destined to be a fertile land of abundance and abundance. Fragrant flowers and plants, turquoise trees in all seasons, crystal clear water, soothing and clean white clouds, the beauty of the four seasons of the year makes people intoxicated, but also makes a variety of animals fascinated.

The green mountains and green waters drunk tourists, and also attracted the sacred bird "Phoenix". In the face of today's dazzling greenery, looking back on the past, there have also been sad pains. Before the founding of New China, the people in the mountains slashed and burned, wantonly destroyed forests and opened up wasteland, and the forest damage was extremely great. After the founding of New China, in the era of planned economy, the timber of shuangbai was harvested in large quantities. In those years, Shuangbai popularized a saying that "dance the 'golden hoop stick' (wood), shake the 'banana fan' (flue-cured tobacco)", flue-cured tobacco needs to be roasted with firewood, and the wood consumption is amazing. By 1990, the amount of living standing wood in Shuangbai County had dropped to 8.207 million cubic meters, and the forest coverage rate had dropped to 37.5%. The mountains are light, the water is dry, the rivers are dry, and the original beautiful Ailao Mountain has become lifeless and lifeless.

In September 1998, the state banned the logging of natural forests, closed mountains and cultivated forests, and afforestation became the consensus of the people. Shuangbai County has 8 forest farms, in the past completely cut down trees as a business, after the ban on logging, workers put down axes and saws, picked up hoes and pickaxes, from tree cutters to tree growers. More than 20 years have passed, by the end of 2017, the amount of living standing wood in Shuangbai is 20.5167 million cubic meters, the forest coverage rate has risen to 84.3%, the county has achieved a total forestry output value of 2.03 billion yuan, the per capita forestry income of farmers has reached 2500 yuan, and the Ailao Mountains have been re-clothed with green clothing.

In the spring, it is warm and cold, countless wildflowers are blooming, thousands of birds fly from afar, playing and singing in the blossoming mountains, ready to build nests and settle down, breed offspring; in summer, the trees are verdant, the mountains soaked by the rain seem to suddenly awaken, black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, chicken fir and other mountain treasures emerge in batches, no wonder people name it "kingdom" of wild mushrooms; in autumn, the forest is dyed, the melons and fruits are fragrant, and various fruits attract countless birds to eat in the woods. Little squirrels and some unknown small animals jumped around under the trees, and the forest became a paradise for animals; in winter, although the cold wind was cold, the Ailao Mountain without snow was still green, and what was more tempting was that the red camellias and wild cherry blossoms had quietly opened.

Nowadays, the forest coverage rate of Shuangbai, the total amount of living standing wood resources, the per capita occupancy of woodland resources, the per capita occupancy of living standing wood resources and the biodiversity indicators all rank first in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Yunnan Province, and have become a paradise for rare animals such as green peacocks, black gibbons, black-necked long-tailed pheasants, etc., known as "wild animal and plant kingdom" and "natural green oxygen bar". The "divine bird" that "cannot be painted with a golden jade" has flown back to prove it.

【Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition】

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