Caption: Visual China
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Chi Zijian used his pen to paint a "fireworks- and fireworks-filled" Harbin, a city that is both historical and living. Liu Dongli, from Harbin, also naturally carries the solemnity of history and the meticulousness of provincial life. He wrote about Beijing, "Beijing's Old Dream of Red Dust", "Beijing: When History Becomes Geography", wrote about the grass, trees, customs and vicissitudes of cultural Beijing, and wrote about the cultural imagination and historical contemplation of Beijing in the times. Just like his novel "Yellow Flowers Fall, Yellow Flowers Bloom", it depicts the ups and downs of the great era and the song of life and death.
Liu Dongli named his personal book review column in this magazine "Hometown Scenery". The meaning of the original hometown is twofold, not only refers to the ancient countryside and human homeland in the category of time and space, but also presents a style and character in the original sense in terms of the depth of thought, and presents the purer factors in human civilization. "Original Scenery" hopes to lead readers back to the wilderness, dense forests, and cliffs by rereading the classics of natural literature, trying to continue the natural poetics tradition from romanticism to modern humanism, and bring readers a sense of belonging and satisfaction of returning to the spiritual homeland.
This is the first part of "Original Scenery".
Cultural scholar Liu Dongli
A flight accident, a deep valley
In 1933, the British writer James Hilton conceived the concept of "Shangri-La" in his novel "Vanishing Horizon". At the beginning of the story, a British foreign affairs official in India, after a sudden flight accident, is forced to land in a valley at the top of the Wanfeng Mountains, a deep valley on the eastern edge of the Himalayas.
Looking down from the snow walls of Caracal's Silver Peak, the bottom of the mountain gorge is so deep that the colors are blurred, and the storms of the world are blocked out of view, giving people a "feeling of coming to the end of the world and returning home".
It is a paradise that cannot be reached, a holy place of peace and a paradise on earth depicted for the world by "Vanishing Horizon". Hilton published the book in 1935, and in 1937, Italian director Frank Capra made the novel into a film, winning several Oscars in one fell swoop.
The Vanishing Horizon narrates tension, fantasy, rhythm, and a decent moderation. Most readers will remember the "Shangri-La" ——— although they can't figure out its specific location, they will be attracted by the mysterious and distant atmosphere. The Shangri-La River meanders, the mountains are silent, the dams are boundless, and the valleys are fought over, presenting a mysterious metaphorical meaning and the ideal of datong beyond national boundaries, more like the microscopic imprint of heaven in the spiritual field.
As Mr. Chen Yinke said, "The allegorical text of the Peach Blossom Origin is also the text of the documentary." The ideal kingdom presented in "Disappearing Horizon" reflects the reality of the world in reverse. The mysterious mirror image of "Shangri-La", which is happy and complete, is taking shape in the most troubled and painful wartime in modern history.
"Pulling" is "passing", which is to refuse the outside world to enter
Europe was once a continent of humanity and economic prosperity, but it was eaten by the harsh winds and frosts of the First World War. After world war, tens of thousands of professional fortune tellers appeared in Paris and London, which was the "only thriving business" at that time.
"The lights are going out all over Europe", from the Balkans to the Rhine to the British Isles, people are involuntarily thrown into a storm of history. "In a universe suddenly stripped of illusion and light, man appears to be alien, stranger. His exile was incurable because he was deprived of the memory of a lost homeland or a promised land. This kind of divorce between people and life, between actors and backgrounds, is exactly the sense of absurdity. (Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus) The spiritual civilization of young European people is even more in a ridiculous "wilderness", without a vision of a better life. The First World War was a tragic symbol of the absurd fate of mankind, and this tragedy was reflected in the disillusionment of the dream of the homeland.
However, everything is just beginning, and when "Vanishing Horizon" is out of the manuscript, the threat of World War II is quietly approaching, and there is a dispute between the East and the West at the same time. Hilton does not directly describe the local war scenes that have already occurred, but in the idle writing of the book, you can vaguely glimpse, such as the frequent take-off and landing of aircraft from the Berlin Air Base, the crazy bombing of Shanghai by the Japanese army during the Songhu War of Resistance, and so on, and the clouds and disasters of war are spreading.
The Shangri-La word for "la" in Tibetan means "guan pass" (關隘). Shangri-La is on the edge of a high-altitude terrain, with a near-perfect defense system and various elaborate designs that refuse the initiative of the outside world and cover this mythical space that is very different from the atmosphere of war. Nature itself also provides a natural barrier, in the insurmountable mountains and rivers, even if you accidentally hit a few lost people, even if you are fully armed, after entering, you are exhausted and cannot pose a threat. Shangri-La's only exit is "open to anyone at any time" ——— but you basically won't find it. This is a magical paradise, a paradise of peace on earth.
British writer James Hilton
A common metaphor points to the idea that "there is no home under war"
Shangri-La is a synthesis of cultural ideas, reality and imagination. The wonderland created by heaven and earth also has the meaning of cultivation and self-examination. This is due to shangri-la's high-cold spiritual temperament. It goes beyond our experience to become a place where people can look at and reflect on themselves. The idyllic atmosphere of the wind and moon, the grass and the sky, the fairyland-style spatial structure, have a common metaphorical direction: there is no home under the war.
The social reality of three generations of "collapse and happiness" has triggered generations of sages and sages to pursue the way of human existence and to infinite reverie for the ideal world. Among them, the most far-reaching influence on later generations is the Confucian "world of datong" and the Taoist "world of Jiande". By the Sixth Dynasty, the rise and fall of people were dizzying, so that "white bones were exposed in the wild, and there was no chicken chirping for thousands of miles". The more chaotic the world, the more the Chinese dream that has been degraded into the essence of the essence lingers in the hearts of Chinese scholars, and eventually condensed into Tao Yuanming's idyllic and mellow "Taoyuan" image.
"Edge creek line, forget the distance of the road, suddenly meet the peach blossom forest." The "forgetting" and "sudden encounter" in "Peach Blossom Origin" are quite similar to the narrative mode of "Disappearing Horizon". People who escaped the war lived in the mountains and built caves, among which the cultural payers studied, talked about poetry, listened to the rain, and looked at the moon, exuding the atmosphere of the relics of the independent remnants, in order to resist the collapse of the external whole. Such a scene in the chaotic world of beacon fire seems to be a miracle of dead wood in spring and ancient lotus blossoming in a gloomy Taoist temple.
"Talk about multiplication to return to the end, Lefu's destiny to return to doubt" ("Return to Xi Ci"). This is a kind of understanding and breakthrough based on the pain of reality, the customs are simple, the forest is secluded, and such survival itself has the meaning of disgusting and abandoning war. Before it was noticed by the outside world, Shangri-La or Taoyuan had an invaluable tranquility and freedom, an ecosystem that had not yet been destroyed, and a place that had not been contaminated by modern civilization. At this time, nature truly appears and opens up, and life is bathed in tranquility and peace, and the inner detachment and victory are enough to resist the destruction of the whole external world as a whole.
The virtual wonderland is fleeting, like a dumb puzzle that drifts with the wind
At the end of the novel Vanishing Horizon, they eventually lose Shangri-La because of the internal divisions of the outsiders. In "The Tale of Peach Blossom Origin", the Wuling people violated the promise of the Taoyuan people to be "not humane enough", and Taoyuan has since been annihilated. The virtual wonderland is fleeting, like a dumb puzzle that drifts with the wind.
Wuling Fisherman accidentally saw "Taoyuan", however, when they brought people back to search for a trace out of a strong sense of utilitarianism or curiosity, they only ended up with an end that was never encountered. How far the dream home was from them before, how far it is still, and it seems to be farther away.
Stuart Hall says that things "themselves" hardly have a single, fixed, immutable meaning. Shangri-La finally blends silently into the natural landscape, and all the amazing experiences are like the wind, melted by time, as if it were a warm fairy tale that takes place in another world.
Such a fact refers to the most fundamental essence of "Shangri-La" or "Taoyuan": they will not resist, they will not retaliate, they will not hate, they will only retreat silently, just like nature. This process of retreat is like a thought winding around its opposite, like a civilization you know as it winding around its other side. It is an uncognized ecology, characterized by chaos, fragility, and disillusionment. It can retreat beyond history and time, and at the same time it cannot be placed under the judgment of reality of discovery, enjoyment, expansion, or development; therefore, there is only one end left to retreat quietly.
The purity of the ideal of "Taoyuan" also seems to indicate the inevitable loss of the "ideal society". Maybe it's just a utopian imagination, or a poetic way of inhabiting. As William Blake said in the prophetic poem Milton, "Imagination is not a state, but the very existence of man." ”
Why should people envision and imagine? Why write poetry and write literature? For they will be retained, preserved through the Psalms; they will find another way, to return to the land of attachment, to return to the place of prayer.
Shangri-La is a kind of essential value system that is instinctively abstracted by human civilization when it encounters dangerous and dangerous situations, a concentrated presentation of the inherent qualities of different generations and different cultural systems, and a poetic condensation and sublimation of the meaning of human life at a special stage.
It is a dream scene that dissipates like smoke as soon as it approaches; but it directly reveals itself, faces the future, reveals history, and enlightens the truth. Explained in Heidegger's poetics, Shangri-La's "place of proximity to the source" is "the point of approaching bliss." It is in existence and obscurity, between existence and remnant, outside the hidden manifestation, and thus indicates the chaotic and clear realm of life.
Between people and the environment, the significance of cultural connection is highlighted
After the publication of "Disappearing Horizon", it immediately caused a sensation in Europe, the cruelty of war left a deep mark in people's hearts, for people who were confused and hopeless because of war, Shangri-La was like a Noah's Ark, which could soothe their physical and mental pain. The book was put on the screen, and the theme song "This Beautiful Shangri-La" was once again popular and sung all over the world.
The magical world of Shangri-La is warm and bright, hidden in a fault valley surrounded by mountains, containing both temperate and tropical climates, with a rich variety of crops and rich mineral resources. The cool stream flowing down the snowy mountain, watering the finely planted farmland and gardens, within walking distance, all the trees are verdant, sparkling, and chirping, and now, it is also an ecological and environmental protection demonstration base.
The people of the canyon are at ease, enjoying the sun and the rewards of the snowy mountains, but they have never had a collective impulse to the gold mines in the canyon like the "gold rush". This is the most contented social community, who abide by the norms, who are kind to others, who live peacefully, who reject violence and who live a simple life of self-sufficiency and moderation. Their expressions and dresses all reveal the dignity, modesty and simplicity——— all aspects of which show that this is a cosmopolitan world that truly embodies ecological justice.
In the 1970s, the Vietnam War triggered a huge anti-war wave, which directly contributed to the remake of the film "Vanishing Horizon" in 1974, and the term "Shangri-La" became more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, the home flowing with honey and milk, beautiful, clear, safe and contented, and the imaginary paradise of the world became synonymous with "Eden" and "Utopia". Since then, the global search for the ideal kingdom of Shangri-La has been a long-lasting boom, which has also contributed to the rise of modern environmental protection to some extent.
When I was in Yunnan, I also kept thinking about the true meaning of "Shangri-La". It should be initial, pure, the color should be particularly pure, the density should be particularly high, and it should be a return to a state similar to the most comfortable life in human childhood. That state gives people, first of all, is not happiness and satisfaction. Because satisfaction is followed by boredom and depression, and this initial state is always pleasant, more fresh, fresh, let people experience what they did not expect. Like a newborn baby, the most free, dancing with vitality in the land of the newborn.
While attaching importance to the ecological environment, the significance of the cultural connection between people and the environment is also prominent. Shangri-La is a cultural space that blends East and West, and the process of searching for Shangri-La is actually looking for an ideal country that belongs to everyone. Shangri-La's sustainable development should attach great importance to biodiversity conservation and cultural diversity protection, when its utopian color can still survive in our modern life, not become the past, and become a link between heaven and earth, mountains and waters, and living beings, the lonely mountains will always shine.
Rebuild your homeland and never give up the hope of life
From Lijiang to Zhongdian, all the way through the beauty and fragrance of rhododendrons. Barley racks are scattered in all directions, dotted on the vast wilderness. The high forest cover in western Yunnan is the main reason why tourists still have few uncomfortable reactions at high altitudes.
Walk into the scattered houses in the mountain beam valley, and you can encounter a pleasant human life everywhere. In addition to the locals, I met many young conservation volunteers who talked about wild donkeys, black-necked cranes, white-lipped deer, Yunnan golden snub-nosed monkeys, as well as matsutake and morel mushrooms, and their faces were full of confidence that is characteristic of young people. The essence, changes and modes of operation of the discourse of "development" and "protection" have slowly taken on a new face in this land.
Listening to their lively discussions, we felt that in this spiritual and diverse land, there are multiple meanings that govern our lives. The snow-capped mountains in the distance, as well as the occasional turquoise meadow and small lakes, are delightful.
The entire border area of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet has high mountains, deep canyons, clear lakes, snow peaks, and glaciers hanging upside down. Below the snow line and above the forest line, there are quiet homes. The land of Yunnan is as pure and bright as it has just been washed, quiet and soft, deepening our hope for a peaceful world.
Across the sea, the Shangri-La in mind, everything is immersed in a deep tranquility, the moon is everywhere, the stars are shining, and the light blue glow envelops the peak of the Caracal Mountains. Like a touch of mysterious aura seeping out of the landscape, the world unfolding infinitely, man and nature coexist, the common dependence of the heart, the way of mutual balance, this answer may be in the warm landscape and people's hearts.
In Vanishing Horizon, the author clearly foresaw the coming Second World War, and he further elaborated through the words of the characters in the book: "This coming storm, my child, is unprecedented in human history. At that time, there will be no peace by force, no relief from power, and no answers from science. Storms ravage the earth until every flower of civilization is devastated, and everything in the world will be destroyed and flattened in great chaos. Years later, when mankind has gone through countless reincarnations of forging swords into ploughs and peace, our impulse to seek "Shangri-La" has not changed. Because, there is hidden the ultimate scenery of the world, and the last hope in the desperate situation.
Hölderlin said that wherever there is danger, there is hope of being rescued. At the end of the novel, the characters in the book discover that a new world is sprouting hopefully in the ruins, and the once lost legendary treasures are hidden behind the snowy mountains of the Blue Moon Valley, and they are miraculously preserved in the world for a new round of civilization revival. In the dramatic ups and downs of history, people are ups and downs, constantly disillusioned, but they will always cheer up again after the swords are sharpened and the soldiers meet each other, and they will rebuild their homes and never give up the hope of life.
Vanishing Horizon
By James Hilton
Translated by Chi Wencheng
Writers Press