Author: Shi Ruichao
Wujiang River, the largest tributary on the south bank of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the basin spans 46 counties and cities in Yunnan, Guizhou, Chongqing and Hubei provinces, starting from the source, all the way to the east across the central and northern parts of Guizhou, to Sinan and turning to the north, and then from Yanhe County out of Guizhou into Chongqing, and then through Youyang County, Pengshui County, Wulong County of Chongqing City, into the Yangtze River in the urban area of Fuling City.
As the most important water channel in Guizhou Province, Wujiang River is the largest river and "mother river" in Guizhou Province, known as Yanjiang River and Qianjiang River in ancient times, with countless large and small tributaries, and the basin passes through Bijie, Liupanshui, Anshun, Guiyang, Zunyi, Qiannan, Tongren and other prefectures and cities, with abundant flow, stable flow and rich mineral resources, it is a veritable "golden waterway" in Guizhou Province. Wujiang River is also famous for its rapid flow, many beaches, narrow valleys and barrenness, known as "Wujiang River Natural Danger", which is the natural barrier between the north and south of Guizhou.
Knowing Wujiang stems from my childhood understanding of the story of "Breakthrough Wujiang".
In that year, the Red Army's Long March, after five days and nights of bloody battles on both sides of the Xiangjiang River, broke through the four blockade lines of the Kuomintang army, and the number of personnel was sharply reduced from 86,000 at the time of departure to more than 30,000, and its fate was in danger.
After the passage was transferred, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to break through the Wujiang River before the enemy encircled it, but Bogu and Li De insisted on going to Xiangxi, Hunan, and advocated moving to the south bank of the Wujiang River. The Kuomintang even attempted to encircle and intercept the Red Army in the southeast and south of Guizhou, and first held it heavily on the north bank of the Wujiang River, and then sent pursuing troops to encircle it, hoping to turn the Wujiang River into a "second Xiangjiang River."
The Liping Conference turned the tide, and the Central Red Army marched to the Wujiang River in three ways, and on January 1, 1935, the battle to break through the Wujiang River began at the Jiangjiehe crossing. The Fourth Regiment of the Second Red Division of the Central Military Commission Column, under the leadership of regiment commander Yang Dezhi, sent five Red Army soldiers to cross the river on a bamboo raft to lay an ambush on the evening of the 2nd, and at 9 o'clock on the morning of the 3rd, the 17 Red Army troops of the main attack crossed the Wujiang River under the cover of strong firepower on three bamboo fells, joined up with the Red Army that had successfully crossed the river before, occupied the position, and ensured that the Red Army successfully crossed the Wujiang River and turned the crisis into life.
With a sense of curiosity and reverence, during the May Day holiday, we specially arranged the "Wujiang Tour" activity, and decided to explore this magical Baili Gallery and remember a glorious history.
(1) Walking roof foundation
Our first stop was from the Huawu Foundation in Qianxi County, Guizhou Province in the upper reaches of the Wujiang River. Then through Dejiang County, Yanhe County, and finally to Chongqing Youyang County section and return, the whole journey takes five days.
Wujiang River originates from Xianglu Mountain, Weining County, eastern foot of Wumeng Mountain in western Guizhou, there are south source, north source is divided, the south source Sancha River is 322 kilometers long, is the main source of Wujiang River, the north source Liuchong River is 210 kilometers long, the two originate from Guizhou Province, Qianxi County, after the confluence of the house foundation, it is called Wujiang. Therefore, Huawuji is known as "Wujiangyuan Baili Gallery" to the outside world.
The terrain of the whole Wujiang River basin is high in the southwest, low in the northeast, the vertical change is obvious, the hanging wall on both sides is steep, the river is turbulent, the river surface is wide up to more than 200 meters, the narrow one is only tens of meters, the water is deep and rapid, the whirlpool rolls, the hanging rock is high along the line, the valley is vertical and horizontal, the people are inaccessible, the ancients have: "the cliff is like splitting, the hanging wall is near the water" to describe its sinister, there are also: "the mountain is like the Three Gorges and the water is better than the Three Gorges, the water is like the Li River and the mountain is better than the Li River" is known as its picturesque scenery. In the past, the Wujiang River was mainly walked by water.
Huawuji, that is, Huawu Village, which means "village under the cliff", is located in the territory of Xinren Nationality Township, Qianxi County, which is a small mountain village blocked by cliffs, only a steep road connects to the outside world, the villagers' houses are scattered on the slopes of the cliffs under the mountains, the whole village is dominated by Miao people, and it is the hometown of Chinese folk culture and art.
On February 3, 2021, the small village began to set up a tourism industry, develop homestays, and summarize the recipes into special cuisines, and this little-known remote and wild place gradually became "popular".
Entering the foundation of the house, the vehicle is controlled during the day on holidays, and it is not allowed to enter unless it is specially permitted, and it is necessary to transfer to the local transition car in the parking lot on the top of the mountain, 20 yuan per person, and the same is true for the return trip. Vehicles can only enter and exit freely in the afternoon after the duty staff has left work. Because, at that time, the tourists who should have stayed took the transition bus down the mountain, and those who didn't live had already rushed home, and only the campers would wait for time to pull the camping equipment down the mountain.
Originally, we were people who liked outdoor activities, and we didn't want to take a car, so we walked down the hill from the parking lot, about five kilometers.
Less than a kilometer, the scenery of Huawu Foundation is presented in front of people's eyes, a hanging wall like a thick city wall in front of Huawu Village lies in front of Huawu Village, the mountain is like Danqing, the mountain color is like colored ink, it seems to be a painting but not a painting, and the Wujiang River passes through the village. Hanging above the end, a river of clear water shuttles from the cliffs on both sides, it is very spectacular, some people call this place "Dapeng spreads its wings", just like the change gate in front of Qutang Gorge, it is the most characteristic mark of the foundation of the house.
The kilometers are also very steep, so we simply walked down the old mountain road to save time and reduce fatigue.
All the way to the scenery, with the height of each have different perspectives to feel, when you are about to arrive at the village, Tianzhu Peak Huo Ran in front of you, this is a mountain peak surrounded by several single peaks, in the upper reaches of the village, there is a trail to go up the mountain, there is a viewing platform on it, it is the only place to view the best scenic spot of the confluence of the south and north sources of Wujiang, the two sources come from the canyon where their cliffs stand up, form the Wujiang River in front of the Tianzhu Peak, and rush all the way to the east.
Along the Wujiang River, Huawu Village has built a plank-like pedestrian landscape avenue on the riverbed, with a total length of about four to five kilometers. There is a dam downstream, the water is like a lake, and the water color is like blue. The current Huawu Village is estimated to have been relocated to the nearest migrants to the mountain, and there are still some broken stone walls scattered on the riverbed below the trail, which should be the ruins of the village's past. Although there is a dam built downstream, the river is still turbulent, and there are whirlpools like dangerous shoals at some rapids, which should be caused by the large drop in the riverbed, from which you can also experience the danger of the turbulent Wujiang River in the past.
The best place to take photos is on the scenic walkway, with the long Wujiang Gallery as the backdrop. The front side takes the opposite bank as the background shot, and I feel that the superb scenery in front of me is too high and too close and too big, giving people a feeling of depression.
Because it is drizzling, and there is a heavy rain forecast, it is already 5 o'clock in the afternoon to play in the Huawuji for a while, we choose to camp in the corridor of the village, mainly to avoid the rain, convenient water, and public toilets are convenient and hygienic, and there is also hot water for bathing on the second floor (the corridor like the wind and rain bridge in the square in front of the village is better for camping, but the water and toilet are a little far).
I communicate with several local elders in Hmong language, and the pronunciation of breakfast and dinner is roughly the same. I feel that as long as I live for a period of time and understand the context, tone, etc., I can adapt to each other's language. However, many of the young people who do business on the top of the mountain seriously say that they are from the Miao people at the bottom of the mountain, and when I communicate with them in Miao, they say that they can't speak Miao. Perhaps, they were not Miao people in the first place, perhaps, the nation is just a mark for them, just like the tributaries of the Wujiang River under the mountain, flowing into the Wujiang River, all the previous elements will or will soon disappear in the vast river of history.
As if we were not welcome at the roof, not only did it rain heavily in the middle of the night, but the water also stopped. The next day, I couldn't get water at a neighbor's house, and I couldn't flush the toilet, so it was impossible to wash. Seeing that every household has a large plastic bucket of water on the roof, some of which are directly connected to rainwater, everyone is surprised by everything in front of them, why not pump up the water of a river? Surrounded by high mountains, why is there no spring on the top of the mountain that can be used as tap water? So, some people became irritable, shouted to go quickly, simply didn't even want to get breakfast, packed up the tent and said goodbye to the house without looking back, and fixed the beauty of the house in the impression of yesterday.
(2) Camping Baiguotuo
Baiguotuo belongs to the National Wetland Park, which is a composite wetland ecosystem composed of rivers, reservoirs, ponds, forests, etc., and its natural water ecological characteristics, water ecological processes and good water environment quality are typical and representative in the karst area of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in mainland China, which is not only a typical representative of the construction and management of wetland parks in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Wujiang River Basin, but also an important river wetland in Guizhou Province.
Baiguotuo Wetland Park is located between the main river of Wujiang River and the Yinjiang River at the junction of Duyu Creek in Gonghe Town and Sinan County in Dejiang County, with a total area of 1652.69 hectares and a wetland rate of 51.18%, which is a national AAA tourist attraction. It is reported that the wetland park will be built according to five functional areas: protection and conservation, restoration and reconstruction, propaganda and education display, rational utilization and management services, which will be a financial investment and investment attraction project for Dejiang County.
The wetland park is managed by the local forestry department, and the majestic castle-like gate is the ticket office, and then the two sides are surrounded by wire bars along the road, and the entrance fee is 10 yuan per person, and the elderly and children are halved. There is a small train ferryman in the park to go upstream to take a sightseeing cruise, the price is not too expensive, the whole package is about 70 yuan, the tourists are mainly locals, and the sporadic is not lively.
There are many trees and flowers planted in the wetland park, among which there are many ginkgo trees. It is said that the golden color of the land after autumn is also a sight worth seeing.
The park is built along the Wujiang River, about six or seven kilometers long, all of which are built along the zigzag river, and there are Ming and Qing Dynasty style buildings such as long pavilions, bridge corridors and exhibition halls in spacious places, as well as squares and courtyards paved with granite of different sizes, surrounded by trees, lush and leafy, lush and green, pavilions and buildings, like royal gardens. In the narrow place, all kinds of landscape grasses like reeds are planted near the river, with different colors, and they are well matched and pleasing to the eyes.
In addition to the upper and lower interconnected sand highways, Linhe also specially built some wooden trails for viewing, wooden plank roads or stretch out to the river, or stand on the riverbank, which is convenient for visitors to get close to see the flowers and plants in front of them, or admire the large and small trees that grow in the river and are flooded by the stump, or overlook the Wujiang River surrounded by mountains like a mirror. In addition to the natural scenery of the Wujiang River and the abundant vegetation, there are also many kinds of creatures, many water birds stop on the trees by the river, leisurely foraging in the trees, some water ducks hide in the dense grass on the roadside, once someone approaches, breaking the tranquility, it swims from the beach to the center of the river as if frightened, leaving a string of ripples......
Although the wetland park is all artificially built, it is far away from the city, away from the hustle and bustle, embedded in the mountains, accompanied by a clear blue and clear blue, surrounded by verdant greenery, reckless and reckless, the mountains are connected, presenting the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains as one of the "mountains, waters, forests", and it is indeed worthy of the reputation of "the lungs of the Dejiang River", refreshing people's hearts, making people feel refreshed and pleasing to the eye, and it is worth having.
To see the beautiful scenery, of course, you can't miss the food. Dejiang's beef is very cheap, 30 yuan a catty, and the meat is also very tender, which naturally becomes our enjoyment. In the park, users are allowed to cook cooked food outside the oven, but they are not allowed to cook raw food over an open fire. The parking lot in the scenic area is very large, and it has become our natural big kitchen. There are more than a dozen houses scattered around the scenic spot, most of them are closed, and there is only one restaurant whose business is tepidly open, just when we can discuss with the boss about domestic water.
The sumptuous dinner just started, a shower of rain quietly came, and everyone moved the dinner to the side of a modified gatehouse next to the reception center of the scenic spot, so as to solve the problem of safe eating.
Some people keep giving a thumbs up to express envy, while we are comfortable with the wine to the wind, as if the ancients in "The Picture on the Qingming River" live comfortably in the antique gallery, allowing outsiders to watch as if looking at a painting.
After a full meal and wine, everyone leisurely and happily carried their tents and walked to a promenade in the park. Deep in the mountains, 456 and Xi Xiangyu and others specially bought snacks such as melon seeds, and a group of people hung camp lanterns under a tree, set up an outdoor table, drank tea, peeled melon seeds, chatted, and a new life began again......
There are many kinds of birds in the wetland park, you can appreciate their crisp sound in the early morning, the sound of music is melodious and cheerful, there are many birds or the first time to hear, the bird sound is not chaotic at all, just like the flute sound of "Miao Ling Morning" is intoxicating. In the words of a group friend, Budaniyaki, "This is a situation I have never encountered, in the morning, I don't want to get up, I just want to listen to the birds, and I feel very comfortable!" So did I, lying in my tent and listening fascinated, half-asleep and dreamy.
Many of them went to play on their own, and when I opened the tent door, I was so bewildered by the view that I couldn't help but walk upstream. I saw the rippling water of the Wujiang River, the mountains were green and the water was green, and the mountains in the distance were covered with dense fog, misty and misty, and the colors were varied. The fragrance of flowers on the side of the road is dark and dark, bursts of nose, the trees are dripping with green and dew, full of vitality, the majestic and beautiful Wujiang River on both sides is picturesque, the natural landscape is made in heaven, I keep shooting with my mobile phone, often like a monkey hitting the bud valley, I took a picture and dropped the previous one, I don't know which scenery is the most beautiful. I sang loudly, trying to put infinite freshness and poetry into my chest, but I didn't know where to be the most ideal place...... A small boat paddled on the other side of the river, I don't know whether I want to enjoy the tranquility of the park alone, or there is a more beautiful scenery on the other side, I saw it far away from me on the other side of the mountain in the water, just with the Wujiang River to form a beautiful scenery in front of my eyes......
Because the wetland park is located in the countryside, far away from the small villages that no one has, the people who exercise in the morning only meet two or three people along the way, but there are some anglers, they quietly squat under the big trees, or the bend of the river, freely cast the fishing rod, I don't know whether it is fishing, or fishing for the clear water and beauty of a river.
Before leaving, at breakfast, we exchanged the experience of seeing the beauty in the morning, everyone was full of praise and passionately, and we must come here again if we have the opportunity, either in midsummer or autumn.
(3) Stroll through the ancient town of Gongtan
Gongtan Ancient Town, located in the west of Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Chongqing, was selected as the seventh batch of Chinese historical and cultural towns in January 2019, and was rated as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction in September 2010. On November 18, 2020, it was awarded the title of "New Landmark of Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor". Gongtan Ancient Town Scenic Area mainly includes Gongtan Ancient Town, Wujiang Gallery, Millennium Golden Silk Nanmu Group, etc., which is a tourist scenic spot integrating natural landscapes and folk customs.
It is about 80 kilometers from our campsite Qitan Town in Yanhe County, Guizhou Province to Gongtan Ancient Town in Youyang County, Chongqing, and this day is the last day of our May Day visit, and it is also the day with the best weather.
The ancient town of Gongtan is pleasing to the eye, the mountains are green, the sky is blue, the clouds are white, it is particularly distinct, and the layout is just right, as if a superb director wants to interpret the most beautiful picture scroll in the world for us to enjoy.
The ancient town is located on the slope of a large hill under a cliff, with the Wujiang River at its feet, and the mountains on the opposite side are steep, and the water is blue and the mountains are as green as the long scroll of ink. People also deliberately built a viewing promenade around the river wharf on the side of the road next to the riverbed, and people walking in it are like passing through a gallery.
There are pleasure boats passing by the river from time to time, and when we swim away, we just catch a boat from Gongtan to Pengshui to dock, and the tourists who come are not full of boats, and the boats off the shore are even more empty. Probably because the holiday is almost over, there are fewer people who come to the ancient town, or they don't want to come again, we don't have many tourists walking in the ancient town, just let us wander as we like.
The entire Wujiang River, whether it is the Huawuji in Guizhou, the Dejiang River, the river, and the Gongtan in Chongqing, are all known as the Wujiang Baili Gallery to the outside world, so that navigation often goes to the wrong place without choosing a specific location. It is understood that the section of the river from Gongtan to Guizhou along the river of more than 100 kilometers is the most spectacular and beautiful section of the entire Wujiang River Basin. For example, the Three Gorges Scenic Area of Siqu Ancient Town, three tributaries merge into the Bird River, the scenery of the river is somewhat spectacular, most of the sections are big mountains and slopes, in addition to the rich vegetation, there is nothing more special.
Gongtan Ancient Town is actually a new village, and all its projects belong to the relocation and reconstruction project. In July 2004, due to the construction of the Peng Hydropower Station, the water level of the Wujiang River increased significantly, and the thousand-year-old town was completely flooded, so it had to be relocated to the slope. In October 2005, the ancient town began to relocate, and the Youyang County Government adopted the protection measures of "original ecology, original style, original material, original shape, original technology, and aborigines", which lasted three years before the authenticity of the ancient town's history was restored and preserved.
Gongtan Ancient Town has about three kilometers of stone streets, more than 150 unique fire walls, more than 200 quaint and quiet courtyards, and more than 50 stilted buildings of different forms, which is considered to be a well-preserved and large-scale Ming and Qing dynasty building complex in China. The strange terrain of mountains and gorges, the houses on the waterfront, the buildings and other cultural landscapes and natural environments have unique local characteristics, outlining a picture of the artistic conception of "the boat travels in the water, and the people swim in the painting", and creates a unique scenery of "thousands of miles of Wujiang River, 100 miles of gallery". When we arrived, the streets were full of antique colors, and the decorations in front of the houses and in the streets were full of various forms. The streets and alleys, the ancient road is secluded, the pavilions and pavilions, the white walls and green tiles, the eaves and the corners, such as geese and birds, the gallery in front of the town is poetic and picturesque, and the environment in the village is like a fairy. It's just that the streets are full of enthusiasm and beauty like a fairyland, but the courtyard is very cold, and a river with clear water and green mountains flows quietly with the years. Such a beautiful scenery is idle, which makes people feel a sense of regret that it has been wasted.
When the return trip was about to Huayuanjing, we chose to have dinner in a place with many tents in Hong'an Town, opposite the border city, and the men in the group of friendly soldiers came to talk to us, he said, during the whole May Day period, the border city was hot, the crowds were crowded, and even the bazaar was closed, just to ensure the smooth flow of tourists, the holiday will end tomorrow, and there are still many people on the street now.
Thinking of the scarcity of tourists in the ancient town of Gongtan, as well as the many closed homes and more than one house advertisement in the ancient town, I wonder if Chinese tourists are like migratory birds, bringing prosperity to one place after another, and taking away the lead of one place after another. I have been to many places that were once popular, and I have also thought about their glorious ending. Seeing the buildings and projects being expanded on both sides of the border city, I only feel that the scale of the ancient town is getting bigger and bigger like some other ancient towns that were once popular, however, the real style of the ancient town is gradually drifting away, and it is less of the original tranquility and pleasant slow pace of life. The mentality, pursuit and consumption concept of tourists have changed ever-changing, should our concept and thinking of tourism also keep pace with the times?
The five-day trip to Wujiang has fulfilled my wish to explore Wujiang, and the galleries and humanities have since enriched the spiritual inventory of my travels. I longed for the day when I would roam on foot with one or two friends, reload on my back, cross the river by boat, go to the riverside in a daze, lean against the window to look at the paintings, or simply go to a certain riverside stone and look after the boatman's horn that has passed away and heard the river breeze blowing......
(12 May 2024)
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