There are many legends of the Chishui River at the junction of Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, many of which are stories that have been passed down for many generations. There is a legend in it that made me yearn for it when I was a child. Legend has it that somewhere on the banks of the Chishui River, there is a forest of no-man's lunar shrine trees, where a large number of golden butterflies live. In the dark forest, these butterflies will flash golden light when they fly, illuminating the entire forest.
Golden butterfly shining in the alder forest
When I grew up, I was able to know that this legend was not completely unfounded. The Moon Palace Sacred Tree, which the locals of Chishui, Guizhou, call it the Dragon Tree, which began in the age of the dinosaurs. At the foot of a mountain full of golden mountains in Chishui, there is a large forest of alder trees. The landform and vegetation environment here are said to be similar to the Jurassic era in which the dinosaurs lived, and are known as the last Jurassic world on earth. This alder forest does live a very beautiful, very rare golden butterfly. These golden butterflies are extremely valuable, and in the 1990s, someone once found a few. I heard that the Hong Kong people at that time bid for hundreds of thousands of yuan to buy one.
Guizhou Chishui Alder Forest
I have heard the legend of the golden butterfly since I was a child, and I have also longed for the wonders of the forest when the golden butterflies fly. I would love to see golden butterflies and their spectacle once in a lifetime. I heard that the Miao people in Chishuiping, Guizhou, which was closest to the alder forest, knew where they were. It is said that the golden butterfly is the totem of the Hmong people on the ping, they carved the golden butterfly on the women's silver ornaments and costumes, whenever they danced, the butterflies on the silver ornaments and costumes shone like golden butterflies in the mountains and forests where the Miao people lived. But no matter how much I asked to lead the way, the Hmong people on the pingshang were still reluctant to take people to the alder forest where the golden butterflies they worshipped and superstitiously lived.
Golden butterfly totem on Hmong costumes
I could only aimlessly search for the legendary golden peaks, and in the past few years I have seen many golden butterflies, and I have also found butterfly valleys. It was an inaccessible valley, and in the valley were flocks of butterflies flying in the sky, a veritable butterfly valley.
Guizhou Chishui golden peaks
Guizhou chishui golden butterflies and moths
Butterfly Valley somewhere in Chishui, Guizhou
It's just that these golden butterflies and such a butterfly valley are different from the legends. And I have always believed that the golden butterflies and the scenes of the golden shining forest when they fly are real, but I have not yet met them. I firmly believe that as long as I try to persevere, one day I will have the opportunity to see them...