To tell you the truth, I don't like autumn very much, which is often accompanied by continuous rain, fallen leaves, the autumn wind and the gray sky. Although there are also autumn highs and cool, clouds and light winds, after all, there are not many such days.
The weather has been cloudy lately, with rain forecasts over the weekend. Last weekend, the expedition outdoors had to organize a hike to Huangbaiyuan and explore the old county. I had no intention of going, but I couldn't help the enthusiastic call of many old friends in the group, such as Deng Qi, Yun Duo, and Xinyu, and finally decided to go with my friends, and by the way, I also scattered the mood that was about to become moldy.
Great Arrow Ditch view
A group of thirty-eight of us set off from the county seat in three commercial vehicles, singing and laughing all the way, passing through Huayang Ancient Town, passing through Taiyang (Taibai County- Yang County) Road, and going straight to Huangbaiyuan.
Huangbaiyuan belongs to Taibai County, Baoji City, is part of the Taibai mountain national nature reserve, and is also one of the most pristine ecological areas in the Qinling Mountains, with a forest coverage rate of more than 96%, known as a natural oxygen bar. Huangbaiyuan Scenic Area includes several parts such as the Original Forest Scenic Area, the Dajiangou Scenic Area, and the NiuweiHe Giant Panda Nature Reserve, and we went to the Dajiangou Scenic Area.
Although along the way, seeing the scattered autumn leaves on the side of the road and the yellow leaves of different shades on the mountain, the troubles and bitterness have long disappeared unconsciously, but when I really walked into the Dajiangou scenic spot, I was deeply shocked by the beautiful scenery in front of me. My first feeling is that autumn is so gorgeous and magnificent here!
The mountains here are rugged, rolling, densely shrub-packed, barely exposed, and sparsely wooded. At this time, it is late autumn, the mountains are colorful, there are a small number of autumn leaves, there are many different shades of yellow leaves, and there are many green leaves that are still vigorous, and various colors are mixed together to form a pure and brilliant picture. When we went, there was a drizzle in the sky, and although we could feel it, we didn't need an umbrella. Perhaps because it was a rainy day, the mountains and trees did not mix with a trace of dust, and looked more pure and bright. Because it was a rainy day, there were thin clouds on the mountain, and the clouds shrouded the mountain, making the mountain ethereal. From a distance, the mountains look like fairyes dressed in colored clothes, with white veils on their heads, fluttering and flying. Let people linger, for a long time can not bear to leave.
The water here is transparent and the water is still colored. Maybe it's because autumn is the season of abundant water, maybe it's because there are so many sources of upflow, or maybe it's been rainy lately, and the amount of water is very abundant. I like water very much, as soon as I see the river, I quickly run to the river, take a bunch of cool water, and then let it slowly slip between my fingers, so repeatedly, my heart is very comfortable.
We walked down the river, the width of the river is different, about thirty meters wide, the water flow is gentle, clear to the bottom, and the dead branches of the fine stones at the bottom of the water are clearly visible. The narrow place is less than ten meters, but the water is turbulent, and in some places, due to the height of the riverbed, waterfalls are formed, making a huge noise, which is breathtaking. The water here is clear and colorless up close, and colored from a distance. In some places near the riverbank, the water is reddish, the water at the waterfall is white with yellow-green, and the water in the deep pool is dark green. The dark green is naturally because the pool is deep, but how can the water be reddish? Looking closely, it turned out to be the color reflected by the stones in the water, which is really "the color of the water flooding the stone, and the stone is out of the water and the ecology". As for the yellow-green color of the water at the waterfall, whether it is the color reflected by the underwater stone or the color reflected by the green leaves of the river, it seems that it is not, so why it appears in this color is a mystery in my heart. In short, the water here is completely different from the water elsewhere. Walking by such a river, my heart is as pure and clear as the river.
The pristine Selin traverses
After enjoying the landscape of Dajiangou, we began the second outdoor journey - the original forest crossing.
We climbed the mountain from Walnut Plain. At the beginning, there were some brick paved stone steps, and it was not far to walk to become a narrow dirt road, because of the rain, the road was wet and muddy. Experienced friends with hiking poles, those of us who were inexperienced, picked up some sticks from the forest to prevent slipping. Such a natural cane varies in thickness and height, holding such a special cane, you look at me, I look at you, everyone laughs, jokes with each other, calling us members of the gang.
Walking through the forest, there are a variety of trees everywhere, some tall and tall, straight into the clouds; some are low and slender, willing to be the foil of large trees; some trunks are straight, some branches are tilted, as if to take care of the short trees below; some leaves are all red, some leaves have turned yellow, some leaves are still green; some trees have come to the end of life, lying in the forest at will, blocking our way forward, requiring us to bend down and drill through from below, as if deliberately letting us feel the awe of life in this bend. Occasionally, I also found small squirrels quickly climbing up and down in the trees, seeing that we did not run away, stopping there probing our brains, as if observing us, and seemingly greeting us.
At first we walked from low to high, and although the road was muddy and difficult to walk, everyone encouraged and supported each other, and no one was left behind. Turning halfway through a mountain mouth, we began to walk down from a high place, and without paying attention, I also fell, really responding to a saying: "It is easy to go up the mountain and it is difficult to go down the mountain." "We went all the way down to the ravine, where there was a river with a lot of water, and there were many fallen leaves floating on the surface of the water, and the fallen leaves drifted away with the flow of water. Descending to the river, it began to slowly go uphill again, but it was always up the river. It was drizzling in the sky, and the scene in front of me reminded me of the scene described by Li Jianwu in "Climbing Mount Taishan in the Rain": "People go up, and the water flows down." "The flowing water accompanies us all the way, it is a different kind of wonderful feeling. It took us two and a half hours to get out of this primeval forest.
The old county town is explored
We arrived at the old county town in the evening, which is located in the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains and surrounded by mountains, which is a paradise-like mystery. As soon as they put down their luggage, everyone couldn't wait to brave the rain to enter the "city". We entered through the East Gate and watched as we walked, all the way to the West Gate. There are not many people in the city, and there are very few people, which seems too quiet. Because the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the temperature was only seven or eight degrees, many people felt very cold and rushed out of the city to return to the farmhouse where we lived. I always felt as if something was missing, lazily walking at the back, wanting to see more of the old county town and put everything in my heart.
Probably because tourists need it, many people in the city open inns, and there are several houses in front of a very simple wooden door, on which there is a plaque with the words "Qinling Yiye", which surprises me that this is Actually Jia Pingwa's inscription. What does his inscription mean in such a desolate place? I was confused and wanted to ask but couldn't even touch a local. Suddenly, my friend said in surprise: "There is a bookstore in front, let's go inside and have a look." "Maybe it's the reader's love of books, and my friend and I walked quickly into the old county bookstore. The door of the bookstore was wide open, and there were some books on the long table when we entered the door, and there were not many of them, so we casually looked through them for a while and asked a few times if there was anyone in the house? No one said a word or came out, I was so strange that there was a light in the room inside. When I walked to the door of the house and looked inside, I was shocked. Under the not-so-bright lights, a wood-burning stove is in full swing, the kettle on the stove is steaming, on one side is the stove and pots and pans, on the other side is the refrigerator and small square table, a peasant woman in her fifties is immersed in the book at hand, such a scene makes me feel so warm and warm. We walked in to talk to her, and she woke up from the book, greeted us warmly, and asked us where we ate and where we lived.
We grilled the fire around the stove while chatting with my eldest sister. From her, we learned that the old county town was founded in the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty (about 1825), when the Foping Hall was set up in the southern part of the county and the northeast of Yang County, and the hall was located in Foyeping, which is now the old county town and village of Houyi Town, which is a necessary place for the Ancient Road of Luo Luo, which once flourished for a while. Located at the junction of the three counties, it has a bit of a "three disregard" taste, so later bandits were rampant and once very chaotic. In 1922, bandits attacked the old county seat and killed two county governors who had come to take over at Fortuna Ridge. In 1926, Foping County moved the county to Yuanjiazhuang, which is now the county seat of Foping County. After a hundred years of old county seats, only some ancient relics have been left, and later due to changes in administrative divisions, the old county seats are still assigned to Zhouzhi County.
Why is such an abandoned old county known to so many tourists now? The eldest sister told us that this was thanks to their former deputy secretary of the county party committee, that is, the famous writer Ye Guangqian. In 2000, Ye Guangqian went to Zhou zhi to serve as the deputy secretary of the county party committee, focusing on ecology and animal protection, and stayed in the old county town and village in the hinterland of Qinling For a long time. In 2004, she published the essay collection "Old County Town", which for the first time displayed the natural features, primitive and simple humanistic customs, legendary stories and historical changes in front of the world, so that people across the country were familiar with the prosperous past and quiet present of the barbaric land in the Qinling Mountains. Immediately after that, tourism enthusiasts flocked to the area, and the government departments also began to pay attention to and support, and the lives of the villagers have been greatly improved. Now there are more than thirty families here, which is the farthest and smallest natural village under the jurisdiction of Xi'an. From here to the county seat of Zhouzhi is forty kilometers away, only connected by a narrow cement road.
When we asked what happened to the "Qinling Yiye" plaque, the eldest sister told us that several houses in the courtyard were originally Ye Guangqian's studio, and we suddenly realized that it was no wonder that Jia Pingwa would write here. She also proudly said: "Every time Ye Writer comes to the county town, he lives in my house and guides my son to write." As she spoke, she pointed out to me a picture of Ye Writer and her son.
With great satisfaction, we walked out of the humble bookstore and returned to our place of residence, which was a farmhouse outside the old county town. Because of the long delay in the bookstore, when we returned, the food was already on the table, and we felt so hungry at this time. We quickly swept away the table full of delicious specialty farmhouse dishes, and it was only a little more than seven o'clock.
At this time, it was still raining lightly, and it was inconvenient to move around elsewhere, so someone proposed a bonfire party, and everyone unanimously applauded. The ground in the courtyard is wet and it is raining, so how can the fire be burned? The master smiled and took out a large handful of dry firewood and contributed a hair dryer. The fire finally lit, and everyone formed a big circle, singing and dancing, so it was not lively. Our singing also attracted a group of friends from Xi'an, who also joined us. Playing to the excitement, our tour leader boat brother and one of their representatives sang duet, improvised to greet each other with songs, exchanged with each other, caused everyone to laugh and applause thunderously.
This night, the old county town, which had been silent for a long time, boiled up again.
(Text/Jin Hongling)
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