? Essay "Inspection Trip to Southeast Guizhou"
In the year of the epidemic, I and several experts in the industry decided to go on an inspection trip after the National Day holiday. This avoids all kinds of crowds during tourist peaks. What's more, the temperature in autumn is suitable and the scenery is high and vast. This option is suitable for most tourist destinations in the country.
During this six-day trip to southeastern Guizhou—at least in the first half—I didn’t experience the so-called “sunny weather” in Guizhou Province for several days. This made all my colleagues feel comfortable during their visits and inspections in the past few days.
As the provincial capital city, Guiyang is located in the center of Guizhou Province. Therefore, with Guiyang City as the center point, the scenic spots in the province are distributed radially to the surrounding areas: Xifeng, Zunyi and Xishui in the north of Guiyang have red tourism as their theme. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party this year, this tourist route will become even more popular. Next to Zunyi is Moutai Town, which smells of wine. If you have the opportunity, you can buy Moutai in limited quantities at the Liquor Culture Museum; in the west of Guiyang, Hongfeng Lake, Zhijin Cave, Anshun Dragon Palace and Huangguoshu Waterfall are mainly natural landscapes, which are long-lasting An enduring traditional tourist route; southwest of Huangguoshu is the Maling River Grand Canyon in Xingyi, known as "the most beautiful scar on earth". Evaluating the quality of scenic spots will be somewhat subjective. Then it’s a matter of opinion! A correct mentality for tourists is the beginning of a pleasant trip.
? (Inspection of the route)
This time, we will inspect the Qiandongnan route. On the first day, we headed east from Guiyang. Passing through Duyun City, the capital of Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Then turn south to Pingtang County and arrive at the first stop of this trip: China Sky Eye Science Popularization Base, referred to as Sky Eye Scenic Area. The whole journey takes two and a half hours on the highway. In addition, there is another road going south from Guiyang. Take the G69 Expressway to Luodian County, and then turn northeast to reach Tianyan Scenic Area.
Guizhou Province vigorously built expressways around 2010. It has changed the stereotype of people from other provinces regarding Guizhou Province’s backward transportation. During our driving process in the next few days, our fellow travelers were in awe of the spectacular scenery of the mountainous roads we passed. Everyone has only seen viaducts in cities, and cannot imagine how difficult it is to build viaducts in high mountains. We are proud of our country's highway construction capabilities and standards.
The Sky Eye Scenic Area consists of three parts: FAST Observation Deck, Astronomy Experience Hall, and Astronomical Dome Flying Cinema. As an attraction with the theme of astronomy science popularization, it is very suitable for teenagers and astronomy enthusiasts to visit.
Chinese astronomer Mr. Nan Rendong led a team and with 22 years of persistence and dedication, the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST in English) was finally built here on September 25, 2016. . He took advantage of the unique karst funnel-shaped depression conditions here, covering an area about the size of 30 football fields, and used 4,450 unit reflective surfaces to form a spherical crown reflective surface with a diameter of 500 meters. Looking from the observation deck, it looks like a pot. It can be used to directly observe distant galaxies, search for cosmic environments similar to the solar system or the Earth, and discover extraterrestrial civilizations. We use the Beidou satellite to navigate on the earth, and FAST will provide navigation and positioning for our interstellar navigation in the future.
Before going to the FAST Observation Deck, tourists need to store their mobile phones, digital cameras, electronic watches, car keys, smart bracelets and other items at the entrance of the scenic spot for free. These things can interfere with the normal operation of radio telescopes. Only cash can be used for consumption in the scenic area of ??the observation deck. It takes half an hour for tourists to take the transportation within the scenic area from the bag depository to the observation deck. Climb up the steps from the bottom of the observation deck to get to the top for a panoramic view of FAST. If you don’t want to climb mountains, you can also choose minibuses. A 5-minute drive can replace more than 600 wooden steps. After climbing more than a hundred steps to the top, you can experience the magnificence of "seeing all the mountains and small mountains at a glance". At the right time, if the sun sets over the mountains, the surroundings are silent, and the radio telescope under your feet silently faces the vast universe, you truly feel like you are in emptiness.
In order to avoid the regret of tourists not being able to take photos, the scenic spot provides photo services on the observation deck. The photographer chooses the best angle and takes a panoramic shot of FAST from top to bottom. Tourists should take a picture no matter what, without leaving any regrets.
Regarding how to reasonably arrange the order of visits to the three parts of the Sky Eye Scenic Area, it is recommended that you go to the FAST Observation Deck first, and then visit the Astronomy Experience Center and the Astronomical Dome Flying Cinema. It takes three or four hours to complete a normal tour. Go up the mountain first and then go down the mountain, first outdoors and then indoors. The distribution of physical strength during play is more reasonable.
Tianwen Town, where Tianyan Scenic Area is located, has many private restaurants and B&Bs. According to experience, independent travelers should try to choose unobtrusive hotels and B&Bs. The chance of being ripped off is lower. The entrance to Tianyan Scenic Area is opposite the large-scale Xingchen Tianyuan Hotel, where you can stay and eat with confidence.
That night, we had no chance to spend the night in Astronomy Town. Drive one hour northeast to return to Pingtang Town for accommodation. About half an hour later, we passed Pingtang Bridge. This is an internet celebrity attraction called "Sky Bridge". As the car drove up the bridge, we saw only ravines and deep valleys on both sides, but not the majestic appearance of the bridge. If you have time, set aside a few hours to view the "Sky Bridge" from the side at the "Sky Bridge" sightseeing service area.
? (FAST Sky Eye)
The next morning, we set off from Pingtang County. Drive east to Dushan County, turn onto the G75 Expressway, and head south. After about an hour, turn east onto Highway S88. The whole journey takes 2 hours. Arrive at today’s attraction before noon: the Xiaoqikong Scenic Area in Libo County.
Libo County is also under the jurisdiction of the Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Further south, it leaves Guizhou Province and enters Guangxi. There is a Zhang River flowing through Libo County. Along the Zhanghe River, they are arranged from south to north: Xiaoqikong Scenic Area, Daqikong Scenic Area, Libo County, and Shuichun River Rafting Scenic Area.
Rafting on the Shuichun River is a self-service fun activity. Tourists rode kayaks and had water fights with each other, getting soaked all over. It is more suitable for young people to visit in summer. Now that we have entered autumn, we have not arranged this inspection project on this trip.
Tickets for Xiaoqikong and Daqikong scenic spots are combined in a package, which also includes transportation vehicles in the Xiaoqikong scenic spot. Nowadays, most domestic scenic spots are set up in the same way: expand the area of ??the scenic spot and set up commercial streets on the periphery of the core scenic spot. Your own vehicle is no longer allowed to enter here. Tourists either walk or take peripheral transportation - short shuttle bus, which takes tourists to the entrance of the core scenic spot. Battery cars or other small transportation vehicles will be set up in the core scenic area for tourists in need.
However, some scenic spots with large areas and many attractions use buses to pick up and drop off tourists at several stops. This design is reasonable. For example, the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area in Sichuan and the Xiaoqikong Scenic Area visited this time.
Our group entered through the west gate of Xiaoqikong. There are several transportation stations in the scenic area: Wolong Pond, Yuanyang Lake, Wetland, Cuigu Waterfall, Water Forest, Stone Forest and Xiaoqikong Ancient Bridge, etc. Because I was delayed a little time at the west gate entrance. My companions chose three stops: Wolong Pond, Cuigu Waterfall and Shishang Forest. At Cuigu Waterfall, in addition to the waterfall pouring down from the mountains with a huge roar, the scenery of peaks and forests unique to the karst surface is also magnificent. The thick and thick peaks towering like pyramids, and their reflections in the clear lake, make the pool of water unfathomable. Get off at Shishang Forest Station, go down the rapids of the Zhang River, and walk through a pedestrian appreciation area. It takes about an hour for you to enjoy the scenery while walking.
There is an ancient seven-hole bridge near the east gate. Xiaoqikong Scenic Area is named after this bridge, so it is a gathering place for tourists; because the water flow of the Zhang River is gentle here, it is also a gathering place for swimming fish.
Compared with the beautiful scenery of Xiaoqikong Scenic Area, Daqikong Scenic Area looks majestic and majestic. One is soft yet strong; the other is rough and informal. There are obviously fewer tourists in the Daqikong Scenic Area, making it a bit deserted.
Everyone has to walk up the mountain, and after crossing a chain bridge spanning both sides of the canyon, they can climb to the bottom of Tiansheng Bridge. The so-called Tiansheng Bridge is also a type of karst landform. It is a cavity formed by the collapse of soluble rocks after years of erosion by surface water. The Tianmen Cave in the western Hunan Province next door, near Zhangjiajie, was formed for the same reason.
You can also take a bamboo raft to enter the Daqikong Scenic Area. The pier is next to the Daqikong Bridge.
The two attractions, the Big Seven Hole and the Big Seven Hole, are sold together with a joint ticket, considering that the Big Seven Hole attraction is not very attractive to tourists. Due to limited play time, some tourists will give up on Daqikong. If independent travelers want to go to both places, they can go to Daqikong first and then Xiaoqikong. This way you won't be disappointed at either attraction, after all, each has its own attractions. On the contrary, I have a bad impression of Daqikong. However, the arrangement for tour groups is generally to visit the Small Seventh Hole first and then go to the Big Seventh Hole. The tour group's time in Daqikong can be longer or shorter according to the itinerary or tourists' interests. It is easier for a tour guide to control the pace of the group. Generally, it takes about four or five hours to visit the two attractions.
The Big and Small Seven Kongs Scenic Area is the southernmost scenic spot on this trip. After that, we drove all the way to the northeast of Guizhou. Half an hour after leaving the scenic spot, the car arrived at Libo County, where we would stay that night.
(Inside Xiaoqikong Scenic Area)
? (Inside Daqikong Scenic Area)
On the morning of the third day, it took about 3 minutes to drive north from Libo County. Hours later, we arrived at Qianhu Miao Village, Xijiang Town, Leishan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture. Free travelers can take a train to Kaili City, the capital of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture. Then transfer to a car and you can reach Qianhu Miao Village in Xijiang in about an hour.
The original meaning of "Xijiang" is not a place name.
The Miao people are a frequently migrated ethnic group. It is said that there were five large-scale migrations of the Miao people in history. The ancient book "Shangshu" records that "Shun drove the three Miao people out of Sanwei." Emperor Shun, who was as far back as the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period, drove out the Miao people in Sanwei (now Dunhuang, Gansu). From then on, the Miao people spread out and were forced to live in various parts of the Central Plains and Southwest. A group of Miao people who migrated here from Henan 600 years ago are called the "Xi clan". It is speculated that during the turbulent times at the turn of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the Miao people in the Central Plains were forced to leave their homes again to avoid disaster. The "Xi Clan" came here, but there was already another Miao "Shang Clan" living here. The "Xi clan" asked the "Shang clan" for this place and settled there. The word "discuss" is the same as the word "jiang". Therefore, this place was called "Xijiang" by later generations.
Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village was originally a small village built in a valley, with the river at the bottom of the valley flowing through the village smoothly and carefree. But as its reputation spread far and wide, there was an endless stream of famous tourists and businessmen doing tourist business. There are many shops and hotels at the bottom of the valley, on the hillside, and even on the top of some mountains. People with various accents mingled among each other in the village, which was very lively. There are still some Miao people living in the area, and most of their stilt houses are built on the hillside. The house of the nominal leader of the Miao people is still at the highest point of the hillside. You can imagine the momentum of the leaders who dominated the world and overlooked the Miao village.
There are several famous "wind and rain covered bridges" across the river at the bottom of the valley. The wooden bridge body is connected with mortise and tenon joints. There are multi-story pavilions built on the bridge, with raised eaves and corners, and purlins painted with patterns such as dragons and phoenixes. People walking on the bridge can avoid wind and rain. The top of the covered bridge is decorated with treasure gourds and other mascots. On both sides of the bridge, there are railings and benches facing the river for people to rest and reflect on ancient times. The most unique thing about these bridges is the plaques on each bridge. The characters on the plaque were created by the Miao people by combining single-body Chinese characters. Translated into Chinese, they are: Longtan Bridge, Crab Bridge, Youfang Bridge (Lover Bridge), Xuezi Bridge, Huilong Bridge, etc.
Free Miao song and dance performances are regularly arranged at the open-air performance venue in the scenic area. In the evening, there are also paid performances in the indoor song and dance hall. Of course, the quality of the performances is higher than during the day.
The night view of Qianhu Miao Village in Xijiang has always been a business card that attracts foreign tourists. Most of their publicity photos focus on night scenes.
However, the night view we saw seemed a bit sparse due to insufficient lighting. What's more, the weather was cloudy that night, and the expected scene of bright stars in the sky and underground, echoing from afar, was not seen.
That night, we stayed at an inn in Miao Village. Although the conditions are relatively simple. But it can still be regarded as a kind of intimate close-up experience. If you go to bed late or get up early, you can experience the different customs of Miao Village, the worldly noise and the original ethereal nature.
? (Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village)
On the morning of the fourth day, we returned from the Miao Village Inn to the parking lot outside the scenic area. All of you, fellow travelers, travel lightly and simply. The big luggage was left in the car yesterday. Before entering the Miao Village yesterday, it was the right decision to make. The walk back is all uphill. Climb a section of mountain road and take a bus to the shuttle bus station in the scenic area back to the shopping street outside the scenic area. Walk for ten minutes through the shopping street to reach the parking lot. It takes thirty or forty minutes.
In the morning of that day, we arranged to inspect Yanghe Scenic Area. It takes about 2 hours from Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village parking lot to Yanghe Scenic Area. To visit Yanghe River, you need to take a two-story iron boat that can accommodate dozens of people. ?The water surface of Yanghe River is wide, with high gorges and flat lakes. The boat ride is smooth and the journey takes one hour round trip. This attraction is more suitable for slow-paced leisure travel by middle-aged and elderly people. The viewing platform on the second floor of the ship has a good view, and the gentle breeze is coming, which is wonderful. Follow the instructions of the on-board commentator to look for the four masters and apprentices in Journey to the West, the reunion of broken mirrors, the Sandieshui Waterfall, the peacock in full bloom and other sights.
? Guizhou Province is rich in canyon and stream resources. Some are suitable for hiking, some for boating, some for young people, and some for old people. When making travel plans, attractions should be arranged accordingly according to the different conditions of tourists.
? ?Driving east from Yanghe Scenic Area for half an hour, you will arrive at Zhenyuan Ancient City. The ancient city is located on the bank of Yang River and surrounded by mountains. ?The Yang River winds through the city in an S-shape. There are several ancient buildings left over from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the city: city gates, walls, bridges, docks, etc., as well as traditional houses that are still inhabited. There is a Sifang Well in the ancient city, which is a relic of the Song Dynasty. The square wellhead is reminiscent of the square well in "Along the River During Qingming Festival" by Zhang Zeduan of the Northern Song Dynasty. The well in Bianliang, Tokyo has long been buried underground, but the well in front of you is still used by surrounding residents. Residents near the well use water to make homemade bean curd from the well. Presumably this bean curd also has the flavor of "anywhere with well water can sing songs".
The night view of Zhenyuan Ancient City may not be worse than the night view of Qianhu Miao Village in Xijiang. I was sitting on the opposite side of the ancient city having dinner along the river. I was surprised to see the lanterns of the ancient city on the opposite side of the river come on. There are no lights on the dark-colored mountains behind the ancient city. They vaguely outline the rolling hills in the sky, like a heavy curtain. The Kongqiao on the right side of the ancient city and the pavilions on the left have large areas of light color, which not only outline the outline of the building, but also highlight the large area of ??the building. The buildings facing the river are set off by the shadows of the mountains at dusk, and they look like a group of artists on stage. In addition to lighting, the horse-head walls on the roofs are also decorated with light strips that are scattered and light up and down. A string of red lanterns were hung in front of the building, adding a lively and festive color to the ancient city at night.
There is an old bridge across the Yang River in Zhenyuan Ancient City, named "Zhusheng Bridge". It is said that it was built in the early Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, but collapsed and was rebuilt many times later. The existing one was restored during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. There is a triple eaves pavilion on the bridge, named "Kui Xing Pavilion", which was built to commemorate a certain number one scholar who came out of this place.
One end of the Zhusheng Bridge is the Qinglong Cave Scenic Area, which is called "three religions in one". There are the Confucian Ziyang Academy and the Saint's Hall; the Buddhist Zhongyuan Zen Temple and the Taoist Jade Emperor Pavilion. But now there are no teachers or students in the academy, and there are no monks or nuns in the temple. There were only a few Taoist priests in the Jade Emperor Pavilion who measured characters and prayed for believers. It seems that Taoism is dominant here now. When you climb up to the Yuhuang Pavilion, you have a wide view and can overlook the entire ancient city of Zhenyuan.
(?Yang River)
(Zhenyuan Ancient City)
It started to rain before the early morning of the fifth day.
Although the rain is pouring, the water vapor is relatively difficult to disperse. This is the trouble that Guizhou’s mountainous terrain brings to foreigners. Everyone is worried about the situation of Mount Fanjing today. With many years of experience in the industry, they all have no expectations for today’s inspection trip.
From Zhenyuan, drive northbound on S25 Highway. When arriving in Shiqian County, turn eastbound on S30 to connect with G56. It takes about 2 hours to arrive at Fanjing Mountain Scenic Area. It is also a highway all the way. The Shiqian County we passed through was already under the jurisdiction of Tongren City, the last stop of our trip. Shiqian County is said to have ancient hot springs from the Ming Dynasty. If you are a tourist, you may wish to visit. Soak in the hot springs and stay overnight. At present, real and fake hot springs are over-developed across the country. The homogeneity phenomenon is serious. Tourists are tired of this. If Shiqian Hot Spring is an important attraction, it is a long way away and is not recommended unless there are special needs.
Due to the rainy weather, my companions arrived at the Fanjing Mountain Scenic Area and were surprised to see that the mountain could no longer be seen. Due to its unique mountain appearance, Fanjing Mountain has become an internet celebrity attraction in recent years. However, due to the special terrain and narrow mountain roads, the current maximum capacity of the scenic spot can only accommodate four to five thousand people at the same time. I heard that during the National Day holiday a few days ago, it took several hours to queue up at the entrance of the scenic spot and wait for traffic in the scenic spot. In addition to the serpentine queue in the square outside the gate, the tourist service center also provides some small mazzas for tourists who can't hold on. The small transportation vehicles in the scenic area are buses with only a dozen seats. When buses go up the mountain, if they encounter vehicles coming from the opposite direction, they must stop to avoid each other. The mountain road is winding and dangerous. After a 20-minute drive, we arrived at the cable car station and continued to wait in line to take the cable car up the mountain. Cable cars can increase transport speed artificially. 8 people per car. The queue time for the cable car is not as long as waiting at the foot of the mountain. It only takes an hour or two during the National Day holiday. The cable car takes ten minutes. The rest is all up to tourists' foot strength, and they are all steep climbing trails.
When I was at the bottom of the mountain, I planned to climb the "Mushroom Rock" first, and then when I got to the top, I would debate whether to go to the "Old Golden Summit" on the left or the "Red Cloud Golden Summit" on the right. However, when riding the cable car, I felt like I was bathing in milk. I couldn't tell the difference between east and west, and I lost all interest. All the fellow travelers agreed: get down the mountain as soon as possible.
Guizhou has heavy water vapor, especially in Mount Fanjing. The weather here is sunny only for more than January of the year. If the weather is bad like today, the visibility on the mountain will be low. Tourists come here in good spirits and return in disillusionment. It’s not easy to encounter good weather when visiting Mount Fanjing. Travel with caution.
Therefore, to recommend this internet celebrity attraction, two risk warnings are required: weather conditions and scenic area capacity.
A small scenic spot at the southern foot of Fanjing Mountain - Yamugou. It is somewhat similar to the valley scenic spots in Zhejiang, with high gorges and deep valleys, turbulent waterfalls, and huge rocks in the valley. Colorful stones are occasionally seen on the mountain roads, like purple robes and jade belts. They have clear colors and are as warm and moist as jade, which is different from other places. There was light rain in the valley at the right time, and there was plenty of water. The rapids flooded the stone steps and made the steps extremely slippery. There are few tourists in Yamugou, which improves its enjoyment. When visiting most scenic spots in the country, you can refer to an absolute saying: "Heaven with few people is paradise".
What impressed all the colleagues that day was Yunshe Village, Taiping Town, Jiangkou County, known as the "No. 1 Tujia Village in China". It's about ten minutes' drive from Fanjing Mountain. Visiting Yunshe Village on a rainy day has a wonderful view: Yunshe Village is surrounded by mountains on one side and water on three sides. The mist in the mountains is steaming and the clouds are lingering, like a fairyland. Walking along the Longtang River at the entrance of the village, the residential buildings on both sides of the river bank are scattered at random. Most of them are stilt-style buildings, and the original three-heyuan or four-heyuan style. The water of Longtang River is clear and clear, and various poultry are playing during the game. There is an ancient custom of three liang old women washing clothes and washing vegetables on the shore. Shanghai writer Ye Xin said that the Longtang River is "the shortest river in the world" and its source can be seen at a glance. Its source is a divine dragon pool. Shenlongtan is the outlet of the underground river, and the water from the pool surges out to form a river. The water in the pond is as clean as a mirror, so it is also called "Longtan Treasure Mirror". There is a wetland beside Shenlongtan, which I call "the smallest wetland in the world".
The people of Yunshe are simple and simple, with the style of Wuling. The villagers are hospitable and answer all questions. This kind of light and simple posture is nourished by the beautiful mountains and rivers, and it is as refreshing as the soul.
Stay overnight in Tongren, a prefecture-level city in eastern Guizhou. It takes more than an hour to drive from Fanjingshan Scenic Area.
Tongren City is quite close to Hunan Province.
It’s less than an hour’s drive from Fenghuang, a famous ancient town in western Hunan. Previously, we arranged a trip to Zhangjiajie Scenic Area and Fenghuang Ancient City in western Hunan, and used Zhangjiajie Airport to enter and exit. The vehicle took an extra three or four hours to travel back. In the future, you may wish to choose Tongren Airport to enter and exit from Zhangjiajie Airport, and vice versa.
? (Yamugou)
? (Yunshe Village)
On the morning of the last day of the trip, the delegation visited two hotels in Tongren City: Kaiyuan Mingting and State Guesthouse. Domestic hotels are clearly differentiated in terms of hardware facilities. The equipment in guest rooms of each star hotel, as well as the supporting services in conference rooms and restaurants are becoming standardized. Hotels of the same level mostly focus on location and price. Under the epidemic, competition in the hotel industry is also quite cruel.
In the afternoon, we visited a fictional fake cultural relics attraction - Daming Border Town. Not only are there almost no tourists, but all businesses in the scenic spots have been evacuated. Unlike natural landscapes, most of these man-made scenic spots that focus on tourist participation will be eliminated if they are unpopular and look like ghost towns. It’s okay not to go!
After dinner, we hurried to Tongren Airport. Guizhou has vigorously developed intra-provincial transportation in the past ten years. In addition to the various grades of highways extending in all directions that amaze everyone along the way, there are also many airports in various parts of the province. It can be seen that successive leaders of Guizhou Province hope to develop transportation to drive Guizhou's economy.
Guizhou’s economy used to rely heavily on natural resources. For example, there are hydraulic resources with developed water systems and various mineral resources with abundant reserves. In recent years, Guizhou's economy has taken a long-term view and vigorously developed the big data industry. We look forward to sustained economic development in Guizhou in the future.
Finally, let’s talk about Guizhou food. During the several days of inspection in Guizhou, I ate fish in sour soup almost every day. It was originally a traditional dish of the Miao and Dong people. It specializes in grass carp with delicate meat. In principle, the soup should be fermented with glutinous rice flour to give it a sour taste. Add tomatoes and other garnishes as well as various seasonings such as onions, garlic, and peppers into the soup. The soup is hot and sour, and can be thick or light.
For the last meal before sending off to the airport, we tasted a local snack called "Silk Baby". It's a bit like spring pancakes in the north or unoiled spring rolls in the south. The crust is made of rice flour, palm-sized and thin. The center of the cake is stuffed with shredded carrots, Houttuynia cordata, bean sprouts and other vegetarian vegetables. The essence of this snack is dipped in water, making the "silk doll" instantly change into different flavors.