Ye City, a place name full of magic, heard it will be hard to forget. When I was a child, we saw the movie "Guests on the Iceberg", which has two lines of dialog: "What is the bride's place?" "Far away, Ye Town!" "Friend, where are you from?" "Yecheng!" The dialog lines in the movie, twice mentioned Ye Cheng, let me know that in the motherland border, there is a place called Ye Cheng.
After I grew up, I realized that Yecheng, short for Yarkant, named after the Yarkant River, was known as the "Western Nights Kingdom" and "Zihe Kingdom", with a history of more than 2100 years. Since the Western Han Dynasty, it has been a major town on the southern route of the ancient Silk Road.
Nowadays, Yecheng has become a dazzling pearl under the Kunlun Mountains, enjoying the honor of "Hometown of Chinese Walnut", "Hometown of Pomegranate", "Hometown of Jade", "Hometown of Song and Dance". China's famous cultural scholars, Mr. Yu Qiuyu in the Ye City tour, readily inscribed: "Zero kilometers of the heavenly road, the first city of Kunlun."
Tou Ye City
Driving down from the Pamir Plateau, straight to Ye City. The first thing that comes to mind is the Yecheng Tower, which is in the shape of "1", meaning "the first city of Kunlun". The top of the tower is full of fruit plate, fruitful; tower columns on all sides were carved with "China's walnut township", "pomegranate township", "jade township", "song and dance The words "Township of Chinese Walnuts", "Township of Pomegranates", "Township of Jade" and "Township of Songs and Dances" are engraved. It stands in the doorway of the thoroughfare, so that people can see at a glance, reminding people that Ye Cheng to, and hope that people remember Ye Cheng.
In order to catch up with the road, a day is not how to eat properly. Rushing to Ye City, it is already evening, so the first time is to solve the problem of the stomach. I searched on the Internet and found the top-ranking Meilang restaurant in Ye City, and decided to treat myself here.
However, I didn't want to miss out on the small facade.
Although the face is not big, but go to the second floor, only to realize that there is something else. I really did not expect, in this small county, there is such a Turkish style restaurant, and even a little luxury beyond our imagination.
Decorative style is very much like a Western restaurant, but this is the original ethnic restaurant, very ethnic minority exotic flavor, very beautiful.
The large restaurant is full, we are not more than a few tables of Han Chinese, the restaurant waiter can only simple Chinese, almost all around the Vi?t Nam people talking, so we have a kind of feeling of being in a foreign country.
Despite the Western décor, the food is typical of Xinjiang, with excellent flavors and high prices in the region, but the food is very slow.
Slowly waiting for food, tasting food process, I began to wonder, how such a small county consumption equivalent to the level of the mainland metropolis? Later, I realized that Xinjiang people's income is higher than ours, and the houses are super cheap, so as long as they have a regular job, they almost live without much pressure.
As in Yecheng just live a night, so we only use after dinner, before going to bed this time, to feel seemingly familiar, and never arrived in Yecheng. Looking out of the car window at the brightly lit world, I was surprised to have a long-lost feeling.
Yecheng is located in the new Xinjiang, Tibet, two regions, Kashgar, Hotan, Ali, the intersection of the three places, 219, 315 National Highway through the city.
Across the country called "zero kilometer" place a lot, in terms of Tibet Highway, there is the beginning of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway zero kilometers, zero kilometers of Qinghai-Tibet Highway, zero kilometers of the New Tibet Highway, but in the country called is the New Tibet Highway zero kilometers.
The New Tibet Highway is 2,342 kilometers long, is the world's highest altitude, the most complex terrain, the most natural disasters, one of the most treacherous highway. The zero kilometer of the New Tibet Highway, the heavenly road, is in Yecheng, with a starting point of "0" kilometers, marking the beginning of the New Tibet Route.
From a distance, the zero-kilometer starting point, built a heavenly road color gate, across the snow bath in the sky above the avenue, the door hole in the six lanes. The gate beam is flat, like a pontoon boat. In the center of the beam, the Arabic number "0" is inlaid in golden color. The north side of the beam, from Yecheng to Ali, is engraved with Tibetan patterns, while the south side, from Ali to Yecheng, is engraved with Uyghur patterns.
On the columns on both sides of the colorful gate, there is a golden couplet "Zero kilometer of the heavenly road, the first city of the Kunlun", which is the handwriting of the famous scholar Yu Qiuyu. Zero kilometer in Ye City is not only a geographical coordinate, and has become a cultural identity.
This is the most convenient way to enter Tibet, and the plateau landscape is also starting to be treacherous. From Yecheng to Ali, you have to cross 5 mountains over 5000 meters, 16 icebergs, 44 glaciers, and hundreds of kilometers of no man's land. This is the beginning of the journey to the roof of the world, but also connects to a higher, more distant place.
Early the next morning, in order to see what Yecheng looks like again, we drove around the city, not wanting to meet them.
In 2010, the railroad from Kashgar to Hotan was built, and a station was set up in Yecheng. In the square in front of the station, a statue was built of Amir and Gulandam from the movie "The Guest from the Iceberg".
Touring the Lost City of Sitia
Before we came to Yap, we knew that there is a magical ancient city, the Lost City of Sitia, and with the word Lost City in mind, we decided to go there and find out what it was all about.
Although this is not the first time I traveled to the ruins of the ancient city in the Western Region, every time I see such a scene, I can not help but imagine, thousands of years ago, the ancient Silk Road flourished, this land once looked like? With these questions, without realizing it, has arrived at Sitia Lost City.
Sandcastle towering in the desert, yellow mud made outside the city gates, a stone monument stands tall, above the inscription of Yu Qiuyu's "Sydia Lost City" five words.
Sitia Lost City, also known as the ancient city of Sitia, due to the absence of any historical records left behind information, archaeologists have repeatedly visited the field have not come to fruition and the locals called "Lost City".
"Sitia" translated into Chinese means "indestructible cliff", meaning never fall, not extinguished. This is a kind of momentum, but in the end, the wind and clouds change, it is still consumed by the dust of history into a pile of yellow earth.
Exactly what makes it into a cup of yellow earth? This has become the mystery of the ancient city of Sitia.
Today, in Sitia, even though it is not possible to trace back the distant years, but through the remains of the erosion of the wind and rain, the former glory of the ancient city can still be seen vaguely.
As you walk up the steps to the two-story wall, you see a domed fortress above the gate of the lost city, which was an important line of defense for the entire ancient city.
Through the holes in the wall, I saw an "enigmatic" desert city, and the replica of the palace of the king of Sitia.
The thousand years of silence in the ruins of Sitia, and now a new life. The scenic area has restored some of the buildings, recreating the ancient city civilization of a thousand years ago.
Standing on the bunker, overlooking the ancient city, it is not difficult to find that the ancient city buildings lined up, the periphery also set up a number of watchtowers.
Some experts believe that the ancient city of Sitia was built at the end of the 11th century, is the Khan of the Karakhan dynasty period of Khan City, 1218 in Genghis Khan's western conquest was destroyed. But can only be presumed that the site of the ancient city of Sitia for the Tang and Song dynasties, the exact age of belonging to be proved.
But after all, this is a kind of speculation, Sitia city of mystery, thick clouds, so far difficult to complete the crack, therefore, also highlights the Sitia lost city of "lost" word.
Here also retained the sacrificial platform and ancient tomb area. Especially the magical and strange ritual platform, giving people a sense of deep, mysterious.
The scenic area has both the site of the protected area, but also built between the ruins of the restoration of the construction of the area, so that the site full of bleakness renewed vigor, the past of its mystery, to today's people one by one presented.
The restored palace of Sitia, a typical adobe building of the western national style, recreates the prosperity of the past, presenting the heavy atmosphere of the ancient city.
Sitia Labyrinth City is a regional ancient cityscape integrating Silk Road culture, Kunlun culture, and the culture of ancient western regions, and it is the first restored raw earth architectural art group in Xinjiang.
The market on the front of the Royal Palace restores the old scenes of the main neighborhood of the ancient city of Sitia, recreating the elegance of the ancient city of a thousand years.
Inside the streets, the small stores with store streamers hanging high in the air are rustic and rough, and at first sight, there is the illusion of traveling through a thousand years, stunning, deep, magical and secretive, which is hard to describe.
Low, eroded by the wind of the years adobe house, always exudes a rustic atmosphere.
On both sides of the road are houses made of loess, with flags fluttering in the air and the words "Silk Road Station" written on them. It is like being in the ancient Silk Road town of a thousand years ago, when the bustle and hustle of the bustle and hustle of the sword and shadow of the picture as if in front of us.
Sitia is a transit point from Xinjiang to the outer regions. Whether it was during Zhang Qian's mission to the West, or in today's peaceful times, it was a post station.
Nowadays, the place where you can get the pass for the New Tibet Highway is located in the scenic spot. You can see people entering Tibet by all kinds of transportation. Countless young men on motorcycles rest, refurbish their vehicles, stay here and enjoy the ancient city of Sitia in the meantime.
Walking on this street, looking at the doors and windows here, touching the mottled walls, and that bucket of wine characters, for some reason, I always think of "Dragon Inn", always feel that which window, or which door hides a warrior or a killer, a bloody storm is about to come ------
Inside the labyrinthine city, crude statues, perched on top of the high stacks of earth, holding on to the the main road leading to the palace.
Step by step towards the palace, a little closer to it. To be honest, the design of the palace is not sure whether it is finally history, or over-expression, always give me a cartoonish feeling, and immediately make the old scenic spot like old color lost a lot.
I don't know is my disrespect, angered the heavens, or a coincidence, suddenly a demonic winds wantonly rise, the wind and sand blocked the sun, but also blocked my eyes ------
Sitya Lost City, a thousand years of sleep in the sea of sand in the ancient city, is still difficult to escape the threat of desertification.
Today, the bleak ruins of Sitia, although it has long lost the glory of the year, but the heavy atmosphere still exists.
In the past thousand years, the years and wars have eroded the ancient city's pompous carvings, faded the ancient city's show of civilization, collapsed a section of the wall, and scattered all over the broken porcelain, can not be found about the traces of it, the only poplar trees and dunes around.
The sand and sandy swept away, and the sand is still difficult to escape the threat of sand.
After the sand swept away, I fixed my eyes and looked around, the palace is surrounded by bunkers, heavily guarded.
Here, you can not seek the prosperity of the face of the world, the only thing you can witness is the broken walls, swaying branches -------
The ruins of the lost city in such an atmosphere, more and more seem bleak, quiet.
With this magic into the ancient city of Sitia, as if into a mystery palace, I always feel that the surprise will appear at any time, every pile of muddy yellow sand under the soil, there may be a mysterious cave.
Thousands of years of ruins, dilapidated city, mottled walls ...... leave us too much confusion.
It shines with a warm golden color, attracting countless people to explore, expecting to reveal its mysterious life layer by layer!
I would like to ignite the smoke of time and space, back to the era of the clanging, looking for a thousand years of lost scenes, even though it can not be recovered from the distant years, but through the wind and rain erosion of the remains, vaguely visible in the ancient city of the former glory.
Here, I was attracted by the words "dream back to the West", and entered through a small door, in front of a dark passage.
With the deepening of the crowd, the eyes gradually brightened up, the left and right walls are carved a huge stone statue, the head of the statue is exceptionally large, thick eyebrows, wide-open eyes, high nose, thick lips, written on the forehead of the "Kunlun Defenders".
This image is when archaeologists excavated the ruins of the lost city of Sitia, according to the excavated remains to restore the role of the remains, I heard that the remains are about two meters tall, is a real "giant".
Steps gradually down, along the way on the left and right sides of the stone wall, written with some unintelligible characters, these characters are also found from this site, but the specific meaning of what it means, it seems that people have been difficult to decipher.
On the stone wall, half of the wooden wheel remains, the other half has been buried by thick gravel. It is a silent statement of the hardships of the ancient Silk Road.
Here also hides the secret of the "thirty-six countries of the Western Region". As we move forward, the "36 Kingdoms of the Western Regions" in the order of proximity to the Central Plains to the far away in front of the eyes.
"Thirty-six countries in the Western Region" of the "country" concept, and modern countries with a strict political meaning is different, it distinguishes between some of the oasis or grassland territory as a unit of tribal or city-state territory. It is difficult to verify the customs of the countries at that time, but the remaining buildings, texts, and legends, such as the legend of the Loulan beauty, the ancient city of Jingjie, and the Great Lunar Clan, etc., are still the stories that people talk about nowadays.
The huge portrait of Liufu can be seen from afar, he/she was the driving force in China's successive dynasties for the understanding and integration of cultures, religions, and people from the Central and Western regions. One of these figures, Princess Xieyou, was the one who was mentioned several times as we traveled through Tekes, the first stop in Xinjiang on this trip.
From the "underground palace" up, in the corner of the street, there will occasionally be the figure of the camel, rich ancient Silk Road flavor came to the face, but also let the ruins of the ancient city alive.
Not far from the watchtower, as if the Sitia ancient city of Gesang flowers, is stubbornly blooming. She is beautiful but not delicate, weak but not lose upright, sent the people of Ye City look forward to happiness, auspicious feelings.
Monologue
Sitia Ancient City is the thirty-six countries of the Western Region of the Western Nights and the Zihe State is located in the region, more than two thousand years later, the road has not changed, is still so far away, changed is the transportation on the road and the minds of the people; alternating cycle of the sun and the moon has not changed, far away from the time, long years of history of the vicissitudes of life and prosperity are one. The time has not changed, the long years of history of the vicissitudes and prosperity of all a help flat.
Special geographic coordinates, the long history, in this sacred mountain thick soil superimposed base into a long, vicissitudes, mottled marks. Now, I pick up the broken in the thirty-six countries of the Western Region in a moment of time, analyzing the broken dreams in the city of Sitia.
The cultural scholar Yu Qiuyu once said in his assessment of Ye Cheng: "This is a necessary classroom for the study of Chinese civilization and world civilization, even if the mountains are high and the deserts are far away, you should arrive again and again".
Yecheng, this vast land, the remains of the ancient Silk Road, the fusion of diverse ethnic groups and cultures, these are worthy of your feet to measure, with the body and mind to feel.
These feelings are just a corner of the magnificent beauty of Yecheng, the good place is not enough to say, can not be said. As a town on the ancient Silk Road, there is a silent watch and deep connotation here, which can make your mind swept up by a burst of throbbing, and can not help but experience, feel it like a dream like a dream of the past and present life.
Continuing, please look forward to "Through the colorful Xinjiang (eighth stop) the sea of death"
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