【Hunan】Exploring the Fantasy World of Avatar in Zhangjiajie * Experiencing the Melancholy of Cuicui in Fenghuang Ancient Town under Shen Congwen's Pen...

📍 Changsha · 👁 3 reads · ❤️ 72 likes

Late autumn last year, I couldn't stop my wandering feet. Looking at the map, except for Hunan and Henan, I had not yet stepped foot in those provinces, while I had left footprints in most of the others. So, I decided to traverse these two provinces as well.

Thus, I set my sights on Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang Ancient Town in Hunan.

The movie *Avatar* brought fame to Zhangjiajie's fantastical mountains, while Shen Congwen's melancholic Cuicui became a nostalgic yearning for many...

To enjoy the scenery along the high-speed rail, I chose high-speed rail for the entire journey. Departing from Hangzhou, I passed through Yiwu, Jinhua, Shangrao, Nanchang, and after a total of ten stops, arrived at Changsha South Station.

After checking in, I took the subway to Orange Island Head (Juzizhoutou), planning to follow in the footsteps of the great leader and see Orange Island. Unexpectedly, the subway station was full of advertisements for stinky tofu, which was quite surprising.

The great leader once left a heroic poem here. Now, reading that poem at Orange Island Head where he composed it still makes one's blood boil with passion.

"Changsha·To the Tune of Spring in a Pleasure Garden"

Alone I stand in autumn cold,

At Orange Island Head,

Where the Xiang River northward flows.

I see a thousand hills all crimsoned through,

And serried woods all dyed in deep hue,

The river green as jade,

A hundred ships in contest glide...

(Translation of Mao Zedong's poem)

At this place and time, recalling this poem makes me feel the author's fervent emotions when he wrote it. The beauty of words blending with the scenery is truly unforgettable.

After strolling around Orange Island Head, night had fallen with lights twinkling. It was just time to go to the night market for mouthwatering local snacks. Changsha has many night markets; we chose Taiping Street. Before even entering, we could see the dense crowd and smell the mixed aromas of various foods in the air.

We returned to the hotel at midnight, full and satisfied, and slept soundly until dawn. Then we set off for Shaoshan, Chairman Mao's hometown, to visit his former residence.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is China's first national forest park. The quartz sandstone creates a marvel spectacular spectacle, and hundreds of millions of years have crafted nature's most gorgeous and wonderful scenery.

Walking through this forest with an extremely high concentration of negative oxygen ions, observing these dreamlike and fantastic landscapes, it felt as if I had truly entered the magical world of *Avatar*.

In the Golden Whip Stream (Jinbianxi) area of Zhangjiajie Forest Park, there are many monkeys. The old monkeys snatch things with agile movements, light as swallows, while the young monkeys are as timid as mice, fleeing like the wind in a blur.

But the little monkeys are much cuter than the big ones. When a little monkey grabs food or is given food by tourists, the old monkey always snatches it away quickly. The guide said that old monkeys ensure their own survival first in order to protect the young. The hearts of monkeys are pitiful; it seems that all love in the world is just as touching.

After watching the monkeys play, we headed to Huanglong Cave (Yellow Dragon Cave).

Huanglong Cave is located in the core scenic area of Zhangjiajie Forest Park, a typical karst landform.

Inside the cave is an underground river. Sitting in a boat, listening to the sound of water flowing in the cave, it felt as if the water came from the sky.

Among the dreamy colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, I felt the countless eons of water turning into stone. Time seemed to stand still here, with only the drip of water accompanying the passage of years, year after year...

Most of the stone pillars in the cave grow only one centimeter every hundred years, a truly awe-inspiring sight.

That evening, we went to watch a performance showcasing the charm of Western Hunan (Xiangxi). Among the acts was a folk performance of "Hunan corpse driving" (Xiangxi ganshi), which was truly shocking. It's a performance well worth watching.

Tianmen Mountain is the highest peak in Zhangjiajie, with a main peak of 1,518.6 meters.

We drove along the winding road with ninety-nine bends. The road was so steep that Meiniu (my travel companion), who usually falls asleep in the car, was wide-eyed and unable to sleep out of tension. After reaching Tianmen Mountain, we took endless escalators and finally arrived at the summit. From the top, we could overlook the entire Zhangjiajie area, with the Lishui River flowing through the city. There is also a Buddhist nunnery where Li Na (a famous Chinese singer) became a nun—actually a mountain villa, now deserted and empty.

Looking down from the summit, the ninety-nine bend road was magnificent, like a white ribbon dancing on the mountainside. People say nature is amazing, but at this moment, I felt that humanity is even greater.

The *Border Town* (Biancheng) — Fenghuang Ancient Town — made famous by Shen Congwen's novel.

When we arrived at Fenghuang Ancient Town, it was already lit up with lights.

On both banks of the Tuojiang River, the stilt houses (diaojiaolou) were brilliantly illuminated, and the sound of the river flowing in the night sky was like plucking strings of a zither.

Walking along the banks of the Tuojiang River, listening to the sounds of the night, listening to the sound of time flowing in this border town...

I wondered how Cuicui, the protagonist of the border town, year after year, month after month, waited and longed in these dimly lit places...

Fenghuang Ancient Town, dreamy Tuojiang River.

Without the quiet time under the night sky, Fenghuang Ancient Town in the daytime showed more of its historical vicissitudes.

From Xiong Xiling, Premier of the Republic of China era, to the literati Shen Congwen, this place has left a rich history and culture. The ancient Miao stilt houses stand silently on both sides of the Tuojiang River, watching time pass by, watching the Tuojiang flow quietly, as the flowing water takes away each day of vicissitudes and brings every day of a good life...

Leaving this town full of deep nostalgia and endless thoughts,

Leaving this border town that became famous because of writer Shen Congwen,

Leaving this ancient town lined with stilt houses, full of primitive simplicity and vicissitudes,

Leaving this town nestled by mountains and rivers, returning to Changsha.

During the one day stop in Changsha, we went from Hunan University to Yuelu Academy, and then from Yuelu Academy to Aiwan Pavilion (the three characters "Aiwan Ting" were inscribed by Chairman Mao). Along the way, we felt the cultural aura of ancient literati. Yuelu Academy has a history of over a thousand years.

"Park and admire the maple grove late, frost leaves redder than February flowers" – it is said that the name Aiwan Pavilion (Pavilion for Loving Evening) comes from Du Mu's beautiful lines. But if the great poet were in this bustling crowd today, would he still be inspired to write timeless lines?

After touring these places full of historical traces, we found a bookstore, accompanied by the scent of books, and spent a pleasant afternoon in Changsha.

Changsha has too many trendy foods. This internet-famous cake was already mouthwatering during its live preparation.

Changsha is truly a gathering place for delicious food. Various Hunan dishes are quite famous, and stir-fried beef with chilies represents Chinese cuisine going global.

I think I will come to Changsha again, not for the beautiful scenery, but for these foods, for these tantalizing snacks...

When I organized the photo above, I was on the high-speed train heading to Zhengzhou, Henan. When I set foot on the land of Henan, I had traveled through all thirty-three provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China (except Taiwan, which currently does not have independent travel).

Along the way, I have seen mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, stars, and the sea,

Along the way, I have seen grasslands, wetlands, forests, terraced fields, deserts, canyons, and snow-capped mountains,

Along the way, I have seen the towering skyscrapers and flashing neon lights of different cities,

Along the way, I have seen the dilapidated houses in remote mountainous areas and the left-behind elderly and children,

Along the way, I have also seen devout believers kowtowing in the wind and rain...

Having seen the magnificent landscapes of China and its five thousand years of long history and splendid culture, I am filled with endless emotions. But no emotion touched me more deeply than the sight of this elderly couple holding hands. Because after all the prosperity, only plainness is true.

And they, in their ordinary way, with the simplest hand-holding, interpret the most beautiful form of love: hold your hand, and grow old with you.

Along the way, whether going uphill, downhill, or on level ground, the hands holding each other convey endless care and love.

Having seen all sorts of worldly things, perhaps life is about cherishing each ordinary day and its beauty, because life is so short—how can we waste it!

Travel Notes Directory:

1. Changsha - Orange Island Head, Shaoshan - Chairman Mao's Former Residence

2. Zhangjiajie - Bailong Elevator, Yuanjiajie, Golden Whip Stream, Huanglong Cave

3. Tianmen Mountain, Fenghuang Ancient Town Night

4. Boat tour of Fenghuang Ancient Town, Changsha Zhijian Bookstore

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