Admiring Unknown Wildflowers at Yandu Ancient City in Yi County
After dinner, I thought it was still early, so before it got dark, I went for a walk along the Yishui River in front of the hotel. We have a saying back home: 'A hundred steps after a meal, and you'll live to ninety-nine.' So I went downstairs and stepped out of the hotel.
By the river in front of the hotel, a rockery of raw stones had been built, with two openings leading to footpaths along the riverbank. Earlier, at the visitor center, I'd overheard that these rockeries and waterside platforms all had histories. If I recalled correctly, the rock pile before me was 'Emei Evening Bell,' one of the Eight Scenes of Xiling. Passing through 'Emei Evening Bell,' I stepped onto the riverside path. The embankment was a grassy slope terrace that sloped into the water. It wasn't yet flood season, so the current was gentle and hadn't submerged the path. The river was thick with reeds and water plants; unknown water birds flitted through the reeds, and now and then I'd catch glimpses of them swimming. A few ripples would break the surface among the plants, probably caused by fish startled below. Listening to the distant frog calls, I felt a pastoral contentment.
Looking east, a waterside platform named 'Huagai Misty Vapors' (another of the Eight Scenes) stood over the water. By now, visitors were slowly gathering there: a family of three with a child laughing and playing, couples leaning against the railings whispering intimately. But then the off-key singing from someone's livestream on the platform shattered the peaceful scene. 'So disappointing,' I muttered, shaking my head, and headed west toward 'Fushan Holding the Sun' (also one of the Eight Scenes).
'Fushan Holding the Sun' was also a waterside platform, a bit larger than 'Huagai Misty Vapors,' with more varied shapes. Seen from above, it supposedly resembled two mountains cradling the sun. On the platform, elderly people practiced tai chi, others admired the view, and the occasional tinkling laughter of girls nearby caught the attention of passing boys. Watching these little sparks of young affection, I couldn't help but sigh: 'Youth is wonderful.'
The grassy banks were sprinkled with patches of tiny purple wildflowers, blanketing the gentle slopes by the river. Tender willow branches swayed in the breeze, and grass along the embankment grew with wild abandon. Perhaps stronger life was stirring beneath the soil; the whole scene was one of thriving vitality.
In front of 'Fushan Holding the Sun' stood a majestic tower called Babai Lou (Eight Bows Tower). Its name is said to derive from the ancient Chinese cultural concept of 'bābài zhī jiāo'—the Eight Bows Friendship, representing the highest forms of sworn brotherhood. Let me share the origins of these Eight Bows: The first bow: Friendship of Kindred Spirits. The story of 'high mountains and flowing water' tells of Boya and Zhong Ziqi, who understood each other's hearts through music. The second: Friendship of Cutting One's Throat. This refers to Lian Po and Lin Xiangru, who would risk decapitation for one another. The third: Friendship of Chicken and Millet. In the Eastern Han dynasty, two great friends from Jinxiang County, Shanyang Commandery—Fan Shi and Zhang Shao—kept their word and traveled a thousand li to meet. The fourth: Friendship of Sacrificing Life. In the Western Han, Zuo Botao and Yang Jiao'ai, people of Yan, gave their lives for each other. The fifth: Life-and-Death Friendship. This first appeared in Zheng Dehui's Yuan dynasty play 'Zhou Mei Xiang': 'In the peril of sword and spear, my father dashed into battle, saved his life, and took six spear wounds; thus they became life-and-death friends.' The sixth: Friendship of Guan and Bao, the story of Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya. The seventh: Friendship Across Generations. This is about Mi Heng and Kong Rong from the Three Kingdoms era. The eighth: Friendship of Glue and Lacquer. According to the Book of Later Han, in the Eastern Han, Yuzhang Commandery had two virtuous men, Chen Zhong and Lei Yi. They were inseparable, like glue and lacquer. People praised: 'Glue and lacquer claim to be strong, but they are not as strong as Lei and Chen.' The Eight Bows Friendship truly represents the highest ideal of traditional Chinese friendship—righteousness that soars beyond the clouds.
Standing before Babai Lou, I felt the cool early-summer breeze. The Yishui River before me appeared especially calm, but beneath its surface flowed a thousand years of stories and legends. It had witnessed the rise and fall of the Yan-Zhao lands, seen the golden spears and armored horses of northern tribes, and remembered the valiant act of Jing Ke's attempt to assassinate the Qin king. It shepherds this land, and in return, it is loved and revered by the people here.
The slanting sun slowly moved westward, and the sky darkened. Alone on the path, my thoughts wandered far. Green trees and red blossoms along the banks, mirrored in the water with the ancient city's eave corners, shimmered in a fractured, dreamlike way. The setting sun slipping into distant mountains, accompanied by a tipsy breeze, evoked the line: 'Clear music arises and a fresh breeze stirs; misty light congeals into purple dusk mountains.' A sudden loneliness filled my heart, and unbidden sorrow welled up. I sighed inwardly: 'Most of us are lost travelers; do not watch the setting sun, do not watch the rain...'
To be continued...
