Journey of 2020 — Guizhou, Chongqing

📍 Chongqing · 👁 6782 reads · ❤️ 31 likes

2020, though a bit tough, I still insisted on my annual trip.

Only the time and destination were a bit casual.

Originally, I had planned to go with Miss He to that city where we studied, to visit teachers and meet classmates, but sometimes human plans are no match for heaven's calculations — a heavy rain made her vacation fall through.

I was ready to go, and I set off alone.

On August 22, 2020, heading southwest.

First Stop: Guizhou

2020 had one word: COVID-19. This word made traveling that year different from usual. Masks, temperature checks, health codes — these necessary procedures were added to the journey.

Transiting through Changsha, I arrived in Guiyang and headed to Bijie.

Originally, I planned to go to Bijie to see that field of chive blossoms, but the locals told me I came too early — the flowers hadn't bloomed yet.

Sometimes, encounters cannot be too early or too late. Too early, the flowers haven't bloomed; too late, the flowers have withered.

But how many things in life happen just at the right time?

However, in Bijie, I did enjoy a shooting spree at a sports training center. Perhaps due to ethnic traditions, many locals have this skill from a young age, and they were more than qualified to guide me. From a banner at the center, this activity seemed to be a traditional event of their ethnic sports meet.

Unable to see the chive blossoms, I moved on — Wumeng Great Prairie.

(The sunset was very beautiful.)

(A local wild vegetable, very fresh and sweet.)

(The seasoning was simple, mainly spicy.)

(Beef was the main meat, tender and fresh.)

Wumeng Great Prairie is located in Panzhou. Tourism here hasn't fully developed yet, and it remains quite rustic. Mountain villagers mostly live on the mountainside; guesthouses are renovated from their houses with relatively simple conditions. It is said there are high-end lodgings on the top of the prairie, but they are much more expensive, and it's uncertain whether they are fully booked.

To watch the sunrise, I set off before dawn. There were car lights on the road — all tourists going to see the sunrise.

The temperature on the mountain was several degrees lower than at the foot. Even in midsummer, it felt as cool as late autumn. The jacket I brought was hardly useful; most of the time, I huddled in the car.

(Fog was swirling on the mountain.)

It is said that a miraculous Buddha's light can be seen here. While taking shelter from the cold in the car, there was a patch of light outside the window, round and very bright, like a streetlamp. When I tried to look more closely, the light was gone. Was that the legendary Buddha's light?

As the sky gradually brightened, light slowly seeped through the thick clouds. The weather wasn't good, and the expected sunrise didn't materialize. But through the drone's lens, crossing the magnificent sea of clouds, I felt a sense of rebirth and breakthrough.

(The clouds were gradually being torn apart.)

Just before dawn, hardworking herders had already driven cattle and sheep to the slopes. Though called a prairie, it's actually their grazing pasture. There was plenty of livestock dung on the grass, very natural.

(Pristine pasture with herds of cattle and sheep.)

Wumeng Great Prairie — the name felt familiar. Later I recalled the two lines: "Wumeng's rolling hills are like mud balls; the Dadu Bridge's iron chains are cold." However, the Red Army back then did not walk on such gentle prairies.

(There were also wind turbines on the mountain. It was too cold, so I didn't go.)

(Scenery on the mountain.)

Wanfeng Forest is located in Xingyi, southwest Guizhou. As the name suggests, "ten thousand peaks" implies a multitude of peaks. It is a typical karst landform. Within the scenic area, overlapping mountains interweave with fields, very similar to Yingde in Qingyuan, Guangdong. It is said the scenery is especially beautiful when the rapeseed flowers bloom.

The guesthouse was hidden on the mountainside, inconvenient to access, but it had a pool and a view of the sunrise.

At 5 a.m., it was just getting light. The outlines of the peaks were faintly visible, with a slight purple-red glow. As the glow faded, a wisp of cloud drifted by; the sky was pure, gradually turning blue.

At 6:30, beams of light scattered between the peaks. The sun jumped out from the mountains, casting light onto the earth. Villages and fields appeared. Even without the orange-yellow hue, it had a different kind of delicacy.

The guesthouse owner drove me down the mountain. In the hot season, tourists were sparse. I rented an electric scooter and wandered aimlessly in the scenic area.

(Few tourists.)

(Rented electric scooter.)

(The countryside under the scorching sun.)

(Not the season for flowers.)

(Plain old yogurt — ever since I had spicy yogurt in Xi'an, I never try other flavors recklessly.)

(Wanfeng Forest's fried rice with eggs is very famous.)

At the foot of the mountain, there were many inns — probably where most tourists stay.

I navigated to the Nostalgia Market. It was very quiet — no market, no crowd. Some small coffee shops might not have been open.

(Nostalgia Market — I thought there would be some Buyi specialty items.)

(The waterwheel creaked slowly as it turned.)

Although most residents of Xingyi are Buyi, the locals here have become largely sinicized. Traditional costumes and customs are rarely seen in daily life; only a glimpse can be caught in that serene museum.

(Buyi Eight-Tone Hall.)

(Indigo dye in the Buyi Eight-Tone Hall.)

(Silk threads hanging quietly.)

(Instruments in the Eight-Tone Hall.)

The great Ming dynasty traveler Xu Xiake praised this place: "There are many peaks under heaven, but only here do peaks form a forest." However, to fully appreciate the forest of peaks, you need to be at a high vantage point — stand high to see far.

Qingyan Ancient Town, one of the four famous ancient towns in Guizhou, was built in the Ming dynasty.

The ancient town is densely packed with Ming and Qing architecture. The city wall winds along the mountain, as if protecting the town. The blue-gray rocks, weathered by countless years, exude a sense of antiquity.

(The winding city wall.)

The shouting vendors are no longer the same as before; the passersby have changed again and again. But the carved beams, the upturned eaves, regardless of the passage of time, still quietly guard the years, watching people come and go.

(Rose ice jelly.)

History can also be explored in the exhibition hall.

(I'm puzzled why zombies in movies wear that kind of clothing.)

Qingyan is located in Huaxi, where the Gaopo Miao people live. The Gaopo Miao have a unique custom — shooting the back plate.

Shooting the back plate is a poignant custom: two people in love cannot marry due to their parents' wishes. "Cannot marry in life, but become husband and wife in the afterlife." They ask their clan to witness the 'back plate shooting.' The woman gives the man her 'back plate,' and the man gives the woman his red waistband. Afterward, no matter what, they cannot marry in life. When buried, the man places the 'back plate' on his chest, and the woman ties the 'red waistband' around her waist for burial, finally achieving a union in the afterlife.

Second Stop: Chongqing

Wulong is a summer resort in Chongqing, with an average temperature 15°C lower than the main urban area. Wulong has the Fairy Mountain and the Three Natural Bridges.

Fairy Mountain has forest and grassland. Compared to the primitive Wumeng Great Prairie, this one is flatter and much cleaner, but it still feels like a pasture because it's not as vast and endless as imagined.

There are some European-style buildings and amusement facilities on the grassland — quite artificial. It feels more suitable for family outings.

(A bit like a European countryside.)

(Resting tourists.)

(Electric carts in the scenic area.)

It is said that the Three Natural Bridges have more natural elements. I originally planned to go there the next day, but as often happens, plans change. Unfortunately, I didn't make it.

Regrets are okay; with regrets come longing, and with longing, maybe there will be another departure.

Who can guarantee that they haven't missed something or encountered surprises?

(Stairs are a feature of the mountain city.)

(Wulong is a summer resort for many Chongqing people.)

(Every summer, many people come to Wulong to escape the heat.)

(Teacher's home-cooked meal: a lot of chili spicy chicken.)

(When in Rome, do as the Romans do — have a sip of the mountain city's beer.)

Liziba is famous because of a rail transit line — Line 2. I don't know whether to call it light rail or subway.

(View from the platform.)

(The train slowly enters the station.)

The station is located on the 6th to 8th floors of a commercial-residential building. "An overhead train passing through a building" — the design and construction are astounding. Perhaps only a mountain city can have such a scene.

(Train passing through the building.)

Every time a train passes, tourists on the ground raise their cameras and phones. But the 40°C high temperature at that time was unbearable.

This internet-famous check-in spot was a bit of a trap. It is indeed a big escalator, but just steeper and longer than usual. Perhaps due to age, it looked a bit worn, and the surrounding environment was chaotic.

The escalator charges 2 yuan for a one-way trip.

Near the escalator is the Caiyuanba Railway Station. From afar, the distinctive railway emblem still hangs high. In the underpass, vendors were selling bags, clothes, and hot pot base. There seemed to be a faint memory lingering in my mind, but it felt very distant. The station is no longer what it used to be.

My memories near the station are vague and blurred.

(Wandering through streets and alleys is the best way to understand a city.)

The Yangtze River Cableway has been operating for quite some time. It was already running back in the days when buses smelled heavily of gasoline.

(Entrance of the cableway.)

Back then, my classmate lived on the south bank, and coming from the north required crossing the whole city of Chongqing. The car was small at that time, packed with people, swaying as it slid across the river. I had a fear of heights and was scared, afraid to look down.

The cable car has become much smoother, and the cabin looks nicer. Tall buildings line the riverbank, and ferries come and go on the river. Although it was almost 5 p.m., the sun, not in a hurry to set, was still scorching.

The cableway at dusk with slanting sunlight must be very beautiful.

Near the cableway is the former residence of Soong Ching-ling, where she lived during the War of Resistance against Japan. The house is a German-style building, once a private residence.

Behind the main building is an air-raid shelter. As a special city that experienced the war, air-raid shelters are common in Chongqing. The mountain city residents also make good use of such structures, so eating hot pot in an air-raid shelter is not unusual.

(Air-raid shelter, now a gas station.)

Ciqikou is an ancient town in Chongqing, located on the banks of the Jialing River in Shapingba.

Ciqikou was built in the Song dynasty, with a unique landform of "one river, two streams, three mountains, four streets," forming a natural good harbor. It was an important water and land dock along the Jialing River.

(There is a traditional opera performance in the ancient town. Actors dressed in costumes attract audiences and take photos with passersby.)

Ciqikou had just reopened to the public after experiencing a flood. In low-lying areas, traces of the floodwater still remained; shopkeepers were leisurely cleaning up. Shops on higher ground had resumed normal business. Chen Mahua (a twisted fried dough snack) and old hot pot base are local specialties.

(A shop used a puppet to demonstrate the process of frying chilies live.)

(Hot pot base being simmered.)

(Hot pot base.)

(Traces of flooding can still be seen in low-lying areas.)

(A couple sharing snacks with stray cats.)

I felt like I had been to this town before — was it a class activity or a weekend outing? Was it with classmates or a senior? Was it a stopover on the way to the river or a special visit? But I just couldn't recall. It didn't seem to be the same shops and streets back then.

The memory is distant and somewhat blurred.

We have passed many sights and met many people; as we move forward, we also lose some.

Many memories are buried and forgotten, while many are engraved. Many people have been lost, and many new people have been met.

From the south bank, you can overlook Chongqing.

On the South Bank is the Chongqing War Resistance Museum, located within the Huangshan Scenic Area. The mountain is covered with towering trees, rich vegetation, and a serene environment.

Here are various villas built during Chongqing's time as the provisional capital, including Chiang Kai-shek's Yunxiu Villa, Soong Mei-ling's Songting, Marshall's Thatched Cottage, and the villa of Kong Er Xiaojie (Second Miss Kong).

(Chiang Kai-shek's Yunxiu Villa.)

(Green trees shade the scenic area.)

Kong Er Xiaojie, named Kong Lingwei, was the second daughter of Kong Xiangxi. She was as close as mother and daughter to Soong Mei-ling, and was a rather special figure in the Kong-Soong family during the Republic of China. She was always in masculine attire, unconventional, with a strong personality and uninhibited behavior, an outlier at the time, shocking to many.

The leftmost is Kong Lingwei (Kong Er Xiaojie).

The museum seemed a bit deserted, with some areas under renovation.

On the South Bank is Tushan Temple, the oldest existing temple, housing both a statue of Sakyamuni and a statue of the Zhenwu Patriarch, a temple where Buddhism and Taoism coexist peacefully.

The South Bank is where the Yangtze River Cableway arrives, and also where my classmate's school is located.

Back then, visiting Laojun Cave was quite novel. In the south, Buddhist temples are common, but I had never seen a Taoist temple before. Its architecture and the attire of the Taoist priests were different from those of Buddhist monks.

Whether due to the terrain or the essence of Taoism, the temple was quiet and serene, as if purple qi (auspicious aura) was drifting in, peaceful and pure.

(Taoist temples are usually built on mountaintops.)

On the South Bank, there is also the Nanshan Bookstore. Here, listen to a piece of vinyl music, drink a hot latte coffee, read some leisurely words, and let time slow down...

Throughout our lives, we always pass through some places.

Years later, for some places, we "go again" to stroll, while for others, we "return" to see. The places we "return to see" are those where we once breathed the same air and shared a fate. In the long journey of life, they accompanied us through ordinary or extraordinary times, deeply or lightly.

In the journey of 2020, I revisited a city and met people I hadn't seen for a long time.

(Starbucks in Beibei.)

(Home-cooked meal in Chongqing.)

(Professor's home, where I used to often freeload meals.)

(Coffee at Yanfeng Automotive Interiors.)

(Noodles from Yu Xiaomian.)

(A bowl of lamb offal noodles bigger than a head.)

(No hot pot, no Chongqing.)

That year, though the cold winter was hard to endure, we still reached the warmth of spring and reaped the harvest of autumn. In 2021, no matter how difficult the future, I am fearless.

While the sun is still shining, and time hasn't aged, set off.