Chongqing Travel: Into the World's Miao Township and Heart-Nourishing Pengshui (Photos)

Within Chongqing's jurisdiction lies a place of picturesque scenery called Pengshui. The journalist learned this after participating in a large-scale public welfare activity titled 'Green China Tour into the World's Miao Township • Heart-Nourishing Pengshui'. In just three days, through a series of colorful activities, the journalists gained a profound and unforgettable impression and memory of the Miao township of Pengshui.

Qianjiang Wuling Mountain Airport (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

At noon on July 8, 2021, the journalist departed from Terminal 2 of Beijing Capital International Airport, taking Hainan Airlines flight HU7109. After a two-hour and forty-minute journey, they smoothly arrived at Chongqing Qianjiang Wuling Mountain Airport at 4:00 PM. The local ground temperature was 28 degrees Celsius. Unexpectedly, the notorious 'furnace' of Chongqing, often scorching in summer, did not show its might today and was quite cool.

On the way to Pengshui (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

From Qianjiang Wuling Mountain Airport to Pengshui, the highway from northern Qianjiang was filled with one tunnel after another. Along the way, familiar names like Enshi, Wulong, and Jishou, which the journalist had visited before, felt very亲切. In particular, the Wuling Mountain Range, spanning the borders of Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, and Guizhou provinces, includes many well-known scenic spots such as Zhangjiajie and Enshi Grand Canyon that the journalist had visited.

Chiyou Jiuli City Scenic Area (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

After a drive of over two hours, they arrived at the Jiuli Hotel at the entrance of the Chiyou Jiuli City Scenic Area in Pengshui in the evening. Looking at the Chiyou Jiuli City, which stands on a vast mountainside opposite the hotel, its ancient and distinctive architectural complex was extremely impressive. The 'Green China Tour into the World's Miao Township • Heart-Nourishing Pengshui and the 5th Southeast Chongqing Ecological Ethnic Tourism Culture Festival Large-Scale Thematic Public Welfare Evening' was to be held in the square in front of the Jiuli Palace within the scenic area.

Corner of Jiuli Hotel Room (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

This Chiyou Jiuli City in Pengshui County, Chongqing, is an organic combination of Pengshui's natural scenery and Miao history and culture. Centered on the culture of the Miao ancestor Chiyou, it comprises over 40 individual landscape buildings, integrating Miao culture, tourist attractions, and visitor reception. It inherits and continues the historical culture and folk customs of the Miao people, recreating the historical appearance of the 'City of Jiuli'.

Chiyou Jiuli City Gate (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Before nightfall, the journalist was irresistibly drawn to the stilted building complex of Jiuli City built along the mountain. After dropping off luggage in the room, driven by a sense of curious exploration, they entered the Jiuli City scenic area.

Photo at Jiuli City Gate (Photo by Jia Jianxin)

Looking up at Chiyou Jiuli City from the dozens of steps, the gate was tightly shut. So, following a sightseeing path at the foot of the mountain, passing through the Jiuli Street archway of the food street, they arrived at the Jiuli Palace Square, the central area of the scenic spot.

Food Street (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Standing on a high platform here, the surrounding scenery was magnificent. The unique features of Jiuli City were formed by numerous attractions such as the Bull Sacrifice Ground, the Xuan Water Landscape, the Hundred Miao Culture Corridor, the Jiuli Tribes, the Big Dipper, the Miao King's Mansion, the Chiyou Main Hall, the Yuwang Palace, the Shan Tang, the Panhu Main Hall, the Jiuli Sacred Pillar, the Martial Arts Ground, the Hundred Plays Tower, and the Jiuli Academy.

Jiuli Street Archway (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Many of these attractions are noteworthy. For example, the Jiuli Miao sacrificial pillar has a diameter of 3 meters and is entirely built of ancient stones. The stone pillar is carved with 36 classes of ghosts and 72 classes of gods, totaling 108 divine images. It is currently the world's tallest, largest-diameter Miao totem pillar with the most carvings of ghosts and gods.

Miao Sacrificial Pillar (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

In addition, there is the Nine Gateways, which embodies the best of Miao architectural culture. The nine stone gates represent nine tribes. The Miao Dragon-Receiving Hall inside Jiuli Palace is the tallest main hall in China. Its gate is 9.9 meters high, equivalent to a three-story building, with a plaque 3 meters wide and 9 meters long above the door. The entire structure is very grand and magnificent.

Jiuli Xuan Water Landscape (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

In fact, the most eye-catching part of the entire Chiyou Jiuli City architectural complex is the stilted buildings built along the mountain, with over 300 rooms and a height difference of up to 81 meters. Jiuli Palace is the world's tallest and largest stilted building. The courtyard houses at the foot of the mountain form the world's largest courtyard complex, featuring the most unique buildings with towers within towers and halls within halls. The Nine Gateways mentioned above are currently the Miao architectural landscape with the most number of entrances in the world.

Jiuli Palace (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Historical records say that in ancient times, Jiuli was a tribal alliance living in the Yangtze River basin, in areas now part of Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi. Jiuli had nine tribes, each with nine clans, and Chiyou was their great chief. Legend says Chiyou had a face like an ox head and wings on his back, making him the leader of the ox and bird totem clans. The ox horns on his head are similar to the dragon horns in traditional dragon culture.

Hundred Miao Culture Corridor (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Chiyou had 81 brothers, all with bronze heads and iron foreheads, eight arms, and nine toes, each with extraordinary abilities. About 5,000 years ago, the Yellow Emperor waged war against Chiyou's tribe in present-day Zhuolu County, Hebei—the Battle of Zhuolu. Chiyou died in battle, and the Dongyi Jiuli tribes merged with the Yanhuang tribes, forming the earliest main body of today's Chinese nation.

Statue of Chiyou's Tribe (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

According to some Miao epics, songs, and legends, Chiyou, as the great ancestor god of the Miao, holds a very high status. Some scholars, especially Miao scholars, suggest that the Miao ancestors originally lived in the Yellow River basin in ancient times but were forced to migrate to present-day Guizhou, western Hunan, and southwestern Hubei after being defeated by the Huaxia people.

Corner of Stilted Building (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Today, Chiyou Jiuli City, besides exploring the cultural connotations of the Miao and Tujia ethnic groups, is built with real people, real objects, and real industries. Many inheritors of Miao and Tujia culture perform here, such as climbing a mountain of knives, walking through fire, and there are also bullfights, dogfights, cockfights, horse races, and martial arts performances favored by the Miao people in the military office, along with an exhibition of ancient cold weapons. The scenic area has also collected thousands of tons of ancient stones, doors, windows, carved beams, bricks, and tiles from places like western Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and Wuling Mountain, restoring old as old.

Photo at Jiuli City (Photo by Wei Qingcheng)

On the first day in Pengshui, the Chiyou Jiuli City in the night was indeed very beautiful. But the journalist felt the shooting time could have been a bit later for better results. Even so, the Miao totem pillars outlined by lights, the staggered stilted buildings, and the Xuan Water landscape all radiated a charming, dreamy color.

Jiuli Square Performance Site (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Fortunately, the next evening, July 9, the 'Green China Tour into the World's Miao Township • Heart-Nourishing Pengshui and the 5th Southeast Chongqing Ecological Ethnic Tourism Culture Festival Large-Scale Thematic Public Welfare Evening' would be grandly held in the square in front of Jiuli Palace. The journalist could come again then.

Mowei Mountain Event Site (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

On the morning of July 9, as the journalist participated in the grand launch of the large-scale thematic public welfare activity 'Green China Tour into the World's Miao Township • Heart-Nourishing Pengshui and the National 300 Million Youth Entering Forest Research and Education Activity Chongqing Launch' at Mowei Mountain in Pengshui, Chongqing, they also gained an understanding of the heart-nourishing Pengshui, the world's Miao township.

Liu Jin Performing for Students (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

During the event, Peng Youdong, Deputy Director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and Deputy Director of the National Attention Forest Activity Executive Committee, awarded the 'Green China Tour' flag to Pengshui Autonomous County. Peng Youdong and Liu Jin unveiled the plaque for the 'National Youth Natural Education Green Camp Mowei Mountain Scenic Area'. Liu Jin, the National Attention Forest Activity Image Ambassador, led youth representatives to issue the 'Enter the Forest, Embrace Nature Initiative'. Leaders and guests jointly participated in the jubilant launch ceremony.

Entering Mowei Mountain (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Pengshui is a place of integrated mountains and waters, beautiful scenery, located in the southeastern part of Chongqing, in the hinterland of Wuling Mountain. It is an important junction of Chongqing, Hubei, and Guizhou, with three major characteristics: 'ethnicity, ecology, and culture'. In terms of ethnicity, there are 34 ethnic groups including Miao and Tujia, with over 300,000 Miao people. It is the only Miao-majority autonomous county in Chongqing and the county with the largest concentrated Miao population in China. It is Chongqing's Miao township, China's Miao township, the world's Miao township, and a national model county for ethnic unity and progress.

Corner of Mowei Mountain Forest (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Mowei Mountain, where the 'Green China Tour into the World's Miao Township • Heart-Nourishing Pengshui' event was held, is located within Chongqing Pengshui Maoyun Mountain National Forest Park, in the middle-lower section of the southern Pengshui Hundred Mile Wujiang Gallery, covering an area of 1910.2 hectares. The area features overlapping peaks and crisscrossing valleys. Besides geological wonders such as stone forests, cliffs, sinkholes, ground fissures, and caves, it also has celestial phenomena like diffuse clouds, sunrise and sunset, as well as forest landscapes like towering ancient trees and vast green seas. At the same time, it has a profound historical and religious cultural background.

Feiyun Pass at Mowei Mountain (Photo by Tian Xinyuan)

After the morning activity, due to time constraints, the journalists visited a famous scenic spot in Mowei Mountain Scenic Area called Feiyun Pass. Feiyun Pass consists of two viewing platforms: Sun and Moon. Standing on the Moon Platform, you can watch auspicious clouds rising, overlook the ancient Yelang Kingdom, and let the clouds roll at your feet. The 'Sun Platform', located at the forefront of Feiyun Pass, has an altitude of 1452.2 meters, standing prominently on a cliff of hundreds of meters. In different seasons, you can enjoy different scenery.

Clouds and Fog (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

That day happened to be foggy, and the scene of clouds and fog truly justified the name of Feiyun Pass (Flying Cloud Pass). Standing on the viewing platform, the front scenery was mostly obscured by the thick fog. However, it is said that on clear days, standing here and gazing, you can zoom in to see the pastoral scenery for miles, recite the charming poem of Bai Juyi: 'If I don't get drunk in Qianzhong, how can I leave? The color of Mowei Mountain is just so green,' listen to the sounds of dogs and chickens from Miao villages, or paint the light and shadow of the Miao township.

Wujiang River Cruise Pier (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

After finishing the activities at Mowei Mountain, the journalists drove to the Pengshui Wujiang River Pier and boarded the Mowei Mountain cruise ship. They just caught the inaugural cruise of the Jiuli Ship's Wujiang Gallery tour, which had only recently been launched on the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Sailing from here along the Wujiang River, the beautiful scenery on both sides was breathtaking. It reminded the journalist of the feeling of cruising the Norwegian fjords.

Wujiang Gallery Tour (Photo by Jia Jianxin)

From ancient times to the present, the Wujiang River has been praised by many literati in beautiful poems. Among them, the verse 'It is said that half of the world's mountains are green in Qianzhong; and half of the world's springs sound in Qianzhong; mountains and waters wind around, where gentlemen walk' is a true depiction of the Wujiang Gallery by Tang Dynasty poet Meng Jiao. In addition, Qing Dynasty poet Weng Ruomei left the famous line: 'Among the wonders of Shu's landscape, this should be ranked first.'

Bridge over the Wujiang River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The Wujiang River, anciently called Qianjiang, originates from the Wumeng Mountains in Guizhou Province. It flows through Youyang, Pengshui, Wulong, and Fuling in Chongqing before joining the Yangtze River, with a total length of 1036 kilometers. The Wujiang River has charming and beautiful scenery. The most spectacular part of the Wujiang scenery is from Pengshui Gaogu to Youyang Wanmu, with a total length of 120 kilometers, known as the 'Hundred Mile Wujiang Gallery'.

Photo on the River Cruise (Photo by Jia Jianxin)

The characteristic of the Wujiang Gallery cruise is that people can see diverse scenes of bizarre rocks, dangerous rapids, and elegant peaks. As the boat moves, you can see steep cliffs competing for height, with dangerous formations like locks blocking the river gate. The water is green, the mountains are blue, the channels are narrow and turbulent, with old streets and ancient houses, blue sky and white clouds, as if traveling through a painting.

Wujiang Gallery Tour (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

This trip's Pengshui 'Wujiang Gallery' cruise started from Gaogu Town to Shanshan Township, with a total length of about 66 kilometers. Along the way, there are scenic spots such as Gaogu Mensha Gorge, Hanjia Luojiatuo Gorge, County Dam Hot Spring, Mowei Peaks, Mozhai Gorge, Mafeng Gorge, Wanchu New Town, Wujiang Pengshui Hydropower Station, Pangtan Gorge, and Longmen Gorge. While sightseeing, there were also wonderful ethnic song and dance performances by young men and women for the tourists inside the ship.

Miao Girls on the Ship (Photo by Jia Jianxin)

The Wujiang Gallery is like a flowing landscape painting. It combines the 'majesty of Qutang Gorge, the elegance of Wu Gorge, and the danger of Xiling Gorge' of the Yangtze River. The Three Gorges of Rhinoceros, Horse Peak, and Pang Gong are magnificent and beautiful, while Wanchu and Lujiao are gentle and charming. It has the reputation of 'flat lake wonder, world's best fishing', making it a great destination for sightseeing, leisure, and vacation. The Wujiang Gallery tour features canyon sightseeing and water experience as the theme. Boating through the river gorge, one can experience the artistic conception of 'sailing on blue waves, people traveling in a painting'.

Misty Water Scene on the River (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

When the cruise was about to return at the end, the journalist suddenly saw a misty and hazy scene on the river. Although the journalist had taken many boat trips both domestically and internationally, this was the first time entering a heavy fog area while cruising, like a fairyland. It was truly a worthwhile trip on the Wujiang Ten Mile Gallery...

Entering the Jiuli Maze (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

That evening, the large-scale Green China Tour into Pengshui public welfare evening was performed at Jiuli Square. The journalist arrived at the Chiyou Jiuli City gate and saw that the gate on the steps was open. So they climbed the stone steps and entered a Jiuli Light and Shadow Secret Path, where beautiful lights intertwined with bizarre music, presenting a touch of mystery.

Jubilant Public Welfare Evening Performance Site

Passing through the path, it turned out to be the performance site in front of Jiuli Palace that night. It is said that this 120-meter-long mysterious passage leading into Chiyou Jiuli City is also an ancient road. This passage reproduced the ancient Miao defensive works, allowing people to escape through the passage in case of war or fire.

Enthusiastic Audience (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

As the large-scale thematic public welfare evening 'Green China Tour - Into the World's Miao Township • Heart-Nourishing Pengshui' was about to begin at Chiyou Jiuli City in Pengshui, the scene was filled with warmth and excitement. That night, accompanied by festive songs celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, a new chapter in the tourism and cultural development of Southeast Chongqing also opened. While contributing to the tourism and cultural development of Southeast Chongqing, the artists presented a wonderful performance for the people of the Miao township.

Hosts at the Scene (Photo by Jia Jianxin)

The evening began with the dance 'Hua Wei Yao' (Flower Waistband). The entire show was divided into three chapters: 'Centennial Original Aspiration, Red Heritage', 'World Miao Township, Heart-Nourishing Pengshui', and 'Green Dreams, Building the Future Together'. Green China cultural light cavalry such as Liu Jin, Li Mi, Miao Jie, Fu Rui, Tasiken, Gengque Cairen, Zhou Xuan, Ajitai Group, Sumu Chuochuo, Shanshui Group, Straw Hat Sister, Dong Fei, Huang Yan, Zhou Yanhong, Li Qiong, Jin Yu, and Wang Chuanyue performed with full enthusiasm.

Lively Singing and Dancing (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

In front of the ancient Hundred Plays Tower, there was a sea of people, and singing voices flew. The artists sang songs that resounded across the Miao countryside and danced gracefully in the beautiful Miao township. High-pitched, melodious songs and lively dances brought people from all over the world into the landscape of the Miao township of Pengshui.

Perfect Curtain Call (Photo by Fu Chao)

On July 10, the 'Green China Tour into the World's Miao Township • Heart-Nourishing Pengshui' activity entered its third day. In the morning, the journalists went to Baojia Town's Qingping Tea Mountain in Pengshui for a cultural tour. Enjoying the beautiful tea mountain scenery and tasting the sweet white tea and black tea left an unforgettable aftertaste, marking a perfect end to the trip into Pengshui.

Photo at Tea Mountain (Photo by Jia Jianxin)

In the afternoon, the journalists successfully concluded their Green China Tour into Pengshui, Chongqing, and took Hainan Airlines flight HU7110. After a journey of over two hours, they arrived at Terminal 2 of Beijing Capital International Airport at 7:50 PM, five minutes early. Thus, the unforgettable Green China Tour into Pengshui, Chongqing, came to a perfect close. (Text and photos by Feng Ganyong)