Amazing, My Village! This Village Produced a Winner of the 'Lu Xun Literary Prize'

Remember nostalgia, keep feelings alive, practice the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party, and see the new changes in the countryside. Recently, Shiyan Smart Cultural Tourism will launch a series of articles on "Level A Scenic Spot Rural Revitalization Demonstration Villages," exploring the beautiful scenery, food, and accommodations of Shiyan's villages, taking you into countryside as scenic as tourist attractions, experiencing more ways to enjoy rural life, and quietly savoring a slow pastoral life. In this issue, let's explore Baogou Village in Yangxipu Town, Yunyang District. Follow us and let's set off together.

Baogou Village, Yangxipu Town

With beautiful mountains and clear waters, and outstanding people, it has been the origin of imperial tribute rice for generations and the birthplace of the famous writer Ms. Mei Jie.

Baogou Village boasts unique landscape and water resources, with abundant springs and six reservoirs. The village's Black Dragon Spring, Yellow Dragon Spring, and White Dragon Spring never run dry year-round. Among them, the Black Dragon Spring has the most abundant water volume, with a constant temperature of around 18°C. The rice irrigated by this water is exceptionally fragrant and sticky. Baogou Tribute Rice has a history of over 500 years. The Yunyang Prefecture administration began during the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty. When Governor Yuan Jie visited Baogou, he found excellent rice and presented it to the imperial court. Emperor Xuanzong tasted it and praised it greatly, saying, "Baogou rice is fragrant, unparalleled under heaven." It was then designated as imperial tribute rice. Thus, Yunyang Baogou Tribute Rice gained its name. With the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, Baogou Village's tribute rice has reached the tables of Beijing residents and become a national geographical indication product.

The mountains and waters of Baogou Village have nurtured outstanding children. The ancestral home of the renowned modern writer Ms. Mei Jie is here. Born in Baogou Village, Mei Jie was admitted to the Department of Economics of Beijing Agricultural University (now China Agricultural University) with excellent grades. At the age of 35, Mei Jie began literary creation, marking a turning point in her life. Over the past 40 years, she has written tirelessly, publishing and releasing a total of 33 collections of poetry, essays, and medium-to-long documentary literature, including the "Migration Trilogy" about the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, totaling over 7 million characters. She won China's "Second Lu Xun Literary Prize" and is affectionately called the "Daughter of the Han River" by the people of Yunyang.

Mei Jie is a shining literary star in China's literary world, and also a blooming red plum of her hometown Yunyang. With the attention of the Yunyang District Committee and District Government, her old house has been transformed into a cultural attraction deep in the Qinba Mountains—Mei Garden.

Plum blossoms bloom from the bitter cold. Mei Jie is the pride of China's literary world, and even more so the pride of Shiyan.

The majestic mountains and renowned waters have given rise to a wealth of folklore in Baogou Village, such as Lei Gong Ya, Black Dragon Pool, Baojia Stockade, and Bao Sanniang. The industrious and intelligent people of Baogou have not lingered in historical glory; they have built their green-mountain-and-clear-water homeland even better. With the development of agricultural products in Baogou Village, the village has established a yellow peach picking garden, a chestnut base, and a Baogou Village tea garden. This is indeed a great place for leisure and fruit picking.

Fireworks hide poetry, poetry lies in the countryside. It is picturesque landscapes and historical records, and also a search for a sense of belonging in the heart. Wait for a sunny day, wait for the right moment. Come to Baogou Village—more stories await you. You don't have to choose between the moon and sixpence; green mountains, clear waters, and deep hometown affection don't have to be a choice either.

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Editor: Xiao Yu | First Review: He Lei | Final Review: Zhang Wenjing, Wang Yan