[Guangxi 3+1] 2. The Tale of the Demon Dragon at Mingshi Pastoral, Enclosing Scenery and Enclosing Money

[Guangxi 3+1] 2. The Tale of the Demon Dragon at Mingshi Pastoral, Enclosing Scenery and Enclosing Money

July 17, 2021, today we visited two scenic spots: Mingshi Pastoral and Detian Waterfall.

How to describe Mingshi Pastoral? By name, it is absolutely a place full of pastoral scenery. It is promoted as a filming location for the TV series "The Journey of Flower" (I don't watch martial arts dramas), and is known as "Little Guilin." The State Post Bureau issued a set of 12 special stamps titled "Border Scenery of the Motherland," and the Mingshi Pastoral scenery, named "Karst Landform in Southern Guangxi," was selected as one of the stamp themes, making it a scenic spot that has appeared on the national stage.

Why is Mingshi Pastoral called "Little Guilin"? Legend has it that a long, long time ago, there was a demon dragon in the South China Sea. Envious of the beautiful scenery of Guilin, it transformed into a human and visited Guilin. On its way back, it used magic to shrink a section of Guilin's enchanting landscape, hid it in a bag, and rode the clouds southward, intending to take it back to the South China Sea. However, the Jade Emperor learned of its actions and sent the God of Thunder to strike the demon dragon dead with a giant axe. After the demon dragon died, the scenery in its bag fell out and landed right on Mingshi's ground, so the mountains and waters of Mingshi are as beautiful as those of Guilin.

Is that true? Sitting on the tour bus, the guide Xiao Cao informed us that at Mingshi Pastoral, we would need to take a bamboo raft; without the raft, there was nothing to see. The bamboo raft cost 160 yuan and lasted for one hour. I had planned to stroll around Mingshi Pastoral on my own and enjoy the pastoral scenery, but Xiao Cao said that without the bamboo raft, you couldn't see the pastoral scenery. Although it was an optional activity and participation was voluntary, the guide wouldn't force you, but since we were already there, the bamboo raft fee had to be paid. The guide was right; four elderly people in the group didn't take the bamboo raft, so they got off early and waited at another spot. Whether they walked around or not, I don't know. Most of us were taken to the bamboo raft boarding area to wait.

Under the scorching sun, we were exposed to the blazing heat for a full half hour (although there was a large advertising umbrella for shade, it was useless; the ground and sky were both hot, hotter than Guangzhou, so hot that I felt like sticking out my tongue like a dog). The guide finally came with the tickets, and we lined up to enter the scenic area.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party, so the scenic area was full of banners.

The Mingshi River immediately came into view, with a smooth and flat water surface and emerald green water as pure as jade. On the banks were green bamboo and lush trees in dense rows, full of greenery. This endless green filled me with joy. We saw the riverside dock, where bamboo rafts were neatly lined up, each equipped with a sunshade. Under the sunshade, long benches were placed on both sides, and a long table in the center held peanuts, green plums, and kuding tea for tourists to enjoy.

Twelve people per raft. We boarded the raft, put on life jackets, sat down, leaned against the railing, picked up the teacups, and took a sip. It was a bit bitter but very refreshing. Enjoying the surrounding scenery, we were captivated by the beautiful mountains and clear waters. Looking down at the river, the water was a greenish-yellow, fairly clear, and reflections were still visible. The peaks in the distance were very distinctive, covered in thick green, as if deliberately wearing a favorite green outfit, standing tall like guards, full of spirit. Some stood alone, others stretched in a chain, seemingly connected by a shared understanding, gazing affectionately at this land.

The boatman rowed with an oar, and a young woman acted as the guide.

The bamboo raft glided on the Mingshi River, gently drifting, creating ripples on the water surface, forming clear waves. The karst landforms on both sides looked like a series of landscape paintings, but these paintings were far from the impression I had of Guilin twenty years ago.

The first attraction we passed was Mingshi Bridge. The guide said that during the war against Vietnam, artillery shells were transported across this bridge.

As the raft moved forward, we saw typical karst peak forest landscapes, bamboo shadows by the green river with rustling leaves, ancient Zhuang villages with rustic charm, the majestic General Mountain, the exquisite Tongtian Cave, the peculiar Wanru Cliff, and naturally formed cliff paintings.

The guide pointed to the mountains around us and told us: this is General Mountain; this mountain looks like the back of Guanyin, called Guanyin's Back; that is the Old Turtle Bidding Farewell; and Luxun Peak—whether it resembles him or not is up to your imagination. The most memorable was when the guide pointed far ahead and told us to look at the characters on the cliff. I could only vaguely see "Long Live Chairman Mao" and also slogans like "Long Live the Communist Party" and "Eternal Life to Chairman Mao." These were carved by a teacher during the Cultural Revolution, who risked his life to climb the steep cliff. That teacher is still alive, now 90 years old. It seems that heartfelt admiration for a leader can drive people to do extraordinary things.

(This picture is from a tour group member; thanks to them.)

Can you see the white characters on the mountain with the slogans?

Filming location for "The Journey of Flower"

Totem Square shaded by green trees

Our bamboo raft passed a house standing in the middle of the water. The guide said it was a hotel invested in by people from Sichuan. A tour group member asked how much it cost per night. The guide replied: over 1,000 yuan during peak season. Even I, from Guangzhou, was stunned.

The bamboo raft ride lasted about 40 minutes. As we were about to dock, we asked the guide to sing a song by Liu Sanjie, but she sang a Zhuang folk song instead, saying it was adapted from Liu Sanjie. We couldn't understand the lyrics, and she wouldn't let us take photos of her—quite proud.

After getting off the raft, we passed through a Zhuang corridor, which displayed photos reflecting Zhuang customs. It took only a few minutes to walk through. Oh, and there was a photographer taking pictures.

Exiting the corridor and walking further, a guide pointed to a small bridge and said, "That's 'Blooming Flowers and Full Moon,' a great spot for photos." The wooden bridge had circular holes in its railings. Everyone crouched down, using the circular shapes at the edges of the railing to find angles to capture the beauty of the near water and distant mountains. So, everyone crouched, pointing phones and cameras through the circular holes at the landscape across the river. It was quite tricky. Those skilled could capture a circular moon-shaped reflection of the mountains and water—very beautiful. Those less skilled only got the mountains without the reflection. Anyway, everyone crouched, each in a different pose, making for an amusing sight.

The circular holes on the Nine-Bend Bridge, poetically named "Blooming Flowers and Full Moon"

(This picture is from a tour group member; thanks to them.)

Between the mountains and waters of Mingshi Pastoral are rice fields, and everything within sight is green. Among the greenery, various distinctive peaks are dotted everywhere. Amid the peaks, a clear, winding river flows quietly, like a piece of jade. In the clear river, soft water plants sway gently, and countless fish swim freely among them. A few ducks swim by, creating ripples that break the tranquil reflection of the peaks and spread to the banks. On the banks are clusters of lush Phoenix-tail bamboos, their branches and leaves reflected in the river, creating a scene reminiscent of Su Shi's poem: "Two or three peach blossoms outside the bamboo, ducks are the first to feel the river's warmth in spring."

(This is a real photo, not a trick; the picture is more beautiful than the actual scenery.)

Additionally, there are two places in the scenic area where photos are taken of every visitor. When you exit, they sell your photos at 30 yuan each. One photo has the words "Mingshi Pastoral" and digitally places your image into the scenery. Another is taken in the Zhuang corridor, where each visitor poses between two Zhuang girls. Just before you leave the scenic area, a staff member recognizes you, shows you the framed photo, and praises how good it looks, asking you to support them. This time, I steeled myself and bought only one.

In summary, the Mingshi Pastoral scenic area is essentially a tourism company that encloses a stretch of mountains and water, built a hotel, and according to information, plans to invest 300 million yuan in tourism development. The first phase has completed a mid-to-high-end hotel and a Zhuang Residential Museum Park, which has an entrance fee of 80 yuan. The so-called Residential Museum Park, aside from the natural scenery, consists of a few dilapidated mud houses, either empty or cluttered, with a few vendors chatting among themselves. It takes less than half an hour to walk through, offering very low cost-performance. If you take a bamboo raft from a drifting point a few kilometers upstream, the dock in the Zhuang Residential Museum Park is the endpoint. The rafting time is about 40 minutes, and the ticket price is 160 yuan. That's not all; you also have to buy the 80 yuan Museum Park ticket, making the total 240 yuan for the raft and museum—a real rip-off.

My original intention was to walk along the countryside paths here, seeing the lush green mountains, waters, and bamboos, hearing shepherds sing, watching buffalo graze. I wanted to take more photos of scenery I liked, sit in a roadside café if I missed a spot, and taste the Zhuang sticky rice. These would have been perfect scenes, helping me find the peace within my heart.

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