Yan'an Travel Series (Part 7): Nanniwan
Almost everyone has probably heard the song 'Nanniwan'. Even if you're not clear about what happened in Nanniwan, the name itself is not unfamiliar.
It was through Guo Lanying's song 'Nanniwan' that I gradually got to know about Nanniwan. The grand production scenes in the film 'The East Is Red' were lively and bustling. Reclaiming wastelands and planting crops can be considered a great feat in the history of the Chinese Revolution. When under blockade, only through self-reliance could we have ample food and clothing. The Great Production Movement back then was vigorous, with everyone from the supreme commander to ordinary soldiers participating in labor, each with their own targets. The labor competitions were intense and heartwarming. Chairman Mao and Commander-in-Chief Zhu each had their own vegetable plots—what a magnificent feat.
Nanniwan was even more remarkable—or rather, the officers and soldiers of the 359th Brigade were remarkable. Brigade Commander Wang Zhen personally led by example in labor, reclaiming large areas of barren hills, and especially planting rice, which allowed people from the south to eat rice grown by themselves in Yan'an. That was truly remarkable. Many may not know that Brigade Commander Wang Zhen himself was a model worker and received a certificate of merit. I only learned this during my visit to the exhibition, and I was deeply moved.
This time, I specially arranged a trip to Nanniwan to, as much as possible, relive the hardships of reclaiming land and planting crops back then, and to learn from their spirit of overcoming difficulties.
We took a public bus from the South Gate of Yan'an city to Nanniwan, paying 15 yuan each. The journey took one and a half hours. When we got off at the Party Emblem Square, someone said there were a thousand mu of rice fields ahead. We decided to go see them, but we couldn't find any relevant information online, nor on the map. We asked local villagers along the way, but they were not sure either. So we decided to walk along the main road. After more than an hour of walking, we reached the entrance of Nanniwan Village and saw only a small patch of rice fields, not the thousand mu. Besides, it was raining intermittently, so we headed back. There were no buses on the road, but fortunately, we hitchhiked on a private car driven by a young man. He took us to the vicinity of the Visitor Center. We are very grateful to him.
Near the Visitor Center is the Nanniwan Wetland Park, which is quite large. The Rice Fragrance Gate and the Party Emblem are the main sights. The exhibition hall is not large and mainly introduces Nanniwan.
The environment of Nanniwan Wetland Park is very nice, just as Guo Lanying sang: 'Now Nanniwan is covered with blooming flowers,' 'Everywhere is crops, it's the fine Jiangnan of northern Shaanxi.' Many flowers are specially planted and very beautiful. There is a large stretch of rice fields here, with golden rice exuding a fragrant aroma—quite lovely. However, we did not see the scene of 'cattle and sheep everywhere now'; the ones we saw were fake.
Perhaps because there are fewer visitors to Nanniwan now, buses are scarce. We didn't see any bus for several hours. The small bus from Yan'an to Nanniwan, which appeared to be privately run, charged 15 yuan per person regardless of distance. When we returned and got off at Ershilipu to go to the airport, it still cost 15 yuan.
At the Yan'an Bus Station, I saw a one-day tour to Nanniwan for 40 yuan per person, but I didn't ask for details at the time. If any friend comes to Nanniwan in the future, you might choose the one-day tour for convenience.
Currently, there aren't many attractions in the Nanniwan Scenic Area, making it especially suitable for hiking and leisure. Coming here for a visit is still a good experience.
