Travel Series I: Journey on the Longshang Road

【An Autumn Dream Journey of Golden Poplars and the Ancient Silk Road】 I walked across the ridge, the ridge covered in autumn colors. The leaves on the branches were golden, the wind rustled, as if singing for the season... The blue sky was vast, dotted with a few white clouds. The green hills were not lonely, with a small stream murmuring by... In the year of the Goat (乙未), the golden autumn season, the weather was clear and crisp, and the osmanthus flowers were fragrant. On the afternoon of September 25 (Sunday), a group of friends, harboring the thought: "Autumn has arrived, where to find the golden scenery? Head to Longxi and you'll know, the scenery here is uniquely beautiful," took a flight from Nanjing Lukou Airport, transferred at Xi'an Xianyang Airport, and after a four-hour flight, arrived at Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport in Gansu at 8:30 PM. A local bus took us to the major northwestern city of Lanzhou, Gansu Province, after more than an hour. Lanzhou, abbreviated as Lan, also known as Jincheng, is the capital of Gansu Province. It is located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, the geometric center of China's land area, and is renowned as the "Capital of the Western Yellow River, Famous City of Silk Road Landscape." It now governs 5 districts and 3 counties, with a total area of 13,100 square kilometers, of which the urban area is 1,631.6 square kilometers. The permanent population is over 3.6 million. It is a city with a long history and culture. On the morning of September 26, our journey to Long and Meng began with the first bowl of Lanzhou Beef Lamian Noodles... Lanzhou beef lamian noodles are characterized by "one clear (soup), two white (radish), three green (cilantro, garlic sprouts), four red (chili), five yellow (noodles bright yellow)." 【Night View of Lanzhou's Yellow River Banks (Zhongshan Bridge)】 After enjoying the delicious noodles, we took a high-speed train from Lanzhou West Station, passing through Xining in the Qinghai Plateau and other places, and arrived in Zhangye at noon after more than two hours. In the afternoon, we began our visit. Zhangye, a city under the jurisdiction of Gansu Province, is named after "Extending the Arm of the State to Reach the Western Regions." It is located in the northwest of Gansu Province, in the middle of the Hexi Corridor. In ancient times, it was called "Ganzhou," which is the origin of the character "Gan" in Gansu Province's name. 【Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple Scenic Area】 Located in the southwest corner of Zhangye City, Gansu Province. Zhangye is rich in historical sites, abundant in tourism resources, and has unique cultural landscapes. The ancient buildings of various shapes are exquisitely constructed and colorful. In ancient times, it was praised as "a lake of mountain light, half a city of pagoda shadows, a stretch of reeds and streams, and temples everywhere." 【Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple Scenic Area】 is the landmark building of the historical and cultural city Golden Zhangye. The temple houses the world's largest indoor reclining Buddha, the Nirvana statue of Sakyamuni. It lies on a Buddha altar 1.2 meters high in the center of the main hall. The Buddha is 34.5 meters long, 7.5 meters wide across the shoulders, ears about 4 meters, and feet 5.2 meters long. One of the Buddha's middle fingers can accommodate a person lying down, and his ears can hold eight people sitting side by side, showing how enormous the statue is. The Giant Buddha Temple was first built in the first year of the Yong'an era of the Western Xia (1098), originally called the Kasyapa Tathagata Temple. It covers an area of about 23,000 square meters, facing east with a west orientation. Only the buildings on the central axis remain: the Great Buddha Hall, the Sutra Library, and the Earth Pagoda. The Great Buddha Hall has nine bays in width (48.3 meters), seven bays in depth (24.5 meters), and a height of 20.2 meters, with two stories and a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. Inside, there are 31 painted clay sculptures from the Western Xia period. 【Sutra Library】 houses over 6,000 volumes of Buddhist scriptures bestowed by Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, well-preserved, especially those written in gold and silver powder, which are most precious. Behind the temple stands a white pagoda 33.37 meters high, with four small pagodas at the corners of the first and second tiers, unique in style and rare in China. The art of ancient Chinese architecture is a comprehensive art. In general ancient buildings, there is not only the main art of wood structure but also many sculptures and murals. Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple is precisely a combination of comprehensive art. 【Zhangye Danxia Geological Park】 In 2006, it was rated as "China's Danxia Landform" by China's National Geographic magazine. The magical Danxia landform group is unique, colorful, with hues that undulate like waves along the mountain contours or slant from the mountaintop to the base, like a colorful cloth spread diagonally. Under the sunlight, the colors are exceptionally brilliant, a masterpiece of nature that leaves people in awe. Zhangye Danxia landform is vast in distribution, spectacular in scale, unique in shape, and brilliant in color. It is the most typical and largest Danxia landform in China's arid regions, with high scientific research and tourism value. Zhangye's Danxia landform is one of the areas with the largest and best development of China's Danxia landform and the richest in morphological types. Only 40 kilometers from Zhangye City, the colorful hilly landform scenic area at Nantaizi Village, Niyingjia, Linze, Zhangye, is a masterpiece of China's Danxia hilly landscape. Who created the grand spectacle? Wind erosion and rain erosion over ten thousand years have sculpted it naturally, like a decoration, showing autumn mountains in all seasons. China boasts many beautiful landscapes, but Zhangye Danxia stands out. The colorful Danxia landform in Zhangye is unrivaled in China for its brilliance,观赏性, and vastness; the colorful hills in Zhangye are the best in China. The window-lattice and palace-like Danxia landform near Baizhuangzi is the finest among China's Danxia landforms. Standing on the viewing platform of Zhangye's colorful Danxia landform, the wide-open view provides an excellent viewing space for tourists. Zhangye Danxia landform is praised as "China's first window-lattice palace-style Danxia landform," "China's first colorful hills," and one of the "Top 10 Wonderful Geographical Wonders in the World." Heaven is affectionate and earth is spiritual; divine craftsmanship creates wonders. Drinking up dust and wind-frost, the flute sound of old friends is long and distant. The filming location of the movie "A Simple Noodle Story." Flying across the world, heading straight to Zhangye to see Danxia. Traveling over the mountains without a mirror, capturing all the Danxia scenery. Under the Qilian Mountains, the autumn wind blows, and nine lotuses appear in the sky. The unparalleled Silk Road, the bright Danxia landform. Like the earth spewing fierce flames, like mountains draped in colorful neon, this is a unique Danxia landscape. The heat of the rising sun, the passionate outpouring of the earth. Red clouds at the horizon carrying the red sun, Danxia flowing with cinnabar on the ground. Eight Trigrams Valley, a maze of confusion; child worshipping Buddha, dense as hemp. Satin-like undulations rise with the mountains, stone forests towering everywhere. It stirs one's soul; the continuous Danxia land of Zhangye has attracted countless literati and poets to bow in admiration. The colorful Danxia landform in Zhangye is unrivaled in China for its brilliance,观赏性, and vastness. On the morning of September 27, we set out from Jiayuguan and headed to Ejina Banner in Alxa League, Inner Mongolia, passing by the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Base, where we saw the satellite launch tower in the distance. Ejina Banner is located at the westernmost end of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is one of the 19 border banners (counties, cities) supported by the autonomous region. It is named after the Ejina River within its territory. It is located in the west of Alxa League. It borders the People's Republic of Mongolia to the north, with a border line of 514 kilometers. The total area of the banner is 114,600 square kilometers. The terrain is mainly desert and Gobi. On the afternoon of September 27, we visited the “Black City Ruins.” The Black City, in Mongolian called Khara Khoto, means “Black City.” The existing city wall was expanded during the Yuan Dynasty. It is rectangular in plane, with a perimeter of about 1 kilometer, 434 meters from east to west, 384 meters from north to south, about 1600 meters around, and a maximum height of 10 meters. City gates open on the east and west sides, with barbicans added. On the northwest corner of the city wall, a stupa about 13 meters high remains. The remains of government offices, mansions, granaries, Buddhist temples, civilian houses, and streets can still be faintly identified. Outside the southwest corner of the city, a Muslim dome stands towering above the ground. The city wall is made of rammed earth, with a residual height of about 9 meters. At the northwest corner, five stupa-shaped Lama pagodas are built. The original streets and main buildings are vaguely discernible, and the remnants of ancient river channels and farmland still maintain their outlines. Many heroes of war remain; lone smoke in the vast desert leaves behind traces of time. 【Tamarix Forest】 Lives a thousand years without dying, stands a thousand years without falling, and lies a thousand years without decaying. The lone smoke of the vast desert, the grand and tragic strange forest, a world of light and shadow, a paradise for photographers, a holy land for travelers. Rooted in the desert, proudly aloof, desolate and bold. You accept rain and snow, welcome sunshine, and are open-minded. Facing the sandstorms and extreme cold and heat, you hide your light and remain calm. Rooted in the vast sea, looking up at the clear sky, enduring the vicissitudes of time like an ageless old man. A single tree can show its proud bones; the red sun patrols the sky, clouds spitting fire. Rooted in the barren sand, receiving the scorching sun, spreading branches to shade the sun. Exhaling the old and inhaling the new, self-purification, unyielding, silent dedication, finally forging a totem image that survives a thousand years without dying, stands a thousand years without falling, and lies a thousand years without decaying! Dare to ask how deep the infatuation is, three thousand years of calm laughter. 【Lovers Tree】 Symbiosis of interdependence, radiant vitality in the sunlight between the branches! The tree of life is evergreen in the heart, and a world with love is paradise! On the morning of September 28, at 6:00, we watched the sunrise at Juyanhai Lake in Ejina Banner. “A small Juyanhai connects to Zhongnanhai.” According to expert research, the sand that blows into Beijing every year originates from the Juyanhai Desert in Ejina Banner, Inner Mongolia. Sunrise on the lake at Juyanhai, the sky dyed red with rays. The sky is vast for birds to fly, the lake is wide for fish to leap. At noon on September 28, we visited the Populus euphratica forest. Ejina now has 380,000 mu of Populus euphratica forest, one of the only three remaining large Populus euphratica forest areas in the world (the other two are the Sahara Desert in North Africa and the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang). Among them, Yidaoqiao, Erdaoqiao, Sandaqiao, Sidaoqiao, and Qidaoqiao are ideal viewing areas for Populus euphratica. Erdaoqiao is the best place for shooting reflections, Sidaoqiao is a paradise for photographers combining the Badain Jaran Desert edge, Populus euphratica forest, camel teams, and sunset, and the end of Badaoqiao is the Badain Jaran Desert, which has actually become a sightseeing area for Populus euphratica and desert. Arriving at the banks of the Ejina River, you enter the kingdom of Populus euphratica. Here, green trees shade the pastures and flocks, winding for hundreds of thousands of mu, full of vitality, becoming a paradise in the desert. Populus euphratica forest is the main body of the Juyan oasis and the basic condition for ecology. It can be said that without Populus euphratica, there would be no oasis; without the oasis, this “hot, sandy, and extremely cold” desert land would not sustain human survival and development. Populus euphratica is closely related to life here, and people cherish it deeply. Century-old Populus euphratica are common here. Unmoved by favor or disgrace, calmly watching clouds roll and unfold; through wind, frost, heat, and cold, quietly observing people come and go. Competing with the sunset for brilliance, competing with the setting sun for light. Burning with passion, gold and resplendent, enthusiastic and unrestrained, it is the ultimate sound of life. Standing like a soldier, unyielding in spirit, recasting a golden body as an immortal wooden elder. Self-appreciating the dust and snow, alone hearing the Gobi windblown sand. The oldest is the “Sacred Tree,” over 300 years old. Surprisingly, this over 300-year-old “Populus King” is still thriving, tall and green, with reproductive capacity. Its descendants around still bravely face the wind and sand, growing vigorously. The “Sacred Tree” is a thousand-year-old Populus euphratica. It is 23 meters tall, with a trunk diameter of 2.6 meters, needing six people to encircle it. Although a thousand years old, the “Sacred Tree” remains tall and vigorous. From its developed root system, five sturdy Populus euphratica trees have sprouted, so it is also called the “Mother and Child Tree.” The “Sacred Tree” family stands among the dunes, looking quite spectacular from afar. Every early spring, herdsmen devoutly present hada to the “Sacred Tree,” praying for favorable weather. A thousand miles of golden splendor, a scene in itself, witnessing vicissitudes. The barren sky and weak trees have no roots; the old land and solitary branches have vigorous veins. Standing tall for a thousand years with strong bones, when dying, the lying wood becomes a dragon. Smiling as years pass by, happily singing against the soaring Gobi clouds. For three thousand years, ever-changing forms, a lifetime of passion. An oasis in the scorching desert, smiling proudly at sandstorms, leisurely? Old stems and slanting branches have weathered many changes; new sprouts and tender leaves endure wind and frost. An oasis in the vast desert, when will the harsh sandstorms end? Fearless of the yellow dragon blocking the sun, enduring the vicissitudes through the seasons. Fully experiencing the natural wind and sand, preserving integrity through the ages. Travel-stained all the way to the horizon, without rain, stubbornly growing young shoots. Leafless dry branches smile for a hundred years; spring comes and summer goes with a cold body. How can poetry express the broken vicissitudes? How can songs convey the remnants of time? Someone once said: If you love someone, take him to see the autumn of Ejina Banner, because it is a golden paradise; if you hate someone, take him to see the spring of Ejina Banner, because it is a black hell. No one would imagine that this is the birthplace of China's sandstorms. Sometimes, heaven and hell are only one step apart. At the end of the Populus euphratica forest... 【Badaoqiao Desert】 【Badaoqiao Sand Sculptures】 On the morning of September 29, we traveled from Ejina Banner to Jiayuguan City. Jiayuguan City is a prefecture-level city under Gansu Province, located in the northwest of Gansu Province, in the middle of the Hexi Corridor. It borders Jiuquan City to the east, 776 kilometers from Lanzhou; to the west, it connects with Yumen City, 650 kilometers from Hami, Xinjiang; to the south, it borders the Qilian Mountains and Sunan Yugur Autonomous County of Zhangye; to the north, it connects with Jinxing County via the Heishan Mountains. The middle part is the western edge of the Jiuquan oasis. Jiayuguan City is the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall. It emerged as a new industrial tourism-oriented modern regional center city due to the construction of the “Jiuquan Iron and Steel Company,” a key project of the First Five-Year Plan in 1958. It is known as the “First Grand Pass of the World” and “Key to the Borderland.” Jiayuguan City is one of the four prefecture-level cities in China that do not have municipal districts. In the afternoon, we visited 【Jiayuguan Pass】. Jiayuguan Pass is the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall. It is the most spectacular and best-preserved ancient military castle along the Ming Great Wall. It was an important military fortress along the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty and later periods, known as the “Great Barrier between China and Foreign Lands” and the “Gateway to the Hexi Corridor.” Along the Great Wall, there are many passes, with the two largest being Shanhaiguan in the east and Jiayuguan in the west. The latter surpasses the former, making Jiayuguan the largest pass on the Great Wall and the largest pass in China. However, when first built, Jiayuguan was only a 6-meter-high earth city covering 2,500 square meters. The existing pass covers a total area of over 33,500 square meters, several times larger than the original. It consists of an outer city, an inner city, and barbicans. The perimeter of the pass is 733 meters, with the inner city having a perimeter of 640 meters, which was the size of the original. The inner city is wider in the west and narrower in the east, roughly trapezoidal, with walls 9 meters high. It has two gates: Guanghua Gate and Rouyuan Gate, opening east and west. Each gate has a barbican. The gate towers are symmetrical, three stories, three eaves, five bays, with surrounding corridors, single-eave hip-and-gable roofs, 17 meters high. At the four corners of the city are turrets; in the middle of the south and north walls are enemy towers, one story, three bays, with front corridors. Inside both gates, on the north side, are horse ramps leading to the top of the wall. In the center of the pass is an official well, which once had a pavilion, now gone. Outside the west gate, a convex city wall is built, forming a “city within a city,” which is the outer city. The outer city is 2.7 meters higher than the inner city. The main gate of the outer city bears the inscription “Jiayuguan” in large characters. The gate once had a tower, similar in form to the east and west towers, with three towers aligned east-west, hanging a plaque reading “First Grand Pass of the World.” Before Jiayuguan, Emperor Wu of Han captured several rebel kings; the western pass of the Han Great Wall blocked numerous barbarian troops. Bricks laid into fish-scale tiles, colorful decoration like a jade tower. On the morning of September 30, we traveled from Jiayuguan City to Dunhuang City. In the afternoon, we visited Dunhuang's 【Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring】. “Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring” have been renowned since ancient times for the wonderful landscape of “mountain and spring coexisting, sand and water living together,” praised as “one of the unique scenes beyond the Great Wall.” In 1994, it was designated as a national key scenic spot. Mingsha Mountain is formed by shifting sand. When the sand is rubbed or vibrated, it makes a sound, soft like silk and bamboo, loud like thunder, hence the name “Mingsha Mountain.” Crescent Spring is located at the northern foot of Mingsha Mountain. Because its shape resembles a crescent moon, it is called “Crescent Spring.” For thousands of years, it has not been buried by shifting sand nor dried up by drought. Crescent Spring does not have the charm of West Lake or the splendor of Jiuzhaigou. A crescent moon floats in the sea of sand, the spring is clear like the bright moon, refusing to be full,远离高贵、荣誉、世俗, sinking into the desert. Standing quietly on the mountaintop, the wind passing by the ears howls like ghosts crying and souls wailing. The vast desert holds countless stories of swords and spears, drums and horns buried under the yellow sand. The earliest greatness, the earliest prosperity, the earliest civilization, and the earliest yellow sand, ruthless and boundless. Isn't the desert a page of historical evolution? Walking on the sand ridge, looking into the distance, behind the sand mountains are still sand mountains, connected into a vast desert. The desert spreads gentle curves, receiving the comfort of sunlight, natural wisdom, and natural perfection. At that moment, I felt my soul liberated, as if finding truth and light beyond the false life. You are the wind, I am the sand, intertwined, walking through Mingsha. Riding the “ship of the desert” through the desert, under the scorching sun, lone smoke in the vast desert, mountains overlapping, the road long, the sound of camel bells in my ears, laughter along the way... In the evening, we watched the large-scale live performance “Dunhuang Splendor.” “Dunhuang Splendor” uses modern technology, unique aesthetic concepts, relying on its brand advantages, and with original live song and dance and video forms, uses literature to fully interpret Dunhuang's regional cultural phenomena: the camel bells fading in the rustling wind of Mingsha; the fluttering banners deep in the desert; the clear sounds crossing the Congling Mountains in harmony with the rhythm of “Hu Teng”; life meeting, knowing, loving, and longing under heaven and earth; memory engraves the distant world into eternity... 【The City That Never Sleeps - Dunhuang】 【Dunhuang Symbol “Rebounding Pipa”】 The rebounding pipa is the most beautiful dance pose in Dunhuang art. It is vigorous and graceful, fast and harmonious. The rebounding pipa combines playing and dancing, concentrating the superb playing skills and wonderful dance skills elegantly and charmingly on the dancer's shoulder. The rebounding pipa is an eternal symbol of Tang Dynasty culture. Painting of Rebounding Pipa, Tang Dynasty, Mural, Cave 112, Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, Gansu. This painting is found in the “Musical and Dance Scene” of Cave 112, part of the “Western Paradise Transformation” in that cave. 【Dunhuang】 is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan City, Gansu Province. It is located at the westernmost end of the Hexi Corridor, at the junction of Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang provinces (autonomous regions). Dunhuang is famous for its past glory and profound cultural connotations. Dunhuang was located on the ancient Silk Road, the main route from China to Central Asia and Europe, and once had prosperous commercial activities. It is renowned for the “Dunhuang Caves” and “Dunhuang Murals,” and is the site of the World Heritage Mogao Caves and the Han Dynasty Great Wall border passes Yumen Pass and Yang Pass. 【Mogao Caves】, also known as the “Thousand Buddha Caves,” is one of the three great treasure houses of grotto art in China. It is praised as the most valuable cultural discovery of the 20th century and the “Eastern Louvre.” Located in Dunhuang at the western end of the Hexi Corridor, it is famous for its exquisite murals and sculptures. It was first built during the Former Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, and through successive constructions from the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia, Yuan, etc., it has formed a huge scale. There are now 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 painted clay sculptures. It is the largest and richest Buddhist art sanctuary in the world. The artistic features of Mogao Caves are mainly manifested in the organic combination of architecture, sculptures, and murals. The cave forms include meditation caves, hall caves, pagoda caves, domed caves, shadow caves, etc. The painted sculptures include round sculptures, relief sculptures, shadow sculptures, and karma sculptures. The murals include deity images, transformation scenes, story scenes, Buddhist historical scenes, architectural scenes, landscape paintings, offering scenes, animal paintings, decorative patterns, etc., systematically reflecting various aspects of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Western Xia, Yuan, and other dynasties, as well as cultural exchanges between East and West, making it a rare cultural treasure. Mogao Caves is also a veritable treasure house of cultural relics. The Library Cave has yielded over 50,000 items including sutras, documents, embroidery, and paintings, of extremely high artistic value. “Dun” means great, “Huang” means flourishing. The grand and flourishing Dunhuang has a history of over two thousand years and was once the throat of the famous Silk Road. Dunhuang is a crossroads of cultural fusion and collision, where Chinese, Indian, Greek, and Islamic cultures met. The Mogao Caves are a World Cultural Heritage site, known as the art museum of the Eastern world. 【Mogao Caves】 were first built during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. According to the Tang dynasty stele “Li Kerang’s Record of Repairing the Mogao Caves Buddha Shrine,” in the second year of the Jianyuan era of the Former Qin (366 AD), the monk Le Zun passed by this mountain and suddenly saw golden light shining as if ten thousand Buddhas appeared, so he dug the first cave on the cliff. Later, the meditation master Faliang continued to build caves here for meditation, calling it “Mogao Caves,” meaning “heights of the desert.” Later generations, using “Mo” interchangeably, changed the name to “Mogao Caves.” Another explanation: Buddhists say that building Buddha caves has immeasurable merit; “Mo” means impossible, none. Mogao Caves means that no higher merit than building Buddha caves exists. The visiting process of Mogao Caves: First, watch a movie to understand the history, then watch a second movie to understand the interior of Mogao Caves, and finally, under the guidance of a docent, visit different caves. Each docent leads a group of about 15 people to visit 8 caves. Photography is not allowed. Each person has an earphone to hear the docent clearly, and the caves are not crowded. CO2 levels inside the caves will not exceed limits. The process is quite scientific and reasonable. After the tour, three large caves can be visited independently, but there are more people in those large caves. The murals in Mogao Caves are painted on the four walls, ceilings, and Buddha niches of the caves. The content is vast and profound, mainly including seven themes: Buddha images, Buddhist stories, Buddhist historical sites, transformation scenes, deities, donors, and decorative patterns. In addition, there are many paintings depicting hunting, farming, weaving, transportation, warfare, construction, dance, weddings, funerals, and other aspects of social life. Some of these paintings are grand and broad, some are bright and magnificent, reflecting the artistic styles and characteristics of different periods. Most Chinese paintings before the Five Dynasties have been lost. The murals of Mogao Caves provide important materials for the study of Chinese art history and also provide valuable images and patterns for the study of ancient Chinese customs. According to calculation, if these murals were arranged at a height of 2 meters, they could form a gallery 25 kilometers long. It is a nine-story canopy, also called the “Great Northern Buddha Statue,” located in the middle of the cliff, level with the top of the cliff, majestic and spectacular. Its wooden structure is earth-red, with eaves rising high, the outer silhouette varied and well-proportioned, with bells hanging at the eaves, ringing in the wind. Inside sits a seated Maitreya Buddha statue, 35.6 meters high, made of clay over a stone core and painted. It is the third largest seated Buddha in China after the Leshan Giant Buddha and the Rongxian Giant Buddha. The space accommodating the Buddha is larger at the bottom and smaller at the top, square in plane. Two passages are opened outside the building, both for close viewing of the Buddha and for light to reach the head and waist. This cave canopy existed before the first year of the Wende era of Tang (888 AD), then it had five stories. It was rebuilt in the fourth year of the Qiande era of Northern Song (966 AD) and during the Qing Dynasty, changed to four stories. It was again renovated in 1935, forming the current nine-story structure. On the morning of October 2, 【Yellow River Scenic Line】, we visited 【Zhongshan Bridge】. Lanzhou Zhongshan Bridge is located on the north side of the middle section of Binhe Road. It is a historic bridge in Lanzhou, known as the “First Bridge of the Yellow River.” 【Overlooking the Century-old Zhongshan Bridge】 Zhongshan Bridge is the oldest bridge in Lanzhou and the first real bridge over the Yellow River. It was built by Germans in 1907, and all bridge materials were produced in Germany. It has a history of over a hundred years. Zhongshan Bridge is located at the foot of White Pagoda Mountain and in front of Jincheng Pass in the north of Lanzhou. It is one of the landmark buildings in Lanzhou. Standing on the bridge, you can overlook the White Pagoda reaching into the clouds and the mother river flowing by. White Pagoda Mountain Park is located on White Pagoda Mountain on the north bank of the Yellow River in Lanzhou, named after a Yuan Dynasty white pagoda on the mountain. White Pagoda Mountain rises and falls, embracing the city outskirts, giving the feeling of enclosing Jincheng. The white pagoda was originally built to commemorate a Tibetan Sakya lama who died in Lanzhou on his way to meet Genghis Khan in Mongolia. The existing white pagoda was rebuilt by Liu Yongcheng, the eunuch in charge of Gansu, during the Jingtai era of Ming (1450-1456). 【Yellow River Mother Sculpture】 The Yellow River Mother Sculpture is located in the middle section of Binhe Road, north of Little West Lake Park. It is the most beautiful among the many sculptures representing the Yellow River, the mother river of the Chinese nation, and has high artistic value. In the first national urban sculpture design competition, it won the “Excellent Award.” The sculpture was created by the famous Gansu sculptor He E and was carved by Beijing Sculpture Factory on April 30, 1986. It is a granite round sculpture, 6 meters long, 2.2 meters wide, 2.6 meters high, with a total weight of over 40 tons. The composition consists of a “mother” and a “baby boy.” The mother has flowing hair, a kind expression, a slender and well-proportioned figure with graceful curves, slightly smiling, with her head raised and right arm slightly bent, lying on her back on the waves. A naked baby boy nestles at her right side, his head slightly turned to the left, looking up and laughing, appearing playful and cute. The sculpture is concise in composition and profound in meaning, symbolizing the Yellow River mother who nurtures the Chinese nation unceasingly and unyieldingly, and the happy, healthy, and growing Chinese descendants. The base of the sculpture is engraved with water wave and fish patterns. 【Ancient Yellow River Waterwheel】 The waterwheel has a long history and a unique shape, originating from the Ming Dynasty. It is the oldest irrigation tool along the Yellow River in Lanzhou. Lanzhou waterwheel is also called the “heaven wheel,” “wheel for turning water,” “irrigation wheel,” or “tiger wheel.” 【Treasure of the Museum: “Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow”】 Located on the banks of the Yellow River, the Gansu Provincial Museum is one of the earliest comprehensive geographical museums in China. Its predecessor was the Gansu Science Education Museum established in 1939, renamed the Northwest People's Science Museum in 1950, and changed to the Gansu Provincial Museum in 1956. The exhibition building has a total area of 28,500 square meters, with 18 exhibition halls. There are also cultural relic warehouses, cultural relic conservation laboratories, and other facilities. The entire exhibition building is designed and constructed with the principles of “solemn, elegant, beautiful, and humanized,” and is a modern comprehensive intelligent building. Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow, also known as Horse Surpassing the Dragon Bird, Bronze Galloping Horse, Horse Attacking a Crow, Hawk (Harrier) Sweeping Horse, Horse Treading on a Flying Falcon, Soaring Galloping Horse, etc., is a bronze artifact from the Eastern Han Dynasty, unearthed in 1969 from the Leitai Han Tomb in Wuwei, Gansu Province. It was excavated from the joint tomb of a military official surnamed Zhang, who guarded Zhangye during the Eastern Han, and his wife, and is now housed in the Gansu Provincial Museum. The “Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow” is 34.5 cm high, 45 cm long, and 13 cm wide. Since its excavation, it has been regarded as a symbol of China's ancient superb casting skills. In October 1983, it was designated as the China Tourism emblem by the China National Tourism Administration. “Golden Autumn Journey to Long and Meng” Eight days of autumn journey to Long and Meng, Tracing the Silk Road with songs; The reclining Buddha sleeps long, never awakening, Zhangye Danxia imprinted with colors. Looking into the distance at Jiuquan's satellite launch, Black City Ruins with fierce sandstorms; Populus euphratica and strange trees for three thousand years, Sunrise at Juyan connects to Beijing. Golden Populus euphratica intoxicates, Jiayuguan Pass under sunset shadows; Ship of the desert, sound of Mingsha, Dreaming back to Dunhuang, keeping a Buddha heart. Yellow River Mother, Zhongshan Bridge, Treasure of the museum, galloping horse stepping on a swallow; Ancient waterwheel, Ferris wheel, An unforgettable journey, expressing true feelings.