Journey to the Hexi Corridor
Time: July 1 to August 7, 2022, 38 days total.
Route: Chengdu - Meishan - Wenchuan - Maoxian - Songpan - Luqu - Wuwei - Zhangye - Jiuquan - Jiayuguan - Dunhuang - Dachaidan - Delingha - Qinghai Lake - Guide - Gonghe - Maduo - Yushu - Dege - Litang - Kangding - Tianquan - Ya'an - Meishan - Chengdu
Attractions: San Su Shrine, Hometown of Yu the Great, Ancient Qiang City of China, Songpan Ancient City, Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou, First Bend of the Yellow River, Labrang Monastery, Wushao Ling, Wuwei Museum, Kumarajiva Temple, Tiantishan Grottoes, Shandan Military Horse Farm, Biandukou, Matisi Temple, Linsong Xie Valley, Colorful Danxia, Jiayuguan Pass, Dunhuang Museum, Xuanquanzhi, Earth's Son, Mingsha Mountain, Crescent Moon Spring, Mogao Caves, Yangguan Pass, Yumen Pass, Shazhou Paradise, Emerald Lake, Alien Landing Site, Caka Salt Lake, Queen Mother of the West Scenic Area, Qinghai Lake, Crescent Moon Mountain, Guide Yellow River, Longyang Gorge, Maduo First Bridge over the Yellow River, Princess Wencheng Temple, Dege Printing House, Litang, San Su Shrine
Provinces/Regions: Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan
Mountain Ranges: Min Mountains, Qilian Mountains, Anyemaqen Mountains, Bayan Har Mountains, Chola Mountains
Rivers: Min River, Yellow River, Shiyang River, Heishui River, Shule River, Dang River, Tongtian River, Jinsha River, Dadu River
In the summer of 2022, my child and I finally embarked on our long-planned journey to the Hexi Corridor. Inspired by the documentary 'The Hexi Corridor,' we had long been fascinated by this region. Though I spent four years of college in Lanzhou, back then I only visited Labrang Monastery in Gannan and never traveled westward beyond Lanzhou.
When my child and I stood at the pass of Wushao Ling, the strong wind played the heroic song of the Northwest. Looking into the distance, the heroic spirit of Huo Qubing when he fiercely attacked the Xiongnu still echoed before our eyes. This pass also witnessed Zhang Qian's second mission to the Western Regions, as he crossed Wushao Ling to promote the majesty of the Han Empire. Wushao Ling—the anthem of the Hexi Corridor, the homeland of heroes!
Liangzhou, today's Wuwei. My child and I visited the Wuwei Museum twice, savoring the vicissitudes of this ancient capital of the Five Liangs: Former Liang, Later Liang, Southern Liang, Northern Liang, and also Great Liang. Each fleeting dynasty left its mark here. But what fascinated my child and me more was the history of Chinese grotto art. We went to the Tiantishan Grottoes and saw the Buddha statue in Cave 13, serene and peaceful. My child also sat quietly in the grotto hall of the Wuwei Museum, on the lotus pattern cast by the spotlight, carefully gazing at that same Buddha statue, which had been moved from Tiantishan. At Tiantishan, we met a father and daughter traveling from Hami, Xinjiang. They had come along the Hexi Corridor and met us in front of the Buddha in Cave 13. Then we traveled back together, discussing the story of Tan Yao under the rule of Juqu Mengxun...
'Our first ranch owner was Huo Qubing!' The proud voice, accompanied by the neighing of horses at the Shandan Military Horse Farm, echoed across the magical grassland beneath the Qilian Mountains. My child and I mounted horses, feeling the mountain breeze and gazing at the distant peaks. 'With the Xiongnu not yet destroyed, how can we call this home?'—how magnificent that cry was!
For a sense of nostalgia and remembrance, my child and I came to Biandukou. In ancient times, there were two routes into the Hexi Corridor from the interior: one was Wushao Ling, the other was Biandukou. The wind here was biting. When Zhang Qian first traveled to the Western Regions, he entered the Hexi Corridor through this pass and was unfortunately captured by the Xiongnu. I stopped to look, to gaze, to think, to admire! This was also the place where Emperor Yang of Sui, leading an army of 100,000 and his court officials, passed through on his way to Zhangye to host the world's first international exposition. Because of the pandemic, we couldn't visit the nearby Ebao Town, where the Sui army defeated the Tuyuhun. But standing on this land of heroes, I felt immense pride!
During the era of the Five Barbarians' rebellion, some Central Plains aristocratic families fled south, while others sought refuge in the Hexi Corridor. Guo He, Guo Yu, Liu Bing... their footsteps and reading voices seemed to still echo in Linsong Xie Valley. Liu Bing eventually came out of seclusion to assist Li Gao, the ruler of Western Liang. Centuries later, Li Gao's descendants would contribute to the brilliant literary achievements of the Tang Dynasty... My child quickly remembered the meaning and writing of the character 'Xie'. As we left Matisi Temple and looked back at Linsong Xie Valley, I deeply paid homage to the spirit and lofty aspirations of these Confucian scholars.
Jiuquan Scenic Spot marks the place where Huo Qubing, on his second detour through Juyan Lake, counterattacked the Xiongnu. Emperor Wu of Han bestowed wine upon him, and Huo Qubing poured it into a spring, hence the name Jiuquan (Wine Spring). The Hexi Corridor—the homeland of heroes; Jiuquan—the homeland of the homeland of heroes!
Passing through Jiayuguan, after a long journey, we finally arrived at Dunhuang—a magical place that evokes infinite imagination even with eyes closed. We stayed at a small hotel at the foot of Mingsha Mountain. The owner was very helpful, carefully explaining the routes to many scenic spots in Dunhuang. I extended my planned three days to five, and in the end, I stayed for seven days. We visited the Dunhuang Museum and went to Xuanquanzhi, where the background music of the documentary 'The Hexi Corridor' plays in boundless desolation. I remember that day, dust and sand were rolling; the car sped along the road, and I had to slow down because when driving fast, I felt the car would shake in the wind. But Xuanquanzhi was still under construction. My child and I stood at the closest point to Xuanquanzhi, silently gazing, sharing stories of the people who had come and gone here, the vicissitudes of life...
The Mogao Caves are a paradise for artists. My child loves painting. We listened attentively to the guide, taking notes. We recalled the Buddha statue in Cave 13 at Tiantishan in Wuwei, as well as Cave 220 in 'The Hexi Corridor,' which Li Gong copied in the style of Yan Liben—though we couldn't enter it; each group could only visit eight caves, selected randomly. Nevertheless, the many flying apsaras in the transformation tableaux at Mogao truly sparked the imagination. The artists' creativity was fully unleashed in each small cave.
We spent one day experiencing Yangguan Pass and Yumen Pass. Although the weather was hot, the thatched pavilion within the Yangguan ruins was cool. 'No dust is raised on the road wet with morning rain; the willows by the hotel look so fresh and green. I invite you to drink a cup of wine again; west of the Sunny Pass no more friends will be seen.' My child and I recited Wang Wei's poem together, savoring a unique flavor. 'The Yellow River rises to the white clouds; a lonely town is lost amid the mountains proud. Why should the Mongol flute complain no willows grow? Beyond the Gate of Jade no vernal wind will blow.' The poem by Wang Zhihuan outside the Yumen Pass Scenic Area added warmth and cultural richness to the place. This was also the必经之路 for Hetian jade from the Western Regions to reach the Central Plains, hence the name Yumen Pass (Jade Gate Pass). Millennia have passed; the ancient Great Wall still stands, the walls of grain storage remain visible, and the waters of the Shule River have receded. Yet this place remains undiminished as the sacred ground of countless heroes!
The Hexi Corridor stretches for over 1,000 kilometers. The art of Buddhist grottoes began at the Tiantishan Grottoes. In 439 AD, when Tuoba Tao brought tens of thousands of artisans, Buddhists, and scholars east to Datong, the era of large-scale Buddhist grotto construction in Chinese territory began. The Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes are directly inherited from the Tiantishan Grottoes. Some Buddhists in the western regions traveled along the Hexi Corridor, either to the humid Zhangye or the arid Dunhuang. Looking up, the clouds in the sky sometimes resembled flowers, sometimes birds, sometimes scattered, sometimes gathered. Finally, during their continued creation of the Mogao murals, they gave birth to the ever-changing, colorful flying apsaras art. At the same time, Southern Dynasty literati were savoring the subtle beauty of landscapes, playing with words in their hearts and on paper, releasing their spirits. In the Northern Dynasty, more people were creating the grandeur of three-dimensional pictorial art. The grotto art of the Northern Dynasty ended with Buddhist scriptures, while Southern monks and Daoists gradually blended amidst mountains and rivers. The study of the four tones and eight defects also matured. Talent and pregnancy are alike; sooner or later, they will show. Thus, when Mr. Yu Qiuyu wrote 'From here, China marches toward the Tang Dynasty' at the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, the excellent leaders of the Xianbei people, combining the northern boldness and openness with the refined beauty of Chinese characters forged by Southern literati, finally merged into the magnificent poetry of the Tang Empire!
Times change, but now as I traverse the Hexi Corridor, my heart still surges with emotion. Wherever the eyes reach, wherever the thoughts go, a thousand years have passed, yet a thousand years remain...
