Nanxi River -- A fairyland lost in the human world

Author: Xu Jiaguo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features:
"，," how much people love nature. From the "Clear Morning Seeking Solitary Beauty, Setting the Boat Across the Vast Outskirts" of the Southern Dynasties poet Xie Lingyun, the pioneer of Chinese landscape poetry, 1,600 years ago, to the famous contemporary writer Wang Zengqi's "I can confidently declare to the world: Nanxi River is very beautiful." Throughout history, how many scholars and literati have been moved by the landscapes of Yongjia, and how much ink have they spilled in praise. The calligrapher Wang Xizhi of the Jin Dynasty, the poet Meng Haoran of the Tang Dynasty, and the literary figure Su Dongpo of the Song Dynasty, among countless generations of literati, have all admired the Nanxi River, famously painting and composing verses about it: "The water is a green silk ribbon, the mountains like jade hairpins." The mountains and rivers of Nanxi are everywhere bright and elegant, always good and curious in both clear and rainy weather. The charming mountains, the enchanting streams, the captivating villages, and the alluring customs will attract more and more domestic and international tourists to visit and appreciate.
Nanxi River is located within Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province, bordering the Yandang Mountain Scenic Area to the east, 23 kilometers south of Wenzhou City, connected to Xiandu to the west, and adjacent to Xianju to the north. It is a renowned national-level scenic area.
The Nanxi River National Key Scenic Area covers a total area of 625 square kilometers and is divided into seven major scenic zones: Nanxi River and Riverside Rural Culture (also known as Yantou Scenic Zone), Dayuo Rock, Shimen Rock, Shuizhen Rock, Beikeng, Dumen, and Sihai Mountain, with over 800 scenic spots in total. The 300-meter-long Nanxi River blends natural landscapes with cultural heritage, renowned for its clear waters, unique rocks, numerous waterfalls, ancient villages, and beautiful sandbars, making it the only national-level scenic area in China that excels in pastoral and mountainous scenery.
The 300-meter-long Nanxi River winds and twists, earning the names "36 Bends and 72 Beaches." It flows through Yongjia from north to south, with a catchment area of 2,429 square kilometers. The river flows into the Ou River and eventually reaches the East China Sea.
Nanxi River is beautiful in its primitive simplicity and natural charm; Nanxi River is beautiful in its purity and gentleness, completely pollution-free. It has been tested to contain only one ten-thousandth of a gram of sand per cubic meter, with neutral pH of 7, meeting national Class 1 water standards, earning it the title "Heavenly Water" from experts. The streams are clear and lush, with reflections of the river, the water so clear that fish and pebbles are visible. During the day, taking a boat or raft on the river offers a panoramic view of rolling green mountains, dense sandbars, and the deep blue water, immersing one in the beauty of the river and mountains, bringing a sense of liberation and forgetting worldly troubles. At night, the river comes alive with twinkling fishing lights, the singing of boats, the gentle breeze, and the gurgling of water, perfect for expressing quiet emotions. Resting in the sandbars, with trees overhead and lush grass below, the daytime feels like dusk, creating a serene and poetic atmosphere for heartfelt conversations—such joy knows no bounds.
The upper reaches of Nanxi River have deep, far-reaching streams and emerald pools, visible everywhere. In high, rocky areas, waterfalls plunge down. The Baizhang Waterfall, Luoyang Waterfall, Yaxia Ku's Shy Waterfall, Shimen Tai's Nine Waterfalls, and Beikeng Longtan's Three Bends Waterfall each have their unique shapes and charm, appearing from a distance like a galaxy pouring down from the heavens; up close, they roar with immense power...
Nanxi River's extraordinary cliffs and peaks are scattered like stars in a chessboard, including the breathtakingly vertical Taiping Rock, the deep, emerald Three-Angle Rock, the natural bonsai Lion Rock, the nine-meter-tall Tianchi Turtle Peak, the riverbed's towering Shimen Rock, the twelve peaks piercing the clouds, and the Nanxia Fortress... Truly a mountain, truly a river, truly a painting—suitable for sunny days, rainy days, singing, composing poems, drinking wine, or writing verses... Every corner is inviting, every spot is enchanting, every place is captivating. These cliffs and peaks are often home to secluded caves, offering endless wonders. There's even a folk songing: "Nanxi has many mountains and ridges, peaks and rocks countless; caves all say are fairy homes, but no fairies live within?"
With its unique charm, Nanxi River preserves cultural relics from the Neolithic Age, ancient towers, bridges, pavilions, archways, and battlefields from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It also retains ancient villages built with the concepts of "Seven Stars and Eight Poles" and "Four Treasures of the Study," as well as Yin-Yang and Feng-Shui designs, along with numerous complete genealogies and clan records. These invaluable historical and cultural remnants allow us to glimpse the essence of ancient China's "agricultural-reading society" and "clan society."