Ride alone across Yunnan

Author: Li Chengdong / Country:
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: From the place where the little river flows, to the Manwan of Lancangjiang, heading towards the beautiful and mysterious ancient kingdom of Ailao. The colorful tourist paradise of Yunnan, the rich and beautiful ecological tourism resources, unique cultural resources, and splendid national culture and customs of Yunnan are tourist destinations pursued and yearned for by domestic and foreign tourists. It is also the place of my childhood dreams. I retired in 1988, and now it has been ten years. To spend my later years more meaningfully, I decided to ride a bicycle to explore various places, roam famous mountains and rivers, famous scenic spots, and urban and rural towns, in order to enjoy the magnificent mountains and rivers of our great motherland, visit the achievements of construction after the reform and opening-up, and fully appreciate the splendid historical culture and customs of our ancient civilization. This is to enrich my life knowledge and temper my life experience. This is my wish and purpose. Ma Jia, the author of the travelogue "The Appearance of Shanhaiguan," once said when talking about his travelogue: "Without traveling through the motherland, one does not know the size of the motherland, the beauty of the motherland's mountains and rivers, or the loveliness of the motherland's land." On February 21, 1998, today, it was the time I started cycling to explore Yunnan. In the morning, I rode my bicycle from home and arrived at Midian after 4 kilometers, then at Hedian after 15 kilometers, and finally reached the county town of Xiangyun after 25 kilometers, where I stayed at a hotel. On February 22, in the morning, I rode my bicycle westward and arrived at Qinhua Cave after 2 kilometers. This is a three-way intersection. Going east along Highway 320 will lead to Kunming; going west along Highway 320 will lead to Xiaoguan, Baoshan, and Myanmar. I went 13 kilometers west to Haibazhuang, where there is also a three-way intersection. Going west along Highway 320 will lead to Xiaoguan; going south along Highway 214 will lead to Midu, Lincang, or Simao. I went 8 kilometers south to the county town of Midu and stayed at a hotel. On February 23, at 8:30 in the morning, I arrived at the office of the elderly committee of Midu County. At 2:00 in the afternoon, I went to the history and chronicles office of the county party committee to borrow the county annals. At 6:00, I strolled through the county town. Midu is located between Dali City and Xiangyun County. Its terrain is high in the northwest and low in the southeast, with mountains and rivers mostly extending in a northwest-southeast direction. The highest point in the county is Jiuding Mountain, with an altitude of 3,117.9 meters; the lowest point is Milaiku in Niujie Yi Autonomous Township, with an altitude of 1,242 meters. The total area is 1,571 square kilometers, with a population of over 290,000. The climate in Midu belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate. The average annual temperature in the plain is 16.2°C, and the average annual rainfall is 730 millimeters. The Pixin River, Pizhi River, Baiyun River, Yaxi River, and Niujie River all flow into the Lishui River and then into the Yuanjiang River. The county town of Midu City is located on the eastern foothills of the Midu Plain. It starts from Jinshan in the east, borders Pixin A in both east and west, extends to Liujiaying in the north, and reaches Ring Road South—Miduwei Highway in the south. The county town of Midu City relies on the old city in the north, while the new district is developing southeastward. In the wave of reform and opening-up, urban construction has developed rapidly, becoming a city with wide and straight streets, tall buildings, and a modern appearance. Midu is renowned as the "Hometown of Lanterns." The Midu Lantern has a long history, with the saying that "lanterns originated from the Tang Dynasty, and performances came from the Tang Dynasty." Talented lantern artists have emerged one after another. During the Spring Festival every year, lantern performances can be seen throughout the city and countryside. The Midu Lantern retains a simple and elegant charm, with a unique style. There is also a folk saying that goes, "Of ten Midu people, nine can sing lantern songs, and one follows along." This perfectly summarizes the popular nature of the Midu Lantern. Midu folk songs such as "The Little River Flows," "Midu Mountain Songs," "Embroidering Lotus," and "Ten Sisters" have been recorded and spread both domestically and internationally. On February 24, today, I visited the Iron Pillar Temple and the Natural Bridge. At 8:50 in the morning, I rode my bicycle westward, left the old city, crossed the Pixin River Bridge, and continued westward along the highway for 5 kilometers, reaching the western part of the plain, which is the Iron Pillar Temple. The Nanzhou Iron Pillar Temple is a single courtyard with three halls. In January 1965, it was listed as one of the first key cultural relics protection units in Yunnan Province, and in January 1988, it was listed as one of the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units. The horizontal plaque on the gate reads "Nanzhou Iron Pillar Temple." On both sides are couplets composed by Li Jucun, a native of the Daoguang era: "Flute performances surpass ancestors, felt hats dance to songs, the pillar was once called the sky, golden threads fluttered around the old fortress; alliance stones are buried, edicts are eroded by moss, a few words remain from Tang times, in the depths of colorful clouds, an ancient temple stands." P1-3