Journey to the Hidden Gems of China -- Sichuan Daliang Mountains

Author: compiled by the Bai Mo Sisters Yi Studies Group
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The Daliang Mountains are a time pattern without beginning or end. Gazing intently at this expanse of Yi cultural wilderness will immerse you in the splendor of ethnicity and culture, ancestors and descendants, history and reality, mystery and solemnity, eternity and the moment.
The Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province is located at the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau along the northern section of the Hengduan Mountains, transitioning to the Sichuan Basin. It borders the Dadu River to the north and the Jinsha River to the south. On this ancient land, the old "Shu-Shendu Road" and "Lingguan Road" wind through towering mountains and ridges, extending north to Shu and the Central Plains, and south to the frontier and foreign lands. Along this famous "Southern Silk Road," ancient bridges still cross the waters, and (zàndào - plank roads) still navigate the mountains. Here, peaks stretch across the landscape, canyons cut deep, and countless mountains rise from the earth, piercing the sky. This southwestern wonder, which left ancient people in awe, has also placed Liangshan's geographical environment in a relatively isolated and enclosed state. This has not only greatly influenced the production methods, daily habits, and behavioral patterns of the local Yi people but also profoundly impacted the concepts and modes of thinking of the mountainous society. Due to the natural barriers of the terrain and the self-contained nature of its social systems, along with relatively slow economic development, Yi traditional culture has been preserved intact here, continuing and evolving in its own way to this day.