Zhang Zhaohong – The world has left no trace, but we have been there (2)

Zhang Zhaohong – The world has left no trace, but we have been there (2) Photography/writing Zhang Zhaohong 4. Three thousand peaks and eight hundred beautiful waters Zhangjiajie is known to have...

Photography/writing Zhang Zhaohong

4. Three Thousand Strange Peaks and Eight Hundred Beautiful Waters

> Zhangjiajie is known to have three thousand strange peaks and eight hundred beautiful waters. From Wulingyuan, you can take the Bailong Elevator to Yuanjiajie and experience the romance, passion and wildness of Xiangxi. The most typical peaks are gathered here. Turn on the camera and take pictures at will. Scenic spots in China are different from those in European and American countries. Almost every famous sightseeing place has artificial names and legends. If there are too many, it will look too fake. In the Dafeng Forest in western Hunan, there are also many strange mountains and rocks that are three-thirds similar in shape and seven-pointed in spirit, and have been artificially crowned with various mythological or character titles. The scenery in front of us was once an ocean 400 million years ago. Due to the uncanny workmanship of the Creator, it was washed by water and expanded and contracted by wind, fire, thunder, lightning, rain, frost, and snow, and gradually formed this quartz rock layer and mountain topography that is different from anything else in the world, attracting thousands of people to visit here. So take a few more photos and go online to share them with everyone.

Zhangjiajie is said to have three thousand peaks and eight hundred beautiful waters

5. Lift your head and come

There are many natural villages in Zhangjiajie. The terraced villages and villages are looming in the haze, which is very beautiful. It is worth mentioning the Folk Customs Grand View Garden in the Tujia Village in Yuanjiajie. It concentrates the display of humanities and customs in a village, and with live demonstrations, a three-dimensional Tujia history and reality are all displayed in front of you, adding humanistic beauty to Zhangjiajie's natural fantasy. During the visit, we experienced the customs and charm of western Hunan and the unique "Nuo" (pronounced "Luo" pronunciation) culture. There are many forms of Nuo, many of which are similar to what we call "witchcraft", such as releasing poison, or what Southeast Asia calls "dropping the head". Therefore, the girls in western Hunan are not afraid that their lovers will fly away, because they have their own secret magic to keep the unfaithful lovers captive. There is also "crying marriage" in the village. "Crying marriage" is a unique custom of the Tujia people and has been followed since ancient times. Through crying and singing, it vividly expresses the complex and delicate emotions hidden in the girl's heart. Half a month before the wedding, the bride begins to cry and sing, in the form of one person crying, two people crying in pairs, or multiple people crying together. The contents of the crying songs mostly include crying about parents' nurturing kindness, the separation between brother, sister-in-law and sister, scolding the matchmaker, etc. We arrived at a wedding room. There was a word "福" in front of the door. This character "福" has not been seen in the "Hundred Blessings Picture". It is composed of two ethnic minority men and women dancing together, which is very artistic and dynamic. In the wedding room, there was a bride sitting on the edge of the bed. The guide asked one of us men to lift the veil and said that there was no money. Because he had been deceived by "drawing lots for no money", he didn't know that after "lifting the veil for free", the "daughter-in-law" might become a lion. She opened her mouth widely, so all the men didn't fall in love. In the end, the bride opened her head and sang a song called "Crying for Marriage" that she had to cry even before she was "married".

There are many natural villages in Zhangjiajie

Tujia Village in Yuanjiajie

The word "福" is two ethnic minorities The form of dance between men and women of the tribe is very artistic and dynamic

>The girls in Xiangxi are not afraid that their lovers will fly away, because they have their own secret magic to keep the unfaithful lovers captive

6. Bronze Statue of He Long A huge bronze statue stands in He Long Park in Tianzi Mountain. Marshal He Long stares into the distance, with his war horse accompanying him. His rock-like body shape merges with the surrounding mountains. He Long was a native of Sangzhi County, Xiangxi, Hunan Province, which now belongs to Zhangjiajie, and was of Bai descent. He Long joined the Chinese Revolutionary Party led by Sun Yat-sen as early as 1914. Claims to have started with two kitchen knives. He once served as the commander of the army against Yuan Huguo. In 1927, he was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the August 1st Nanchang Uprising. In 1928, he opened up the Hunan-Hubei and Honghu base areas. In his hometown of Sangzhi, more than 50,000 people participated in the Red Army guerrillas and the local red regime, and more than 5,000 of them died for the revolution. But this founding marshal who once made his enemies frightened was persecuted to death during the Cultural Revolution. After he was cremated, even the name on the urn was a pseudonym. In 2011, Marshal He Long, who had an ill-fated military career, finally returned to his hometown and rested in peace in the magnificent scenery of Tianzi Mountain. He Long's bronze statues are tall and natural, full of appeal, and have unique humanistic value. They make people ponder the meaning of life.

He Long's bronze statue is full of appeal

> The scenery of Yuanjiajie is famous for its majesty, wonder, danger and precipitousness. On the more than ten miles of mountain tour, the scenery along the way is countless. You can see the southern sky, the prototype of "Hallelujah Mountain" in the movie "Avatar" "One Pillar", the natural bridge with the highest drop in the world, as well as the named Jiutian Xuan Ladder, Bagua Diagram, Ape Man Looking at the Moon, Worshiping Immortal Platform and other scenic spots. Going back down from the other end of Tianzi Mountain requires walking up 4,000 steps. The experience of going down the mountain with shaking legs has been tried before in Huangshan. Considering the long journey in the future, we chose to take the cable car down the mountain. However, the cable car suddenly stopped for several minutes in the middle of the journey. People were shaking and the car was moving, which was scary. However, you can see the famous "Fairy Flowers Presenting" in Zhangjiajie from the high place where you parked your car. This scene is so lifelike that I quickly took a photo. After reaching the plains, you can visit the "Shili Gallery" scenic spot. You can take a small train tour to see the old man picking medicine, the golden rooster crowing at dawn, the tengu looking at the moon and other strange mountains and rocks that are among the top ten scenic spots in Zhangjiajie. In Tianzi Mountain, you look down from a high place, but here you look up, so you feel a different spirit.

>Fairy presents flowers

8. Zhangjiajie Charming Xiangxi "Watch the amazing mountains and beautiful waters, and enjoy the charming Xiangxi at night" Before Zhangjiajie, I had heard that this was a must-see program. "Zhangjiajie Charming Xiangxi" is the largest comprehensive performing arts base in China's tourist attractions. It was founded in 2000 and has developed into the 2,600-seat Xiangxi International Cultural Plaza after 10 years. The Cultural Square is also the national architectural landmark of Zhangjiajie. It is simple and majestic, vigorous and vigorous, showing the strong ethnic style of Western Hunan. It is said that the "Charming Xiangxi" creative team took root in the original villages in the greater Xiangxi area to collect, excavate, and sort out the ethnic groups, folk customs, and folk culture of the greater Xiangxi. They also invited a group of folk artists out of the villages and onto the stage, so that many living fossils of the greater Xiangxi that were hidden deep in the mountains and were on the verge of being lost were displayed on the big stage. The entire party was full of happiness and romance, passion and wildness. At the end of the performance, the stage was moved outdoors for a bonfire ceremony. After ten years of hard work, "Charming Xiangxi" is led by a famous scholar and professor of literature and art as the chief planner. Huang Yongyu inscribed the "Charming Xiangxi" calligraphy, Song Zuying sang the theme song, and many artists served as art consultants. This large-scale ethnic song and dance has become a golden signature of Hunan's tourism and entertainment industry, and enjoys a high reputation in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

9. Drumming and driving corpses in western Hunan

Miao drumming in western Hunan is the most unique dance in the Miao area. It spreads in the territory governed by the Tujia and Miao ethnic groups in Xiangxi, Hunan Province. Miao drumming has a long history, originating before the Han Dynasty and occurring in Miao ritual activities. The encouraging performance at the opening ceremony was grand and contagious. I even took a video of it to enjoy later. Another scene, "The Return of Heroes to Xiangxi to Exorcise Corpses", was also shocking. "Corpse Driving" showcases the long-standing witchcraft culture and ancient legends of western Hunan. This is a real historical performance that depicts the tragic scenes of Hunan troops who died in wars in foreign lands during the Qing Dynasty. It also reproduces the tragic scene of the Tujia nationality heroes in western Hunan who died in the anti-Japanese war in Zhejiang. After all the heroes died in the anti-Japanese war in Zhejiang, their corpses were brought back to life by Taoist exorcists, so that they could stand and walk and rushed back to their homeland all the way. In the wild mountains, rugged mountain roads, dark trees, cold moon in the night sky, and silence, a clear bell suddenly sounded, and a group of travelers appeared on the rarely visited mountain road. The sound of the bell and the sound of footsteps were getting closer and closer. The footsteps were weird, they were several pairs of feet jumping forward at the same time. The person walking in front was wearing a dark blue robe and carrying a bag. Ringing the bell as they walked, they were followed by several tall and short people, all wearing tall felt hats and loose black robes. Their faces could not be seen because their foreheads had yellow paper hanging down with strange symbols drawn on it. These were the corpses of those who had been driven away. Their upper limbs are stretched flat, their bodies are stiff, and they dance neatly and stiffly. The ancient scene of driving corpses in western Hunan appears! In the empty mountains and fields, only the terrifying ringtone was particularly harsh! The exorcism of corpses in western Hunan satisfies the audience's curiosity and is unforgettable. At the end of the program, the performance venue was moved to the outside, and a Tujia Hard Qigong performance was performed in front of a roaring bonfire. The three major Gu magic arts in western Hunan (Climbing the Knife Ladder, Walking on the Iron Pear, and Walking down the Sea of ​​Fire) and other Guigu magical skills were all in front of you. The performance of "Charming Xiangxi" is very exciting, allowing people to feel the unique geography and human culture of Xiangxi.

Huang Yongyu inscribed "Charming Xiangxi"

The most unique dance in the Miao area