(National 4A-class)
Here is the beautiful and wonderful Qingjiang River gallery. That dam, spanning over the Qingjiang River, belongs to the Geheyan hydropower project. The dam is 684 m in length, and 151 m in height. The install capacity is 120 million kW, with annual production of 3.04 billion kWh. It’s the main crest adjusting hydro station in Central China, as well as the module construction of the Three Gorges Project. Its successful construction has turned the Qingjiang River into an amazing gallery over hundred miles.
Banbian Street (the Single Side Street)
Having passed the tunnel, we’ll reach the Banbian Street along the Tujia houses supported by pillars. These Tujia houses are backing on mountain and facing the river. The special house, called the nest house, was built to away from the potential beasts. So, it can provide two functions. People can live in the upper house, and raise captured beasts on the ground at the same time. It’s the culture passed from the ancient Ba people. And there is a Tujia song and dance show in the Xianren (saint) stockade village. You can watch or join this Tujia party; to enjoy the Tujian wine, or to act as a bridegroom to finish a Tujia wedding show, either will give you indelible impression.
Daoying Gorge (the Inverted-image Gorge)
Here is the Daoying Gorge, the first scenery of the Qingjiang River gallery. The 5km gorge consists of the Inverted image of Wen Mountain, the Drinking camel, the Peacock spreading fine tail, and the first ecologic Buddha – the Wuling Buddha etc. That is the Wen Mountain. In sunny day, its giant reflection will be displayed in the river, which was called the Inverted image of Wen Mountain. When the Geheyan Project started to store water, this place was renamed as the Inverted-image Gorge. There used to some hanging coffins, together with the ones in Three Gorges area, forming the folk funeral customs.
Please look at the right side. Have you seen the mountain of camel shape? That is called Drinking camel. In the folk legend, the camel was living in heaven, liking travelling around. One day, when passing by the Qingjiang River, the camel found the beautiful and clean Qingjiang river water. So, it can’t help having a drink. However, because of this common water, the camel lost the ability to return heaven. And soon, we will see another mountain, the Peacock Mountain. Ok, it’s right there. Does it like a peacock which is spreading its tail for show off fine feathers?
Now, please look up to the left mountain, called the Wuling Buddha. The height is 278 m, and the bottom width is 144m. This mountain Buddha, with three faces surrounded by the river, is 3 times large as the Giant Stone Buddha in Leshan City, Sichuan Province. In the folk legend, when travelling around, the Sakyamuni was attracted by this beautiful and wonderful rivers and mountains here. So, he left an incarnation for memory, which later was turned into this mountain.
The Baiyun Mountain Site
We are getting the Baiyun Mountain Site, which provides the entertainment on water, hunting, exploration and fishing in gorge and exploration in Lingquan Cave etc. And I will introduce you the Lingquan Cave especially. The word “lingquan” refers to “deity spring”. There’s a spring of good quality in this cave, which produces rare shrimps. And the length of cave is about 2000 m. In side, there are little caves crossed with each other.
Xianren Stockade Village (the Saint’s Stockade Village)
This is the Xianren Stockade Villager, which is located in the peninsula. There live over 200 species valuable and rare plants, including the sweet grass, the 4-season apricot, the pseudo-ginseng, the rock pine, the Chinese aloe, and the dove tree etc. Here, you can enjoy the Tujia song and dance party, or play with Qingjiang macaque.
Boyuan Island
Boyuan Island refers to this mountain site, once called Riyue Mountain Site. The Qiansui (His Highness) Gate and the Qiansui (His highness) Palace are remaining the same as before. And, here has been developed as a high level modern holiday site, including golf course, tennis course and natural swimming pool etc. It has been an optimal place for sports or relaxation.
Pingluo Lake
This is the Pingluo Lake, the broadest one in middle stream of Qingjian River. Before the construction of Geheyan hydropower project, here was Pingluo Gorge. And now, the gorge has been submerged by the reserved water. Due to that project, over 10000 villagers lived here had to leave their hometown.
That small island in the river is called the General Island, which is the cemetery of Li Huanan (former Minister of General Logistics Department of Chinese People’s Liberation Army).
The Wuluo Zhongli Mountain
That is the sacred mountain of the Ba people, the Wuluo Zhongli Mountain. It’s said that here is the cradle land of the Tujia people. The common ancestor of over 800 Tujia people of China was born in this mountain. His name is Lin King, also called the Xiangwang (direction king). Every year, hundreds of Tujia people from Jiangxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Chongqing and Shanxi etc paid special trip to pilgrimage the Lin King. This mountain, of 380 m elevation, is fully surrounded by water.
And now, let’s climb this mountain with vertical height of 310 m. As an old saying, “once immortal stayed, a little mountain would be sacred.” Over 3000 years ago, the Tujia ancestor, Lin King, led the Ba walk out from here.
At the mountain gate, you can enjoy kinds of calligraphy left by tourists and literati. The four characters on the plaque were inscribed by Professor Peng Yingming (former president of Zhongnan Nationalities University, famous ethnologist of China).
The Baihu (white tiger) Pavilion is a memorial pavilion for the ancestor, Lin King. In the legend, Lin King was turned into a white tiger after death. Since then, the Ba people and their generations (the Tujia people) adored the tiger as totem and mascot.
The Deji Pavilion is a memorial pavilion for the Queen Deji, wife of the Lin King. In the legend, Lin King was developing the boundary to west, when he met the Goddess Yanshui. They fell in love at the first sight, and got married at once. After wedding, the King insisted on developing to west; while the goddess wanted him to stay. In order to block Lin, the goddess generated millions of locust in the sky. But, the Lin King had determined to go on, and killed the goddess. Later, people built this pavilion for the goddess, who was addressed as the Queen Deji.
The Xiangwang Temple (the Direction King Temple). It’s said that the Qingjiang River was developed by Lin King. So, people respected him as the Xiangwang (direction king), and built this temple for him. The former temple was burned during the Anti-Japanese war period. And this one was rebuilt by government in 1984. The Xiangwang temple is the center of Wuluo Zhongli Mountain, which is the main place for people to pilgrimage the Lin King. In the legend, there were five families among the ancestors, the Bas, the Fans, the Qins, the Xiangs and the Zhengs. The leader was determined by matches. The first match was to throw sword, the furthest one was the winner; and the second match was to ship earth boat, again the furthest one was the winner. Ba Xiang won two matches and the leadership, it’s the Lin King. The couplet hanging on the columns of the hall tells us the story of those matches.
The Shisheng Platform (the Stone-god Platform). On its top, there’s a small temple facing the Longjiao Mountain (the Dragon- horn Mountain). In this temple, there are two cobbles of male and female shape, which show you the phallism of the Tujia ancestors. The couplet means that, “facing the Dragon-horn Mountain will make generations blossom”.
The incarnation of the Goddess Yanshui has been standing here for thousands of years, watching the Qingjiang River, the stockade village and her generations (the Tujia People).
The Black cave and the Red cave were the delivery rooms in ancient time. It’s said that Ba Xiang (the Lin King) was born in the Red cave. Eroded by wind and rains, the two caves have been almost ruined during the past years.
“Caiyuan Mountain Site”. The plaque was inscribed by Mr. Hao Huaze (former Director of the People’s Daily) when he visited here. Once staying there, you are the god to enjoy the Ba cultural services. While listening to the folk songs, watching the folk dances, or even having a rest, you will be served whole heartedly. Ye Nan (a writer) left a poem when travelling here, says, “It’s the cradle land of the Ba people, full of folk songs and dances; It’s the culture of ancient Changyang culture, lasting through all ages”.