Writers Geographic

http://www.writermagazine.com/2001/2/wuxia.htm

Behind the Wu Gorge

Wang Xiaoni
1. City

City, referring to Wushan County.

The middle of the Yangtze River Three Gorges called Wu Gorge. Wushan County, south along the river gorge wall of overlapping upwards, looking not. Has been seen from the Yangtze River in the hope it do not feel that it has enough of the city known as a qualification. Wushan County in the Yangtze River-round perspective, but according to the mountain some of the roof, new homes without eaves, white dazzling piece of old housing estates, and the black mountain hills hills, and melt together.

Hill was a major thing, Jiang was a major thing. And their ratio,
Wushan County is just a tiny one. Riverboat ride from entering Wu Gorge section, more interested in finding Goddess Peak, barely a stone on the imagination to the physical beauty. Zhang Yang imagination in human effort had never been seen, Wushan County Yilue away, down the line too Xiling Gorge, up is Qutang.
Thick of the river through the pedal gap gloss Yang, and from the river looking at the people. Wood walked into the town on the pedal. River bank on the noise was terrible, motorcycles modified for the "numb" vehicles soliciting, selling dry bread Xiaoqing peach, and with the same out of Shier, overturned in the quarrel.

To keep up with lead the way, I crossed a low, dark alley, like drilling underground culvert, as several passes through this town in the intestines of one. Be able to saw the above streets, trees bare root rounded to connect with the streets under the roadway, the above legislation with a police, I saw most clearly was his legs. I walked the alley barber stalls clouds, multi-colored wires crossed, the roots act as a wall hanging with nails nails hair appliances, do not clean the mirror Wai cloth, were barbers who hope I stared. Now, all Wushan county where everyone in turn, stare that think this is how foreigners come to this boundary?

Onto Center Street, to fully understand the Wushan Man has always called it "city" reasons. It has a number of vertical and horizontal streets, commerce developed, there are nightclubs, bars, a church, a supermarket, a Kodak store, there are wedding photography, there are VCD DVD shop that Circuit City, there are food street, there are six are operating the computer room, a girl with dyed hair and silver gray toenails, there are big traffic jams and nightlife. Beckoned the minibus stop, the door is never closed, with the stop-go. But there was no traffic lights. Bookstores do not sell the world map, pamphlets or flip charts at all.

I re-read dictionary, "City" means that the population is concentrated, the residents engaged in non-agricultural production. I have seen in 1999, Wushan County, far more than these, it is very geared to fashion.

When we go to look farther away, the Qing dynasty, twenty-four years (1898), China's maiden voyage on a small steamer through the Wushan. Guangxu thirty-one years (1905) County is located by the postal agency. Qing Xuantong three years (1911), based Cable and Wireless. In thirty-five years (1946), the county seat is installed long-distance phone calls to achieve the outward province. The first five-yi county school was built in 1824, the first primary school was built in 1832. Early 20th century, the Catholic Church opened in the current big Miaoxiang Girl's School, enrollment 100, the French priest Tokuji looking to drums of copper from its own numbers to buy for teaching purposes. Early to join the revolution, Wushan Man Li Ji-tat, with Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, along with work-study program in France, in 1927 in Tianjin, Manchurian warlord has been killed. Wushan civilized can be seen much earlier.

All eyes, not the North were given the kind of look deep slenderness Shen-shaped eyes, which are along the Yangtze River Penan flashing fast, no taboo's round eyes looking at me. In their city to go in the morning to eat the soup a fifty cents, at noon to eat a piece of money, "wheat" to see the lanes on the drilling to go, thanks to the camera is small, holding in your hand, do not reveal. I want this city as far as possible can see it clearly.

Sitting in a small restaurant called Quanxing shop, tucked between legs, the woman owner of wooden cash box asked me: Are you a business trip or pleasure? I said that I think about a business trip. I sat Quanxing tofu restaurants. Here she is not prepared vegetables to eat what is said, to send someone to buy, a little girl flew the back, white bean curd has placed in a sturdy leaves. Female boss said that this city is rapidly becoming the reservoir area, and the whole city should be moved up the hill, this time, she put down the cash box and give a few young farmers to fight a fifty cents a meal with. I said: they are "Bang Bang Army", right? I've seen say, "Bang Bang" in drama. She immediately corrected me: Wushan not "Bang Bang", they called the "pole", Chongqing's "Bang Bang," a casually mentioning what sticks on the street, behind Oh! Real Wushan power workers, using a bamboo, and processed pole. Female bosses want to prove to me that, Wushan civilized enough, pole is much higher than Bang Bang.

Wushan town, people love Superman surprise to his hometown. Speaking of flooding, and a middle-aged woman told me that winter, xiajiang laundry through the stone into the Yangtze River should be the end of the Shen. Carved stone bench on the streets doing foot stone column may also be moved to stay on. She shook her head, a very sad expression.

City people pay attention to eating, using bamboo stick pick a fried small potatoes, but also a variety of dipping sauces, red Pepper, then a leisurely walk in the street, almost all of them greet each other. I asked them to lug the bustling food street lights where to eat, do not fear to infectious diseases? They are very calm, so many people off guard, and a hepatitis, hepatitis, everybody, we had to, there is no even Mody terrible. Consider also a token, the Nazis came, Who cries of humanitarian?

In the fashion among the shuttle to the countryside, people, one a child, selling "wheat." Coarse grain of wheat dumpling made of the direct ground, leaves wrapped, rough, slightly sweet taste, the real whole grains. In addition the elderly, walking silently, shoulders, carrying a large lock of something white and long, light and floating, with people moving to the rhythm of swinging rhythms, such as cents. I thought it was a special small fan, the elderly keep our noses walking in the streets because he wanted to wind it dry. Asked the local people, said to be "Deng Cao", boils water to your child to drink, you can cure. Had family members died, you can point up to make a long light. That fluttering things, actually both cure the disease, but also to the long-dead lighting. I am in the 21st century, still see a lot of good things that come from the countryside.

Wushan, I heard a saying from a perspective shaped witch words, on a horizontal cross the next two people squeezed in the middle of the word entirely, so people just leave their homes in Wushan, was able to stretch. The Yangtze River this yellow on the flowing water in front of us, every day, countless classes Clippers slow boat to dock, who wish to leave can leave Batui.

However, this city people are still too many narrow closed space, maximum density concentration of the people, vehicles and sudden event, who wants to shoot a documentary in China's hinterland, Wushan County is the best place on the shelf machine to work.

Wushan, do not stare look up to me, on the contrary, I see you stare the head. Everyone in this town rubbing shoulders the wrong arms, I suddenly found alive, but still can be so abundant fun. Yuan is also worry over the past nor into account, the living is simply good.

2. Mountain

Now we are out of the city bar. Do not ape-ming. The hands of young drivers have been holding down the middle of the steering wheel, car long to whistle.

Wushan County-wide section of the road is only paved the cement, 40 km long. The rest of the way, as long as the city out of the airtight immediately into the Road, an average of two-hour bumpy out of 20 km. Interdental Dianzhe sand, hair, as Herba women. Rolling stones from the hills on the cross-aisle in the soil, and no one removed it, the driver used to bypass the narrow dangerous road.

To see Mount Everest feel I do not know, to see the endless peaks of Wushan, only despair. There is no flat place, threshing of people standing on the roof of a large 20 square, where his threshing floor.

Wu Shanxi even Fengjie, east Shennongjia, county, there are peaks 33, the majority of about 2000 meters high, the peak Peak 2680 meters. In the "Shan Hai Jing" Oare W has been documented. Now there are two interpretations of the origins of Wushan: First, the legendary physician known as Wu Xian Yao Di treatment for active, labeled after the death of nobility, is zoned territory of Wushan. Another argument is based on the mountain named after Wu, Yu their mysterious misty. One morning, I stood in the countryside, thick fog, the world saw only white steam. Head within a few meters, first drilled a bunch of white flowers, and then give flowers appeared little hands, and then the tip of the nose is the face, then a little girl, and finally behind the bag, and she was spun off completely from the fairy realm, into the I have this small human.

I see Wushan County, which stated that the Qing Xianfeng Period (1821 ~ 1851), Hillbillies, "Yan Fu", to construct the building of the mountain of "art by many people in the Division", from the drafting point of view, with a record of those who criticized the taste of blame, not advocates the pursuit of living it is too artistic creations. At the same time, also said, Wushan woman "more good Chuixiao, married for the sake of a few days when Chuixiao."

I use the 10 days time, all over this county to go more than a dozen village, dozens of farmers, pay attention to the housing and Chuixiao women, both can not be met is not rectifiable. Only half-bald mountains, gentle slopes slightly opened up a small piece of land scattered, like a huge hips arched to sew close to the number of small patches were.

A middle-aged man running and carrying a dark-colored tunic, to take our cars into the mountains. At that time, we are located away from the river town for nearly five hours by car beam area, we continue into the mountains 3 hours away 50 km. Along the way, middle-aged people do not talk back seat in the car. Later, he suddenly speak, in 1982 he was assigned to the mountains to do this with a primary school teacher, could not sleep at night excitement, to finally become the people's teachers of their own. 1:00, cried out a special from the mountains to help him pick luggage mountain, river beam area of departure is that he and the mountain to go mountain banner flashlight, got light, to have gone to noon, he was an excuse to relieve themselves, drill into the bush crying, he thought, to this mountain, how such a big! cried after the further he walked, went to school at 6 pm. This person is called Tan wind, seems to be very heavy man of few words is maintained gas people. At that time, he said Hill overawed young Well!

Middle-aged man said, the squeeze in the rear of a high school student who said he was also the first day of school tears. I asked him why. He said: too far. I intend to change the atmosphere too heavy, I turned around and asked the child: Yes, blubber, or crying softly.

High school students a little bit embarrassed, said: shed tears.

In 1999 he was 11 years old. The fall of 1998 middle school first grade.

Wushan the old name "still" mountain since ancient times, it's still 33, but the increase in population, and a hundred years the first 19 million people, are now said to 600,000 people, there is no inclination to sense the leisurely delights built a beautiful house, leisurely manner blown vertical bamboo flute.

Called the old man's stubborn old man digging there is more than that. Foolish Old Man, including his family's desire to give up but Tang plug out of the way his family before vowed to move mountains, they really do not ambitious aspirations. Even after the old man must help an immortal, no matter whether the hand, Zai Mei thought leveled all of the mountain, the raising of man-made open fields. Who won Battle Mountain.

For the first time off and climb mountains, smell the fragrance of plants, they said yes Mulberry fragrance, Shino everywhere where there are cuckoo call. This is something hateful and lovely mountain, I can see the wheels roll better than the elevated overpass were lovely. I admit that my position on some major problems with the mistakes.

3. Potatoes

For the potatoes, I can never be wrong to judge.

In 1999, I from Chongqing Wushan, to Yulin, Shaanxi, Guizhou Zhijin, no one not see potatoes. On May 24, 2000, the focus of television talk show broadcast in Chongqing Wushan where official Yang Heung farmers, prostrate in the land where his hands frantically Paokai mud, dug out the potato seedlings, he said: I would like to survive Oh! farmers knees touch the ground, tears he has planted a potato hoe forced out by district Liren.

Not Dukang, why bereavement? This is a superior talent idle to say, farmers say: no potatoes, why survive?

It is said that the food value of potatoes was found, resulting in the grain due to inadequate provision of hungry people in desperate chances of survival increased by seven times.

Poets sing only wheat, apparently too Koreyoshi, too focused on short-term in that it covers the earth's gold, what really deserves our singing must be real good things, such as potatoes.

I arrived in Wushan, they told me not to eat seafood here, the local produce is called "three lump": potato, red Shao, Bao Gu. Potato is a potato, red Tiu is a sweet potato. I said, really good, and my favorite food is potatoes. People listen to the county so I am pleased to say, then I realized that my sudden arrival, so that they are puzzled that they received claiming to be journalists who eat a good day, do not go to the countryside, room and board after more than a dozen disappeared, is a liar. They would think that people who like to eat potatoes go wrong, right? Then eat potatoes every day, me and accompany me to the countryside of the county have become friends.

The valley, walked potato fields central, thin the seedlings planted in the slope of about 30 °, the white is just sprinkle the fertilizer, very white. I understand the release fertilizer should be buried away from the roots 10 centimeters of soil where this family on 1974, I did. Fertilizer sprinkled on the soil surface must drain. Local farmers can not understand my English, two tendons of the hand-thin wild gestures, meaning, that is like this. I am sure, as long as a light rain, they are immediately to pieces.

Wushan potatoes only large eggs, meat tough. These small potatoes, let me think of one in a Jiu Ge lyrics: The Orphan of Asia in the wind crying.

In the town the day I see a basket carried on the pier from the Yangtze River, where farmers climb stairs, steep Doudi will come up. Sit inside baskets and a child, male and female unclear. Children fall, farmers-Song 1-Song was actually sitting in a small potatoes, make them a little loose and comfortable with each other. Then he came earlier in his basket basket squeeze the middle positions bend over and start selling potatoes. S not much money, but cash.

From the county to the south bank of the Tang River home to seven hours by car, and then walk three hours to the mountains, there is a Phoebe village primary schools, nine students, five reading three grade 4 reading pre-school, only one classroom a teacher . No matter how critical of teachers referred to class, must remember that the house with a big pot of boiled potatoes, we must promptly to stir it, and did not paste pot. They are 9 students in food.

Rainy days, the entire Wushan are hazy with, witch heavy gas. We carefully follow the car a very small plate mountain, turn suddenly appeared in front of a shadow. Very strange, my intuition, it is squatting with the heating of the wolves, the body of the Wolf-hair hanging straight underground. There are three face up there, then retreat to, is 3 Phi old coir raincoat rain in farms of the farmers, coir raincoat like the mass of the Millennium 100 on behalf of the then old, black to tie with evil. The driver asked them to do? They say: get potatoes.

Rain, coir raincoat following a person's face looked so small, like tightening a fist.
Over the past as saying that people not forget our roots. I always say, can not help but love potatoes. Across China a matter of principle.
Author: bluesocks