Shangri-la : Lost Horizon in
Zhongdian
Visitors
to the Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture will surely
find themselves in a land where mysterious tranquillity is
harmoniously blended with the ever-changing scenery.
Three
snow-capped mountains - Meili,
Baimang
and Haba
- tower magnificently over the landscape, crisscrossed
by the Jinsha (Golden Sand) and Lancang (Mekong) rivers
which are flanked by overhanging cliffs. Snowy peaks form
a huge backdrop whose beauty is a feast to behold.
Mirror-like plateau lakes, scattered over the vast expanse
of grassland, look like numerous agates inlaid in a huge
emerald carpet, their idyllic quietness exuding majestic
quality.
Cattle
graze leisurely in the meadows, where exotic flowers and
luxuriant grass wave against the gentle breeze, and in the
depth of the virgin forests is a world of rare birds
and animals.
Mother
Nature has endowed Deqen with immeasurable wealth, making
the land a happy home for the 100,000 Tibetans, Lisus,
Naxis and Yis. Brave and industrious, these Deqen people
work and live as one family.
Three
counties, Zhongdian, Deqin, and Weixi are under the
jurisdiction of the Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,
located in a delta where northwest Yunnan borders on
Sichuan and Tibet.
The
prefecture is in the center of a famous scenic area where
three mighty rivers converge. Against the majestic
backdrop of a blue smudge of snowy mountains, rivers winds
their way through meadows, forests extends as wide as an
ocean. and there is an abundance of flora and fauna. Poets
always liken the prefecture to a paradise under heaven.
The
mysterious and bewitching Zhongdian County, where the
prefecture is headquartered, is the setting for the "Shangri-la",
a hidden paradise in James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost
Horizon. A highway links Zhongdian to Kunming
over a distance of 700 kilometres, and by 1999 an airline
will have been commissioned between the two places.
I.
Bitahai
Lake
II.
Baishui
Terrace
III.
Guihua
Temple
IV.
Meili
Snow Mountain ( The Prince Snow Mountain )
V.
Baimang
Snow Mountain
VI.
Haba
Snow Mountain
VII.
"
Shangri - la ", a hidden paradise
I. Bitahai Lake :
A
primitive cover of coniferous trees, and highland lakes,
are hallmarks of the Bitahai Lake Scenic Resort, a
1,418-hectare nature reserve at an altitude of 3,539
metres and 25 kilometres east of Zhongdian County. The
Bitahai Lake, Lying in the heart of the nature reserve,
covers 166 hectares with an average depth of 20 metres and
a transparency of a dozen metres. The surface of the lake
is spangled with jadeite-like isles. Trees of tender and
graceful foliage, and groves of azaleas in a riot of
colour, are scattered providently around the lake. A
cruise on the lake is suggestive of a pleasant journey
into the unadorned beauty of nature. It takes about 90
minutes to cover the seven-kitometer trip from the end of
a highway to the Bitahai Lake by foot or horse.
II. Baishui Terrace :
The
three - square - kilometre Baishui Terrace lies snugly on
a mountain slope 2,380 metres above sea level in Baidi
Village, Sanba Township, 101 kilometres southeast of the
seat of Zhongdian County. The variegated karst landform of
the tableland is an outcome of the continuous piling up of
Tosco (calcite sediments), resulting from the
disintegration of calcium bicarbonate contained in the
water.
III. Guihua Temple :
The
Zhongdian Guihua Temple (also Songzan Monastery Forest) is
in the Foping Mountains north of Zhongdian county. It was
built in the Ming Dynasty as one of the 13 big Lamaist
Temples in the Kangzang region. The " Kangzang region
" refers to the joint ports of Tibet, Sichuan and
Yunnan inhabited only by Zang people. During its time of
greatest prosperity, there were more than 3,000 monks in
the temple. The present monasteries were rebuilt on the
original location using the similar pattern and imposing
manner of the former ones. It is composed of well -
arranged flat-roof houses row upon row from the foot to
the top of the mountains, like a neatly set-up mountain
castle.
IV. Meili Snow mountain ( The Prince
Snow Mountain ) :
The
Meili Snow Mountain, in the east suburb of Deqen County,
is known for its main peak, the Kagebo, which is the peak
of Yunnan at an elevation of 6,470 metres above sea level.
The Kagebo Peak is surrounded by 13 lesser peaks, and at
its foot lies a modern monsoon maritime glacier, a
geographical rarity, given its low latitude and high
altitude.
On the southern side of the main peak, a
waterfall - known as " a deluge of rain and
god-mandated cascade " among the local people tumbles
down from a breathtaking height of 1,000 metres. Despite
the tact that man has long conquered Mount Qomolangma, the
top of the Kagebo Peak, protected by perpendicular cliffs
and foul climate, is still unconquered by men.
V. Baimang Snow Mountain :
Between
the Golden Sand River and the Lencang River is the Baimang
Snow Mountain with perennial snow - capped peaks. An area
of 180,000 ha around it is designated as the nature
reserve, with a perfectly preserved primeval forest
vertical landscape and valuable animals and plants. The
Yunnan Snub - nosed Monkey, the first class protected
animal in China, lives in this area.
VI. Haba snow
Mountain :
The
Haba Mountain, its main peak 5,396 metres in height,
stands 120 kilometres to the southeast of the seat of
Zhongdian County. And its domain of 21,908 hectares,
covered with a vertical distribution of forests, is rich
in wildlife and plant resources. The attraction of the
Sanba Tourist Area is attributed to the towering peaks of
the Haba Mountain and its alpine morainal lake, endless
tracks of azalea flowers, and cluster of waterfalls
cascading down snow-covered cliffs.
VII. Zhongdian, " Shangri -
la"
Shangri-la,
a popular word after World War II and one frequnetly
adopted by stores, hotels and restaurants, signifies a
"heaven away from the turmoil of the mundane
word". Actually, "Shangri-la" is a Tibetan
word which means "land of sacredness and peace."
The word "Shangri-la" first
appeared in its westernized form in James Hiltom's novel
The Lost Horizon. This book tells the story of three
American pilots who, when flying over the Sino-Indian air
route during World War II, crash-land in the midst a
beautiful landscape. This place of tranquility and peace
is described as having "snow mountains, grasslands,
Tibetan people, red soil plateaus, with three rivers
flowing traversing the landscape". After being
rescued by the local Tibetan people, the three American
pilots finally return home.
According to the historical record, in
1944 there was indeed an American transport plane which
crashed in the town of Zhongdian within Yunnan province
while flying over the Sino-Indian air route. After a
careful investigation into these events, it was determined
that the beauitful "Shangri-la" described in
"The Lost Horizon" is, in fact, the city of
Zhongdian, located in the Deqen Tibentan Autonomous
Prefecture of Yunnan Province. Even
Today, Zhongdian County remains an untainted natural
paradise which retains a mysterious and bewitching
quality. Visitors to
the Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture are sure to find
themselves in a land where mysterious tranquillity
pervades every inch of the ever-changing scenery.
Three snow-capped mountains, Meili, Baimang
and Haba, tower magnificently over the landscape. The
region is crisscrossed by the Golden Sand, Mekong, and
Yangtze Rivers. These snowy peaks form a beautiful
backdrop whose beauty is a feast to behold. Mirror-like
lakes, scattered across the vast expanse of grassland,
look like rich jewels inlaid on a beautiful
tapestry.Cattle graze leisurely in the meadows, where
exotic flowers and luxuriant grass wave at the request of
the gentle breeze. In the depths of the surrounding
forests is an exotic world of rare birds and animals.
Mother Nature has endowed Shangri-la with
bountiful natural wealth, making the land a happy home for
the 100,000 Tibetans, Lisus, Naxis and Yis who call the
area their home. As is this pristine natural enviroment,
these nationalities are all kind, honest, extremely
hospitable to outsiders.The lamasery of
"Shangri-la" is Guihua
Temple, or Songzanlinbu Lamasery in Tibet. The
lamasery, with 800 lamas, resembles Butala Palace of Lasha
in its layout. The five-story Tibetan style building is
covered with wooden carvings and gold-plated copper tiles.
A highway links Zhongdian to Kunming by a
distance of 700 kilometres, and by 1999 an airline route
will have been commissioned between the two places. Now,
it is possible to book either a seater bus or sleeper bus
from any large bus station in Kunming.
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Xishuangbanna
is the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan Province
with the city of Jinghong
and the counties of Menghai
and Mengla
under its jurisdiction. Of Xishuangbanna's
19,184.45 square kilometres of territory, tourist
and scenic resorts make up 1,202.13 square
kilometres, and nature reserves occupy a total of
2,064.6 square kilometres.
The
prefecture is nicknamed. " Aerial Garden
" for its luxuriant and multi - layered
primitive woods and
tropical rain forests, which are teeming with
animals and plants.
Within
thick and boundless forests
wild elephants and wild oxen ramble about ,
with peacocks in their pride , gibbons at play ,
and hornbills whispering .
Renowned as a huge natural zoo ,
Xishuangbanna's rain forest and
monsoon jungles provide a habitat for more than
500 species of terrestrial vertebrates . over 300
species of birds , over 40 species of amphibious
animals and more than 60 species of
reptiles,including the boa constrictor. .
Among animals for world
protection are elephants , white-breasted
black woodpeckers , leopards and Bengalese tigers
.
Thirteen species of wild life
enjoy state protection , including loris , the
gibbons , the red-necked cranes , the brown-neck
horn-bills , and the green peacocks , which to the
Dai people are a symbol of peace , happiness and
good fortune and whose graceful postures can put
professional dancers to shame. The region has
5,000 kinds of plants or about one-sixth of the
total in China . This has earned it the renown and
sobriquet " The moonstone on the Crown of the
Kingdom of Plants . "
Among these are such fascinating
ones as the " color-changing flower "
whose colors change three times daily and the
"dancing herb " whose leaves
rotate gently . Then there is " mysterious
fruit " which reverse tastes , turning sour
to sweet .
Species of trees that go back a
million years are still propagating themselves .
The " King of Tea Trees ," which
authorities say is at least 800 years old ,
contitues to sprout , adding extraordinary
splendor to the homeland of the famous Pu'er tea .
In Xishuangbanna ,there is a saying : " even
a single tree can make a forest and an old stalk
can blossom and beat fruit ."
It
takes twenty or so hours to drive from Kunming to
Xishuangbanna, which are 700 kilometres apart.
Banna Airport is large enough to accommodate
Boeing-737s, and a flight between Kunming and
Xishuangbanna takes about 50 minutes. Apart from
daily flights to and from Kunming, the airport
also operates chartered flights between the
prefecture and Chengdu, Chongqing, Bangkok and
some other cities.
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I.
Jinghong
City, Black and White Pagodas
II.
The
Tropical Botanical Garden in Menglun
III.
The
Ganlan Basin-- Olive Grove of Menghan
IV.
Mengla
and the Tropical Rain Forest
V.
Menghai--the
Octagonal Pavilion
VI. Yexianggu
( Wild Elephant Valley )
VII.
The
Lancang ( Mekong ) River
VIII.
The
Water Splashing Festival of the Dai Nationality
I. Jinghong City, Black and White
Pagodas :
Beautiful
and fascinating Xishuangbanna is famous all over
the world, and is a very popular Yunnan tourist
destination.
Jinghong city is the capital of
Xishuangbanna Dai Nationality Autonomous
Prefecture. The city retains the characteristics
of the tropical rainforest landscape by which it
is surrounded; it also has a strong flavor of the
customs of the local national minority groups.
Among local scenic spots are Peacock Lake, Manting
Park, the Dai Nationality Culture and Customs
Garden, Manjinglan Nationality Flavor Food City,
and the Tropical Botany Institute.
The many Buddhist pagodas of
Xishuangbanna, all different in character, are a
popular tourist destination. The most outstanding
ones of all are the two near Jinghong, the White
Pagoda of Menglong and Black Pagoda of Damenglong.
Jinghong is 709 kilometers from
Kunming. Travellers have a choice of coach or air
transport.
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II. The Tropical Botanical Garden in
Menglun:
The
Tropical Botanical Garden is located on Hulu
Island in Menglun Township, 96 kilometers from
Jinghong.
The Chinese call it the "
Green Gem on the Crown of the Plant Kingdom
", and it is the birthplace of conservation
activities in Xishuangbanna. The garden was
established in 1959 under the famous botanist Cai
Xitao. In the garden's 860 ha. area, thousands
upon thousands of varieties of tropical and
subtropical plants from home and abroad are
growing. Visitors can view many rare exotic and
endangered plant species here; the dragon tree,
the maytenwood, and the poisonous upas tree; the
thirst-relieving " carriage-pole vine ";
the " clock flower " that opens and
closes along with the sunrise and sunset; the
" dancing grass " that responds to
sound; the " king lotus " which can
support a seated child on the water; the
"mystery fruit" able to turn sour to
sweet, then sweet to sour; and the "King of
Tea Trees", which authorities say is at least
800 years old; it continues to sprout, and give
the flavour of its' homeland, the land of the
Pu'er red tea .
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III. The Ganlan Basin-- Olive Grove
of Menghan :
Local
Dai people call the Ganlan Basin the "
peacock's tail ", meaning the most beautiful
part of Xishuangbanna. " No trip to
Xishuangbanna is complete without a visit to
Ganlan Basin ", as the popular saying goes.
Covering an area of 50 square kilometers at
an altitude of 530 metres (the lowest point of
Xishuangbanna), the Ganlan Basin derives its name
from the fact that it's forever clothed in
greenery, and that it takes the shape of an olive.
A total of 64 Dai-inhabited villages are found on
the Basin; bamboo huts shine in the sun amongst
the coconut trees, water flows past them all the
year round, and flowers bloom in all four seasons.
Ganlan Basin, with its' bamboo huts hiding amongst
the virgin rain forest, is a place where man lives
at one with nature in timeless peace.
It is 37 kilometers away from Jinghong.
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IV. Mengla Tropical Rain Forest :
Mengla county is situated at the
most south point of southwest China, bordering
Laos on the east, south and southwest, and Myanmar
on the west.
The unique tropical climate here
has created breathtaking rain forest scenery. Good
communications by both land and water have been
useful in developing both tourism and border
trade. There is a very popular cross border tour
route from Mengla to Loang Namtha, Phong Sali and
Luang Phrabang in Laos, as well as into Thailand.
Guanlei Pier, on the Lancang
(Mekong) River and only about 21 km from where
China, Myanmar and Laos meet, is known as "
First Village of China ". Equally with Mohan
National Port, it is the most important land route
to the southeast Asian Countries from China.
One unforgettable experience in
this area is the Sancha He Forest Park near Mengla.
There is an aerial walkway about one kilometer
long which connects the so-called "skygazing
trees". From this vantage point, you can spot
many endangered animal species - golden monkeys,
wild peacocks and wild elephants.
If you want to stay the night,
there is a tourist villa, in the shape of a bird's
nest. And the elephant performance at Sancha He
will add yet more memories to your Banna trip.
It is about 832 kilometers from
Mengla to Kunming. To get there, you can go either
by air or by sleeper coach.
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V. Menghai Octagonal Pavilion :
Menghai is one of three counties
of Xishuangbanna. Its main attractions are the
Hinayana Buddhist style buildings: Jingzhen
Octagonal Pavilion, the Mother and Son Pagoda in
Menglai, the Bamboo Shoot Tower of Menglun, the
"King of tea trees" in the Nannuo Hills,
and Bada. From
Menghai, visitors can also pay a visit to Myanmar
via Daluo.
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VI. Yexianggu ( Wild Elephants
Valley ) :
Yexianggu, meaning " Valley
of Wild Elephants ", covers an area of 369
hectares by the Sancha River near Mengyang, and is
situated 47 kilometers north of the city of
Jinghong.
The valley, aa open landscape
with hills rolling gently at an altitude ranging
between 747 and 1055 metres, is covered by
tropical rain forests, crisscrossed by rivers and
streams, and teeming with such endangered species
as Asian wild elephants, wild oxen, green peacocks
and monkeys. Situated at the junction of the two
parts of the Mengyang Nature Reserve, Yexianggu
provides a natural thoroughfare for all sorts of
animals, and for this reason it is frequented by
wild elephants. In fact this is the only place in
Xishuangbanna to marvel at these giant animals. A
five kilometre- long passageway, a 300-metre-long
overhead corridor are built for elephant watchers.
A hotel is built right in the trees. There are
also an elephant training school, a butterfly
breeding centre, and a giant aviary in Yexianggu
Wildlife Valley, which makes it one of the finest
scenic spots in Xishuangbanna.
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VII. Lancang ( Mekong ) River :
Lancang
River (also called the Mekong River) has an 1187.5
kilometer-long stretch flowing through
Xishuangbanna. At the moment, the Lancang River
Tour is divided into two sections. The upper
section is 135 kilometers long, from Jinghong to
Simao; the lower section is 40 kilometers in
length, from Jinghong to Olive Basin. The lower
section attracts more tourists at present.
Visitors will be enchanted by the primeval
tropical rain forestand animals along the two
banks of the river, especially by the incredible
" Sky Garden ", where flowers bloom
happily on dead branches and some trees have
aerial roots, and the " One Tree Forest
".
The Jinuo people, residing in the
Jinuo Mountains on the west of the river bank 43
kilometers from Jinghong city, have in the last
forty years adapted totally from a primitive to a
modern way of life - a truly amazing story.
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VIII. The Water Splashing
Festival (The
Dai New Year)
The
Water Splashing Festival, held by the Dai
Nationality in the sixth month of the Dai
calendar (in the middle of April), is the
grandest ceremonial occasion for the Dai.
It is sometimes called the Buddha-Bathing
Festival - there is a Buddhist legend of a
dragon sprinkling fragrant showers on Lord
Buddha at his birth. The Buddhist legend
has gradually been mingled with the
customs of the Dai people since their
conversion to Buddhism.
The
modern festival combines the Flower
Collecting Festival and the Water
Festival. Many other Dai myths have been
added to it; one of them is the dance of
the seven beautiful Dai women exorcising
the fire fiend.
The
Dai people in Xishuangbanna and other
places use their traditional festival to
celebrate the Dai Calendar New Year,and to
give best wishes to each other. At the
festival, besides the Buddha-bathing
ceremony, the Dai throw water over each
other for good fortune, race dragon boats,
fire rockets, and launch the Kongming
Lantern. A general fairground atmosphere
prevails. Young girls dance the Peacock
Dance accompanied by the elephant leg
drums. Unmarried young people may throw a
finely embroidered purse to the person
they are in love with.
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Dehong
Dai Nationality and Jingpo Nationality Autonomous
Prefecture, bordering on the Federal Republic of
Myanmar On three sides, is situated in the western
part of Yunnan Province. The prefecture has under
it two cities: Ruili
City and Wanding
City, and four counties : Luxi County,
Longchuan County, Ying jiang County and Lianghe
County, with a total area of 11,526 square
kilometers and a population of 952 thousand
people. More than half of the local people belong
to such ethnic groups as Dai , Jingpo, Achang ,
Lisu and Deang nationalities.
Scenic
spots in Dehong Prefecture contain subtropical
natural scenes, building of Hinayana Buddhism,
customs and culture of the Dai people, Dai style
food, border trade and traveling to Myanmar
through the border.
Ruilijiang
River and Da Yingjiang River scenic spots are
within the limits of the prefecture , which have a
humid and hot rain forest climate typical to the
low-Latitudes subtropical areas. The woods shown
below is formed by a single tree. In fact, there
are thousands of square kilometers of areas that
have been covered with such Banyan trees in the
whole scenic spots and with the ever - green
vegetation, constructing a unique subtropical rain
forest scene.
Colourful
and diversified customs of Dai, Jingpo, Deang and
Achang ethnic groups of the frontier areas are
best presented in those scenic spots , thus
offering a lot of exotic sights for tourists
to see. With the development of the border-trade,
local land ports in Wanding, Ruili, Zhangfeng and
in some other places of Dehong Prefecture have
either become state - level ports or
provincial-level ports. As a result,tourists here
are able to buy the finest and the cheapest jewels
and jadewares in the world. hence, many tourists
have a long stay and become businessmen here. They
call the travel to this place " An itinerary
for purchasing jewels ". Arriving here , you
can witness a town , even a street , belongs to
the two countries ; you can personally experience
crossing the boundary line several times within
one hour, visiting two countries and their
respective market places.
Through
the convenient transportation and procedures, you
can go to various places of Myanmar to appreciate
the world-famous Grand Golden Pagoda in Rangoon
and have a taste of the exotic scenes and folklore
of the Country.
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I.
Mangshi :
Mangshi is the capital of Dehong Dai and Jingpo
Autonomous Prefecture, a place of mysterious
Buddhist temples and gold pagodas, homeland of the
peacock and " sea of songs and dances ",
a pearl on Yunnan's western border.
The Kunming - Wanding road, more familiarly known
to most people, especially Americans of World War
II, as the Burma road, connects Kunming with
Burma. It is the only route you can take to Ruili,
Wanding and into Myanmar. Mangshi is
763 kilometers from Kunming, you can go there by
either bus or plane.
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II.
Ruili :
Capital
of the subtropical frontier county of Ruili, Ruili
Town lies on the east bank of the golden Ruili
River, Whence comes her name.
People call Ruili "the foggy town". In
winter, she wakes up under a blanket of fog. In
the afternoon, when the sun had burned away the
fog, the streets swarmed with women in their
bright parasols held over their heads. At a local
market along the main street, Dai women offer
slices of watermelon for sale and colorful silks
and yarns.
Ruili is a beautiful land covered by green
subtropical rain forest, dotted with big Banyan
trees, each one looking like a forest. Buddhist
temples can be seen everywhere in this city. The
most famous temple is Jiele Golden Temple composed
of 17 a ring - shaped towers. The main tower is 36
meters high, surrounded by 16 other smaller
towers.
Ruili is 839 km from Kunming. You can go there by
bus or, you can fly to Mangshi first, and then
transfer to Ruili by bus. In Ruili, you can travel
to Myanmar with the assistance of any travel
agency there.
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III.
Wanding :
Located
in China's southwestern frontier province of
Yunnan, close by the River Wanding, Whose name in
the Dai language means "the sun shining
overhead ", she covers an area of 34 square
miles. Nestling within a stone's - throw of Burma,
This mountain trade mecca of 84,000 people is
China's youngest city.
She came into being in 1932, putting down roots in
an ancient spot of earth trod by Kublai Khan's
rampaging Mongol warriors and crossed by the old
spice and tea caravans. But it was not until 53
years later that she was formally established as a
municipality and opened to westerners.
And it was here that the China section of the
historic Burma Road to Kunming, the only passage
of access to the outer world during World War II,
began at the bridge over the Wanding River
connecting China with Burma.
Wanding is 866 km from Kunming, you can go there
by bus or, you can fly to Mangshi first, then,
transfer to bus to Wanding.
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IV.
Da Yingjiang River :
RuiliJiang
River and Da YingJiang River scenic spots are
within the limits of the Deihong Prefecture, which
have a humid and hot rain forest climate typical
to the low - Latitudes subtropical areas.
Da Yingjiang River located in the Yingjiang
County, one of the counties being subordinate to
the Dehong prefecture. The most exciting tour in
Yingjiang is to take a boat on the Da Yingjiang
river. You can marvel at the forests and the
subtropical scenery.
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Tour in
Chuxiong
Chuxiong
Yi nationality Autonomous Prefecture is between Dianchi
Lake beside Kunming and Erhai Lake in Dali. it's an
important hub of middle Yunnan. ChengKun railway, GuangDa
railway and Kun - Wan road cross it.
Here
are One of the well- known birthplace of humanity and a
treasure house of ancient living things' fossils. The
fossils of lama ancient ape of Lufeng about 80 million
years ago, "Yuanmon Man " about 17 million years
ago and Lufeng dinosaurs of 1.8 billion years ago were
excavated here. Many archaeologists from home and abroad
regard Chuxiong Prefecture as the cradle of humanity and
" The home of ancient living things ".
Huge Mallet white tower of Dayao built in the Tang Dynasty
has a rare shape in Chinese ancient buildings. The large
bronze statue of Confucius at Wen Temple Shiyang town is
the only one that well preserved in Chinese mainland.
Wuding
Lion Mountain is precipitous and beautiful. Colorful
Yuanmou Earth Forest is a important scenic spot in Yunnan.
The
traditional festivals of the Yi nationality here are
colorful and rich in cultural information. There are
the Third Month Festival, the Torch Festival on 24th held
in the sixth month of the lunar year, which
last three days. At that time, every villiagers are
singing and dancing and all villages are ablaze with
torches.
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Lufeng
dinosaurs
The
main scene of Lufeng is the dinosaur fossil, a
provincial class scenic spot area and the
Ramapithecus fossil. The scenic area is made up of
the dinosaur hill, the relic of the Ramapithecus
fossil at Shihuiba and Wutai Mountain, with an area
of 50 square kilometers.
Since
1938, dinosaur fossils have been found
constantly in Lufeng. 24 categories 33 species
and hundred of complete dinosaur fossils have been
unearthed. The discovery site of the skull, teeth
fossils of many Ramapithecus is listed as a "
major cultural relics reserve unit " by the
State Council. Four dinosaur fossils are exhibited
in Lufeng Dinosaur Museum. The largest is more than
nine meters long and the shortest is 2.4 meters
long. Photos and diagrams of dinosaur fossils from
all over of the world are also exhibited. There are
also the halls of ancient living beings, the hall of
bronze ware. earthenware, and the hall of ancient
pithecanthropus. At Shihuiba is the pagoda of the
sun, the moon, the star. An 11.5 meters high and the
glass fiber reinforced plastic sculpture of the
ancient pithecanthropus is established. The Dinosaur
fossil of Lufeng was once sent to Japan for
exhibition.o
Torch
Festival
Many
ethnic groups in Yunnan celebrate Torch Festival,
such as Yi, Bai, Naxi, Hani, Lisu, Lahu and Pumi to
name just a few. However, the Yi Torch Festival is
the most well-known, the biggest in size and
attracts the most participants. It is the most
important festival of the Yi people.
In
ancient times, Torch Festival was called ˇ°Xinghui(return
of the stars) Festivalˇ±, which has a great variety
in its origin. To Yi people, their torches are
intended to kill harmful insects and ensure the
harvest; to e Sani, a sub-group of the Yi,
they observe the Torch Festival in honor of a Sani
hero who killed an evil demon.
The
Torch Festival occurs on the 24th and 25th of the
six month of the Lunar calendar(approximately July
8th-9th), when the Yi would put on their holiday
best to the main festival site, taking with them
their moon-shaped four-stringed plucked instrument,
three-stringed guitar and lusheng. Usually, people
watch wrestling and bull fighting performances in
the day time, the Yi in Wuding County and Luquan
County enjoy more such activities as archery,
horse-racing, swinging and so on. When it grows
dark, everyone lights their previously-prepared
torch, 2-meter in length and 20-30 cm in diameter.
People gather at the entrance or the playground of
the village before they run through forests and
their field, expressing their wish to drive away
insects and evil, and to pray for a bumper harvest.
What's
more, the Yi has a custom of putting their torches
together to make a bonfire. Their bonfire party
usually lasts till the next morning, young Yi men
blowing flutes, plucking moon-shaped instruments and
three-stringed guitars while dancing, young women
dancing to the rhythm, clapping their hands.
The
Earth Forest in Yuanmou, a provincial class scenic
spotis made up of five areas, including the old
city, Xinhua - bangguo - wumao region and Jinsha
River valley. Its representative landscape soil
forest is distributed to Xinhua, Bangguo, Wanbao and
Tiger Leaping Beach, covering an area of 50 km. It
was formed by geological movement and soil erosion
one or two million years ago. It is named for its
shape like immense forest and the main composition
of the expansion earth. The Earth Forest, the Stone
Forest and the Colorful Sand Forest in Luliang are
called "the Three Forest in Yunnan".
The
whole landscape of the Earth Forest in Yuanmou is
mainly castle, screen, curtain and column, including
the highest about 40 meters and very grand. Looked
at closely, the shapes look like persons and animals
highly realistic and animated among them.
Chuxiong
Yi Autonomous Prefecture is between Dianchi
Lake beside Kunming and Erhai Lake in Dali. it's an
important hub of middle Yunnan. Cheng-Kun railway,
Guang-Da railway and Kun-Wan road cross it.
Here
are one of the well-known birthplace of humanity and
a treasure house of ancient living things fossils.
Lufeng Fossil Ramapithecus about 8 million years
ago, Yuanmou Man(Homo Erectus Yuanmouensis) about
1.7 million years ago and Lufeng dinosaurs of 1.8
billion years ago were excavated here. Many
archaeologists from home and abroad regard Chuxiong
Prefecture as the cradle of humanity and "The
home of ancient living things". Huge Mallet
white tower of Dayao built in the Tang Dynasty has a
rare shape in Chinese ancient buildings. The large
bronze statue of Confucius at Wen Temple Shiyang
town is the only one that well preserved in Chinese
mainland.
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