Travel Notes on Seoul Lake

The rain yesterday made Xi’an a lot cooler.

This morning, it was cloudy and the temperature was not too high. I decided to go to Seoul Lake for a walk.

The children all made up lessons, and my wife also accompanied the second child to make up lessons. I don’t need to drive alone. It only takes three to five minutes to walk from my home to the 900 bus stop on Electronic 4th Road. Moreover, it is the departure station and goes directly to Hufengchan Gate in Seoul. It should be faster than driving by myself. Also convenient.

After all, it was summer vacation and I missed the rush hour for work. The bus arrived at Seoul Lake very quickly, taking less than an hour. After getting off the bus, the first thing that caught our eyes was the tall statue of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Following the guidance of the bronze statue, we crossed the overpass and successfully arrived at the Seoul Lake Scenic Area. The scenic area is open and you can walk freely. To take a boat, climb Dafeng Pavilion, or visit the ruins of Han Chang'an City, you need to buy a ticket. The radio at the entrance of the scenic spot has been broadcasting discount information: the original price of the package is 100 yuan, and the discounted price is 90 yuan. Perhaps because it was not Sunday, or perhaps because of the hot weather, there were almost no people in the huge scenic spot, and there were only a few cruise ships on the lake.

That’s good! I can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Seoul Lake. Hancheng Lake was originally a depression where all the sewage in Xi'an was discharged. It was formerly known as the largest public toilet in Xi'an. Later, with the expansion of Xi'an's urban territory, the government decided to clean up this depression. Taking into account the history of the Tuanjie Reservoir here, a lake was designed according to local conditions. Since it is located at the ruins of Han Chang'an City, a tall lake was built. Name: Seoul Lake.

To the north of Seoul Lake, facing south, stands the tall bronze statue of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty Liu Che. The tour guide said that this is the largest statue of an emperor in the country. The height of the statue of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty is 21.5 meters, which means that the Western Han Dynasty ruled for 215 years; the height of the base is 7 meters, which means that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty Liu Che was the 7th emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. I don’t know much about history and am more concerned about the natural landscape of Hancheng Lake, so I don’t have much interest in Fengchan Hanque. I took a photo and walked south along the lake shore.

It is worth mentioning the musical fountain in front of Hancheng Lake Fengchan Hanque. Although I did not see it, the tour guide Xiao Zhang said that it is worth seeing: the total length of the musical fountain is 150 meters, and the length from north to south is 100 meters. , the main fountain is 60 meters high. The nozzle is usually not under the lake surface, but when it is activated, water gushes out from the lake surface, which is very spectacular. The performance lasts 30 minutes and is divided into three chapters. It can display a variety of water curtain shapes under computer control. Starting at 8:30 every night, through three chapters: "The Heroic Style of the Han Dynasty", "The Charm of the Green Lake" and "The Scenery of the Prosperous Age", the magnificent national style of the Han Empire is colorfully displayed, and the heroic martial arts of the Han Dynasty Emperor Wu are displayed in a colorful way. The heroism explains the life scene of Chinese people living in peace and prosperity, happiness and joy.

I have admired the North Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda many times, which is known as the largest musical fountain in Asia, and also enjoyed the spectacular scenery of the lake fountain in my hometown of Luoyang New District. But after listening to what the tour guide said today, I think I should arrange to take the children to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Seoul Lake Musical Fountain one evening.

There are not many tourists, which makes the scenic spot even more spacious. There are willows and green trees on the shore, crape myrtle flowers are in full bloom, and cannas are also blooming with their most beautiful appearance. The wind blew across the lake, causing ripples. From time to time, fish jumped out of the water and made ripples.

The tour guide is very talkative and has a sweet smile. Along the way, he told me the story of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty who hid his beautiful girl in the golden house. He said that Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty had been childhood sweethearts with his cousin Gillian. When he was still underage, he told his family that if he could marry Gillian as his wife, he would build a golden house. Let her live in it. I said I didn’t expect that the origin of the Golden House Cangjiao was actually related to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The tour guide smiled and said that it was either related or the real origin of the hidden beauty in the Golden House. Next, the tour guide told me the story of Su Wu’s shepherding sheep, the story of Huo Qubing, the Great Sima’s cavalry general, who conquered the West, and the story of Wei Qing, who created the myth of seven battles and seven victories in the Han-Hungarian War. Although I don't know much about history, I am very interested in historical stories. Especially when I listen to a beautiful woman telling it, I am even more fascinated and immersed in the war and iron horses of the past and cannot extricate myself for a long time.

Unknowingly, we had walked along the embankment of Seoul Lake for two or three kilometers, and we were not too impressed by the Waterwheel Square we walked through. I just remember that the tour guide said that there were two large Han Dynasty waterwheels built in Waterwheel Square. The larger one was 21.5 meters in diameter, which also means that the Western Han Dynasty ruled for 215 years, and the smaller one was 19.6 meters, which means that the Eastern Han Dynasty ruled for 196 years. It can be said that this Waterwheel Plaza is very different from the Waterwheel Expo Park on the bank of the Yellow River in Lanzhou that I have visited before, and there is nothing new, so I won’t mention it.

I was pleasantly surprised by the several bridges that stretched across both sides of Seoul Lake. Heping Bridge, Huilan Bridge, Hongming Bridge, and Shangwu Bridge all left a deep impression on me. On the one hand, it is because the bridge and the water complement each other and form a beautiful picture. On the other hand, the design and naming of the bridge are quite meaningful. The Peace Bridge was named after the historical facts of the Han Dynasty such as Su Wu’s shepherding sheep, Zhang Qian’s mission, the Silk Road, Zhaojun’s expedition to the fortress, and other pursuits of peace. Now it is a municipal bridge for citizens to travel every day. Huilan Bridge is a landscape bridge with a zigzag shape and winding paths. It is like a sculpture, naturally integrated into the landscape environment. As the name suggests, Hongming Bridge is shaped like a rainbow. It is the tallest of the four bridges. The hole in the middle of the bridge is the largest to facilitate the passage of cruise ships. The reflection of the three bridge holes forms three circles in the water, which is very beautiful. Hongming Bridge is relaxing and comfortable. A place where people experience beautiful things means looking forward to a better future. The bridge body of Shangwu Bridge is inlaid with golden dragon reliefs, all made of gold foil. The designer placed these four golden dragons here to show everyone the majesty of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

In the southern section of Hancheng Lake is the ruins of Han Chang'an City, corresponding to another landmark building of Hancheng Lake---Dafeng Pavilion. This is the highest point in the Hancheng Lake Scenic Area. Climb up and have a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of the scenic area and the ruins of Han Chang'an City. The tour guide said that the meaning of the Dafeng Pavilion comes from the "Song of the Great Wind" written by Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty: "When the strong wind rises, the clouds are flying, and we return to our hometown in the sea, and the warriors come to guard the four directions." Nowadays, the Dafeng Pavilion is built next to the lake in Seoul. It expresses the Chinese people's heroic ambition to safeguard the unity of the world.

It was past noon, and the sun was at full power, scorching the earth. Both the tour guide Xiao Zhang and I were sweating profusely without knowing it. I expressed my gratitude to Xiao Zhang and ended the half-day trip to Seoul. Lake trip.

Come out of Dafeng Pavilion, cross the overpass and head east to reach Fannan Village. This was my first stop in Xi'an more than ten years ago. I remember that it was May 2001, when I went from Zhengzhou to work at Dabeinong Shaanxi Company. At that time, Dabeinong Shaanxi Company was located in the Handu Hotel in Fannan Village. I spent four unforgettable years there. Today, the Handu Hotel no longer exists, replaced by taller high-rise buildings. Fannan Village has also been transformed into a village in the city, and only the name Fannan Village is retained. The process of urbanization has long since Fannan Village no longer exists.

On the 900 bus, I was planning to take my children to Seoul Lake again to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the fountain while boating. Of course, what I want more in my heart is to let the children know about the glorious history of the Western Han Dynasty that belongs to our people, and hope that they can work hard to realize China's great dream of reviving the empire in the future.