The Great Hidden Land, Bingzhongluo

Set off towards Bingzhongluo,

I am used to seeing places “forgotten by time” along the way;

It seems to be together with the rushing Nu River beside me,

*** is in another parallel universe,

and has nothing to do with the current world;

People say that Bingzhongluo is "a place where humans and gods live",

You will feel the same after coming here -

Dayin is not only hidden from the world,

hidden in Bingzhongluo.

Written and photographed by: Yao Li

I have longed for it, but the mountain road is difficult and dangerous - the trip to Bingzhongluo has been delayed for more than ten years. In December 2019, with the opening of the Nujiang Beautiful Highway to traffic, the traffic conditions in Bingzhongluo were greatly improved; due to the epidemic, Yunnan was also deserted in 2020, just in time to avoid the flow of people and complete my dream pursuit trip to Bingzhongluo.

Day 1: City of Memory

Dali-Yongping-Liuku-Nujiang Beautiful Highway-Zhiziluo-Laomudeng

I chose Dali as the place of departure. The destination on the first day was Laomudeng, a small village more than 300 kilometers away from Dali.

From Lancang River to Nujiang River, most of the way is through canyons. Traces of landslides can often be seen along the way. Even if it is not the rainy season, there is still a certain risk. In the spring of 2020, less than half a year after the road from Nujiang to Dulongjiang was repaired, it was damaged by natural disasters during the rainy season. Until October of the same year, Dulongjiang had not yet been opened to the outside world.

It took more than an hour to set off from Dali. Not far after Yongping, the highway journey came to an end and began to enter the long canyon area. After having lunch in Liuku and passing the huge beautiful highway sign, we officially embarked on a beautiful road trip to the Nujiang River.

The so-called Nujiang Beautiful Highway is actually part of China’s longest national highway G219, from Liuku to Bingzhongluo, with a total length of 286.86 kilometers. It was renovated and expanded from the original 219 National Highway Bingliu Highway, reducing the original one-day driving time. The time is shortened to 5 or 6 hours. It gets dark very quickly in October, so I decided to go directly to Zhiziluo across Laomudeng, and then return to my hotel.

Zhiziluo, 4 kilometers away from Laomudeng, was originally the seat of Nujiang Prefecture and Bijiang County. The place name comes from the Lisu language, which means "good place". In the 1970s, geological experts believed that Zhiziluo was in danger of large-scale landslides, and the government decided to move the entire city. First, the Nujiang Prefecture was moved to Liuku Town, Lushui City, and Zhiziluo became the county seat of Bijiang County; Jiang County was also removed from the county, and it turned from a prosperous city into an empty village.

After more than thirty years, people have gradually forgotten the fear of landslides, and some aborigines have begun to return to their former homes. However, the prosperous Zhiziluo has become a desolate "abandoned city." The octagonal building at the entrance is the newest building in the city. This library was built in the 1980s and was later converted into a Nu Museum. Now it is also the best viewing platform in Zhiziluo.

The landmark octagonal building in Zhiziluo

A beam of light shot out of the dark clouds and reflected on Gaoligong Mountain on the other side

There are almost no pedestrians on the only road in Zhiziluo; there are no banks , there are no entertainment venues, and all modern life seems to have nothing to do with it; most of the houses along the street are abandoned; only the signboards of the past are left; at the end of the road is the Zhiziluo Christian Church built by French missionaries more than a hundred years ago, which has not yet been worshiped. It has not yet been opened; due to being forgotten for a long time, the small town retains its appearance decades ago, just like the new name given to Zhiziluo by tourists - "City of Memory".

As it got late, I drove back to Laomden and checked into the hotel I reserved. Different from the coldness of Zhiziluo, Laomudeng is quite popular because of its relatively superior geographical location halfway up the mountain, with street lights brightly lit all night.

However, the bright lights did not affect the pristine and pure sky of Nujiang River. Climbing to the rooftop of the hotel, the brilliant Milky Way is visible to the naked eye...

The next day: The First Bay of Nujiang River< /p>

Laomudeng-Nujiang First Bay-Bingzhongluo-Zalatong (Peach Blossom Island)

"Laomudeng" is the transliteration of the Nu language, which means "a place where people like to come" ". The village is not big, but it was selected into the "Top 50 Most Beautiful Villages and Towns in China in 2017". Laomudeng Church is the most famous local landmark. This church, built in 1930, is the largest church in the Nu River Gorge. Compared with common Christian churches across China, Laomudeng Church has no rose windows or tall spires, just simple white walls and red-painted wooden windows. Interestingly, although Laomudeng is inhabited by Nu, Lisu, Bai, Han and other ethnic groups, it unexpectedly has a high degree of Christian faith.

Say goodbye to Laomudeng and continue driving to Bingzhongluo. The First Bend of the Nujiang River is located in the south of Bingzhongluo, but it is not the first bend that the Nujiang River makes geographically. It is because the rushing Nujiang River makes a nearly 360-degree bend here in an incredible way. The local Lisu people call it "Huojia", and it is later known as the "First Bay" of Nujiang River.

Rapid changes in direction often cause the river to churn, but the land in the center of the bay is surprisingly quiet. There is a small village called Kantong who has been cultivating here for generations.

Within a few kilometers, I saw a huge stone carving with the three words "Bingzhongluo" engraved on the roadside viewing platform. The legendary Bingzhongluo finally appeared in front of me. The beautiful road along the Nujiang River also At the end.

Bingzhongluo’s houses are scattered halfway up the mountain. The Nu River flows through the foot of the mountain and turns a big bend again. In the bay is a village called Zala Tong. The village is famous for its “peach blossom”, so the local area People named it "Peach Blossom Island". Legend has it that the village still retains the ancient folk custom of the Peach Blossom Festival.

The third day: The God of Man lives in Bingzhongluo

Bingzhongluo-Shimenguan-Tea-Horse Road-Wuli Village-Bingzhongluo

From Bingzhongluo continue upstream to the north of the Yangtze River A few kilometers up is Shimen Pass.

Legend has it that in ancient times, people traveling to and from Shimen Pass had to carefully cross the Nu River when the water fell; if the water rose, even blue sheep and monkeys would have difficulty crossing. Therefore, the local people call Shimen Pass "Nayiqiang", which means "a pass that is difficult for gods to pass through".

Looking at Shimen Pass, I suddenly remembered Tao Yuanming's "Peach Blossom Spring". Did the fishermen at that time also pass through this narrow Shimen Pass, continue south along the Nu River, and then encounter Zha La Tong? This "Peach Blossom Village"?

After passing through Shimen Pass and continuing towards Tibet, sporadic stilted buildings suddenly appeared on the other side of the river: some were built along the river, and some were scattered in the fields. This is the documentary "The Ancient Tea Horse Road: Deira" directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang. The filming location of "Mu" - Wuli Village.

People say that you can see "two sunrises" a day in Bingzhongluo. One is when the sun rises from the horizon, and the other is at this moment - at 9:30 in the morning, the sun finally lazily climbs the hills. , the light passes through the dense trees to form beams of light, and the mountain suddenly looks like a fairyland.

A few hundred meters ahead, a hand-dug road is looming. This is the Ancient Tea Horse Road leading to Wuli Village - it is not only the ancient Yunnan-Tibet post road, but also the only way for the caravan from Bingzhongluo to Chawalong. road; it is also the only "alive" Tea Horse Road today.

"Wuli" is the homophony of "Wengli" in Nu language, which means "a place like a bird's nest". About 60 households live near the water and make a living by farming. Most of the elderly in the village cannot speak Chinese and live an almost isolated life.

Continuing from Wuli Village, we were supposed to reach Qiunatong, the last village in Yunnan before entering Tibet. Unfortunately, it was temporarily closed due to road construction, so we had to give up.

Because of the mixed ethnic groups, Bingzhongluo’s beliefs are very free. Tibetan Buddhism, Christianity, Catholicism and primitive religions all live harmoniously in the small village. There are two kinds of believers in one family. It's not uncommon. In the eyes of local people, this is the true meaning of Bingzhongluo people's divine residence.

Chongding Church was temporarily closed. Unwilling to do so, I set out from Chongding Church to continue my search for Puhua Temple - the only Kagyu sect temple of Tibetan Buddhism in Nujiang Prefecture. It's a pity that the entire temple is under renovation - maybe my fate has not yet come to appreciate the "residence of Bingzhongluo people and gods".

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