Approaching Nanxi (1)

The title pictures are all taken by Jinzhai photographer Chen Ming

Speaking of Shihe, we have to mention the Meishan Reservoir in the upper reaches. The Huaihe River was designed and constructed by my country itself. It was also the highest continuous arch dam in the world at that time, with a height of 88.24 meters and a total length of 443.5 meters. The huge gap between the valleys makes the dam more majestic and majestic, like a flying dragon spanning the high gorge and the flat lake.

The construction of Meishan Reservoir formed an artificial lake. Most of the time, the lake water is clear and rippling, nourishing the growth of vegetation on both sides of the reservoir area, and the scenery is beautiful. In recent years, with the promotion of civilian drones, aerial photography has become more popular, allowing you to overlook the beautiful and picturesque scenery of Meishan Lake, breaking away from the rigidity of one place and one scene at a time, and thousands of mountains and valleys are rushing towards you. As a result, the beauty of spring, the luxuriance of summer, the stunning beauty of autumn, and the solemnity of winter snow are like a comic scroll, majestic to the rolling mountains. Jinzhai people who have lived abroad for a long time like to call Meishan Lake "the lake of their hometown" to express their feelings of hometown.

At the end of August, I packed my luggage, a few pieces of summer and autumn clothes, a charger, and a few boxes of cigarettes, and then disappeared among the high mountains of the Dabie Mountains. I have always talked about going into the mountains, but I always stop at Meishan. I have never set foot in Nanxi, Spotted Bamboo Garden, Baique Garden and other red lands that I am familiar with from words. I just want to travel around, one place at a time.

The road from Meishan to Nanxi is flat, wide, clean and brand new. I like to immerse myself in the rural land on the side of the road and the villagers in the dense jungle. The smoke and clouds pass by before my eyes, and they are dense in my mind. Unfortunately, due to lack of experience in mountain life, I cannot accurately express the difference between Chong and Fan, so I call it "in the valley".

If you are traveling, taking the high-speed train to Jinzhai is a mistake. It does not have the visual impact of traveling through the Sichuan, Guizhou, and Chongling Mountains. Instead, it is like taking a bus, and you have a trance-like time in the mountains, bending left and right. . When driving to a high place, the Dabie Mountains at the end of August are full of lush green mountains, and the towering tops are covered with jungles. They are less sharp and more gentle. Looking at the mountains, one after another is like a surging peak, taking advantage of the majestic power of the mountains. , a sudden surging feeling.

Looking at the mountains, you can see chestnuts that are bending down, persimmons that turn red in autumn, bamboo forests and pine trees with clouds and seas, banana grass in bloom, maple leaves that are red early in autumn, and the wind is blowing. , the boring dryness of summer and the high refreshing of autumn are full of fragrance. The most beautiful thing is the lake at the foot of the mountain on one side, like a dark blue ribbon. "That's Meishan Lake." The driver was talkative and said, "Bathatched grass looks like a reed, but not as tall as a reed." A friend told me: those who grow by the water are called reeds, and those who grow in the mountains are called reeds. Ba Mao, as it is said in "Yan Zi's Journey to Chu", "Oranges grow as tangerines in Huainan, and as oranges in Huaibei."

The mountain road is winding, and after a section of narrow roads with walled courtyards, it opens up again and again. The land suddenly appeared before our eyes, "This is Nanxi, we've arrived." The driver reminded. I once wrote about Nanxi in "Voice". The town has a population of 53,000, and about 18,000 people go out to work. It is 35 kilometers away from Hubei. The earlier concept stayed at "14 generals in one town". When Nanxi was awarded the title in New China in 1955, there were 14 generals, second only to Dushan's 16 generals, making it the second largest general town in western Anhui. Honor and dedication are twin brothers. Correspondingly, during the bloody revolutionary war years, the local people made more contributions and sacrifices.

Nanxi in front of us is full of buildings, clean stations, clean streets, schools, restaurants, hotels, and shops. Such a small and compact modern city suddenly appears in the valley. People are quite surprised, but it makes sense. The master of the sports car explained my surprise: in the past few years, the country has been developing small towns, and Nanxi has undergone earth-shaking changes. The master was very happy: now he has no worries about food and drink, and everything in the city is in short supply. However, the medical conditions cannot keep up, and if he gets seriously ill, he has to go to the county. The master handed over a cigarette, a good Liqun cigarette, and said: As long as we continue to develop, we will always be able to improve.

The town is surrounded by mountains and water, and traces of planning can be seen. The ideas of people in small towns are also changing. It is rare for people in small towns to dig small ponds in front of their doors. In the Dabie Mountains, it is a custom to build a pond in front of the door if there is no water. It is not only convenient for washing, but also has the meaning of a cornucopia. Nowadays, with tap water reaching every household, some concepts are also changing, but this change is accepted by people.