Walking in the Village·Exploring the Fangkou at the Foot of the Great Wall

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? It’s the end of autumn. Several of our classmates drove hundreds of kilometers to a small village in the west of Beijing, surrounded by mountains, just to see the Great Wall. The Great Wall forms a huge V in the valley here, which is said to be the only one along the Great Wall.

? The small village is called Fangkou, which belongs to Ruiyunguan Township, Huailai County, Hebei Province. It was originally called Fangkou because it was the border crossing into the capital. In the Ming Dynasty, troops were stationed here. Later, it was called Fangkou to prevent rumors. Fangkou means mountain pass. Fangkou is a pass west of Juyong Pass. It was called "Huoshiling Pass" in ancient times, and this section of the Great Wall was called "Huoshiling Great Wall". It is said that a plaque was later found in the house of a farmer in the village, with the three incomplete characters "Juhu Pass" engraved on it. The villagers also called this section of the Great Wall the "Juhu Pass Great Wall".

? Most of the Great Wall here is in ruins, but the huge square stones stretch on the ridge, and there is no end in sight. No growth rings can be found in the ruined walls, but traces of history can be seen everywhere. Bricks and rubble left over from the war? Or peacetime destruction? What is vicissitudes of life? That's it. Thinking back to that year, when the west wind blew horns and the iron horses had broken bows, it was enough to shock me. My classmates Fu and Wang, who were traveling with me, became very popular in poetry and each wrote a poem:

? "The dangerous buildings on the ridge turned into earth platforms, and the remaining bricks and tiles were broken." Just the moss. When the long bows and iron horses were used, a pear tree blossomed alone. "The thick walls turned into decay, and the souls of Xu soldiers followed the west wind and came to the drum horns to ask about their fortunes. . ”

? After all, I am studying Chinese, and I have a good foundation in ancient poetry, and my writing has gone through many vicissitudes of life. In this article, two poems are the biggest highlights.

There is a guide map at the entrance of the village that says "Fangkou Great Wall Village Overall Museum". It seems that the local government wants to do something around the Great Wall. Also, there is not only the Great Wall here, but also around the Great Wall pass. In the Ming Dynasty, there were also East and West Inspectorate in this area, which opened up military land and the ruins still exist today.

? Fangkou Village is a family village with more than 160 households and more than 300 people, more than 90% of whom have the surname Song. There are not many people in the village. Most of the young people go out to make a living. There are less than a hundred old people and women staying in the village.

? The small village is located high in the mountains and far away from the road, so transportation is inconvenient, so it retains a unique tranquility and primitiveness. Walking on the stone road in the village, I couldn't see anyone for a long time. There are many stone houses in the village, which are dappled under the sun. There are some dilapidated old houses with weeds half as tall as a person in the yard. It’s no wonder that when the young people leave and the elders either leave with their children or are no longer alive, the houses can only be left to decay.

? The altitude here is thousands of meters, the vegetation is lush, the air is fresh, and the summer is very cool. A company is building the "Jingxi Valley" project here, which is to transform residential buildings and develop homestay tourism. Some houses in the village have been vacant for a long time. The company sublet the houses for design and renovation, adding fashionable elements and turning them into courtyards full of artistic flavor.

? Walking in the village, although it is late autumn, the afternoon sun is still warm, and there are occasionally old people chatting and sunbathing, which is peaceful.

? There is a "Water Bag Art Museum" on the roadside. It is a round stone house that used to be a water bag in the village (there is a well next to the water bag, and people fetch water and store it in the water bag, which is convenient for the villagers. Used), in 1986 when tap water was introduced into households, the water bag was abandoned. The art museum is only 15 square meters, which is estimated to be the largest (smallest) in the world.

? Not far from the art museum, the sign of "Charity Canteen for the Elderly" attracted us. It is said that it was founded by professors from the Beijing Film Academy in conjunction with the China Youth Development Foundation and the Jingxi Valley Project. People in the village are over 77 years old. Year olds get two free meals a day.

In the village cafe, we drank a pot of local skullcap tea for 30 yuan, and you can refill the water, which is not expensive.

? The ancient village, local cultural creativity, specialty restaurants, fashionable cafes and simple kiosks coexist, becoming a unique landscape.

? It was the off-season for tourism when we went, and the road leading to the village was being renovated in preparation for the coming year. It seems that promoting tourism by renovating old houses to create fashionable B&Bs is also a way for villagers to get rich. The originally hollow and aging village may be able to regain its vitality.