Impression of Southern Xinjiang: Pishan Chapter

Southern Xinjiang is very big. I don’t know where to start. Every inch of land in Southern Xinjiang has a story. Every grain of sand is a witness to history. There are so many stories in Southern Xinjiang. There are countless sands like those in the Taklimakan Desert. In order to take care of the places where I have struggled and will continue to struggle in the future, let me start with Pishan County where I am!

Pishan County is located in the southern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert and at the northern foot of the Karakoram Mountains. It borders Hotan County and Moyu County to the east, Yecheng County to the west, the actual control areas of India and Pakistan in Kashmir to the south, and Maigaiti County and Bachu County to the north. It is a border county with Uyghur as the main body and 12 ethnic groups including Han, Tajik and Kirgiz living together. The border is 54.5 kilometers long and 1,800 kilometers away from the capital Urumqi.

? Pishan County has a long history. The county was established in the 28th year of Guangxu's reign and was named after the ancient country. The Uyghurs call Pishan County "Guma" (Uyghur transliteration). Its meaning is still uncertain. There are several versions such as "hut", "cage" and "suspicious place". "Tongwenzhi of the Western Regions" explains: "It's suspicious. In the beginning, some of the people there fled after converting to Islam, so they named it after them."

Pishan was the name of an ancient country in the Western Han Dynasty. "Xinjiang Map" notes: Han, Pishan country. About three centuries ago, the Pishan Kingdom was one of the thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions surrounding the Tarim Basin. It was annexed by the Khotan Kingdom during the Eastern Han Dynasty and was later reestablished. During the Three Kingdoms period, it was the Pixue Kingdom, and during the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was the Pushan Kingdom.

Although Pishan County is a remote town located in the northwest border of the motherland and has a backward economy. However, even in this land that is not fertile, it has unique local specialties of high quality and is a popular tourist destination. A treasure for visiting relatives and friends at home. The main specialties include Kunlun snow chrysanthemum, sweet pomegranate, yam, etc.

? Snow chrysanthemum is a traditional health-preserving natural plant of the Uyghur people. It is called "Guli Qiayin" in Uyghur. "Guli Qiayin" has been blooming in the Karakoram Mountains for thousands of years. She braves the snow and frost in the ice peaks and cliffs, absorbing the aura of heaven and earth. The flowers are a dazzling golden color with dots of brown buds in the middle. The flower branches are about three Fifteen centimeters high, there are hundreds of flowers blooming in the snow on each flower branch, like a girl living in seclusion in the mountains without caring about the world. By chance, a medical doctor took her out of the Karakoram Mountains. Since then, "Guli Qiayin" has had a name - Kunlun Snow Chrysanthemum. Since the snow chrysanthemum produced in Keriyang Township in Pishan County has the best quality, it is also called Keriyang Snow Chrysanthemum. Although Snow Chrysanthemum does not belong to the tea category, it can be drunk like tea. Its magical color and aroma are comparable to many kinds of precious teas, and can almost make tea lovers intoxicated. A few chrysanthemums fell into the water and bloomed in the cup. The color of the soup gradually became thicker, just like a dynamic watercolor painting. The smell is sweet, the mouth is sweet, the aftertaste is sweet, and the fragrance lingers on the lips and teeth. Especially for patients with "three highs", long-term drinking has a significant effect in improving symptoms.

Sweet pomegranate is another advantageous specialty of Pishan County, mainly produced in Pialema Township of the county. Pialema sweet pomegranate has the characteristics of large fruit, thin skin, large kernels, juiciness, bright color, soft core, sweet taste, rich flavor and good quality. It is known as "the seeds are transparent like pearls and the juice is thick and sweet like honey." ” the reputation. It not only has good color, aroma and taste, but also contains a certain amount of protein, vitamins and various minerals. It can be called the best pomegranate and is deeply favored by people. Due to the unique water, soil, light and heat resources in Pialema Township, pomegranates have thin skin, large size, high sugar content and good taste. Their reputation is also growing. In 2005, it was named the "Hometown of Chinese Pomegranates" by the country. In 2007, it was rated It is a "Xinjiang famous brand product". It has won many awards at domestic agricultural products trade exhibitions.

Sangzhu Rock Painting is located in Sangzhu Town, Pishan County. It is a rock painting inspired by the eminent monk Faxian of the Jin Dynasty who went to India to learn Buddhist scriptures. More than 3 meters long and 1.3 meters high. The images on the screen include various types of human figures: some are bending bows and shooting arrows, some are walking behind horses, and some are riding horses; there are animal images, most of which are animals with two horns on their heads, similar to bighorn sheep. There are also text-like symbols on the upper left side of the screen, which were carved on the rocks by tapping hard objects. No ancient relics have been found near the rock paintings and in the river valley, and there are no folk legends. Most people think that they are works from the primitive clan society period, and may reflect the life of animal husbandry and hunting in ancient times.

After viewing the Sangzhu rock paintings, you can also take a look at the Sangzhu Walnut Orchard. No one knows how many years these walnut trees have grown. Although the walnut trees in the Sangzhu Walnut Garden are not as famous as the Hotan Walnut King, they are definitely not worse than the Hotan Walnut King, or even worse. The largest tree among them is also the most magical one. After it is felled, there are traces of walnut trees on the trunk. Nine walnut trees, large and small, have grown on it, and now the big one is also a tree that hugs each other. People can't help but admire nature's ability to turn decay into magic.

Pishan is a small county town with a small area. The most prosperous place is the Grand Bazaar, which means market in Chinese. Every Sunday is Bazaar Day in the county town. People from all over the country come to visit the market. There are more kinds of goods than usual. Some of them are not seen in ordinary times and are only displayed during Bazaar Day. . The variety of products with ethnic characteristics is dazzling.

If it’s the Bazaar days after autumn and September, it’s really a paradise for foodies. There are all kinds of fruits everywhere, including apples, peaches, pears, grapes, pomegranates, watermelons, melons, and others I don’t know the names of. All melons are delicious anyway. Of course, there are also a lot of fruits shipped from the mainland. We have to thank our great party and government for this. It is the result of reform and opening up and the convenience brought by the development of the western region.

There are also many local handicrafts in the bazaar. Some of them can still be seen in inland counties many years ago, but have basically disappeared now. However, in southern Xinjiang, many handicrafts continue to form a chain. Unique landscape.

Today, Pishan is also on the fast track of development, and its urban and rural landscape is changing with each passing day. Even so, development is still very difficult due to its backward foundation and location at the frontier. We hereby call on the far-sighted people in society to invest in Pishan and promote development, which will make contributions to the present and benefit the future! Everyone who reads this article is also welcome to visit Pishan.

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