People live quietly, even if they listen to the wind quietly, they can feel the poetic life. —— Heidegger

As the area with the deepest accumulation of Bai culture, the oldest inheritance, the most concentrated distribution, and the most distinctive features, Jianchuan County in Dali Prefecture is known as "the cornucopia of Bai culture" and "the hometown of Bai people under colorful clouds". The superimposition of humanities naturally, coupled with the new culture brought by foreign friends with blonde hair and blue eyes, makes Jianchuan even more mysterious and magical.

The spring is bright and the grass grows and the warblers fly. When you walk into Jianchuan, you can express your love for the mountains and rivers in the idyllic town, trace back the ancient tea-horse road time of the ancestors, and feel the tenderness left by the beautiful Bai nationality hometown to travelers.

Shaxi Ancient Town

Like many small cities in Yunnan, Shaxi, located on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, once had a prosperous and prosperous Mood for Love, but it has been quiet in modern times. Shaxi enjoys a unique geographical location, which connects the north-south traffic; it has beautiful mountains and clear waters, a pleasant climate, and rich products.

Before the ancient tea-horse road known to people today was formed, the bells of caravans had been floating in Shaxi thousands of times. Perhaps God has a special liking for Shaxi. After the Tang Dynasty, a salt well was excavated in Misha, located in the west of Shaxi. The distribution center of salt supply in Tibet and Northwest Yunnan.

Like the market, there is also Sideng Street, also known as Sifang Street, which witnesses the rise and fall of Shaxi. That's right, it is Sifang Street that you can see in the ancient city of Lijiang and Dali.

This block structure, which originated in the tea-horse market, integrates temples, theater stages, shops, horse shops, alleyways, and village gates. It is a square created for the convenience of transactions, and is very common in Bai and Naxi areas.

This square paved with red sandstone was once full of salt produced in the surrounding area, Puer tea from southern Yunnan, Tuo tea from Xiaguan, silk from the inland, medicinal materials and leather goods from Tibet, as well as handicrafts from exotic countries such as South Asia and Southeast Asia. Handicrafts, spices and other special products. The bazaar is full of merchants coming and going from north to south shouting loudly, creating a bustling scene.

Apart from the bazaar, the busiest thing here is this ancient stage—the Kuixinge Stage. This ancient stage with flying horns was built in the Qing Dynasty. In fact, the stage is only a supplementary function, and the main body of the building is Kuixing Pavilion.

Back then, when merchants gathered, the gongs and drums on the stage were loud, and the audience was doing business while watching a play. It was so lively.

In the Bai area, a temple must be built opposite the stage. The original intention was that the performances on the stage were dedicated to the Bodhisattva in the temple, but in the end, the Bodhisattva went through the motions, and ordinary people enjoyed the benefits.

In Shaxi, the joy of festivals shared by humans and gods is still cherished to this day.

Every year during the "Prince Fair" on the eighth day of the second month of the lunar calendar, the local Bai people will hold a traditional tour of the prince. At the same time, there is also an annual material fair. past historical time.

On the southeast side of Sideng Street, the winding Heihui River flows around the ancient town. The Yujin Bridge, which was built in the Ming Dynasty until now, is still exerting its residual heat on the Heihui River.

Heilongjiang River and Yujin Bridge are places worth your time to stay. From far to near, from top to bottom, you can see different "small bridges and flowing water people" from every angle. Not only that, you can watch the rising sun here , the sun was setting, and the light white light scattered in the morning light and afterglow made Shaxi look quiet and lonely.

When photography lovers come to Shaxi, they must go to Yujin Bridge to take pictures of the starry sky, because it is very close to the stars, and they can see "the brightest star in the night sky".

The Friday market is unshakable. Locals gather on the street and put out the best things at home in a row: bark that looks like black weeds, out-of-season matsutake that has been preserved for several months, and fingers that are only long. Purple radishes (vine stems), and all kinds of unnamed food...or put on a small horse, or sit on the ground, in the sunshine of the Yunnan Plateau, to catch a warm gathering.

If there is no World Monument Foundation (WMF), Shaxi Ancient Town may still lie quietly between the two tourist attractions of Dali and Lijiang for a while.

In 2002, Shaxi Sideng Street was included in WMF's 101 List of World Architectural Heritage in Danger, and the evaluation was as follows:

"The Shaxi (Sideng Street) area in China is the only surviving bazaar on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road. There are complete theaters, hotels, temples, and village gates, making this bazaar that connects Tibet and South Asia quite complete."

Also in this list are the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy, the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, and the Church of St. Thomas in the United States.

Shibaoshan

Shibaoshan is located 21 kilometers southwest of Jianchuan County, with a total area of ​​25 square kilometers. It is the first batch of national key scenic spots announced by the State Council in 1982.

The red sandstone Danxia landform distributed in the scenic area is one of the most mature distribution points of Danxia geographical features in my country. These unique Danxia landforms are called "stone treasures". They are shaped like a lion squatting, or a camel with its head held high, or a thousand-year-old turtle's back, or steamed steamed buns...

In the lush Shibao Mountain in Jianchuan, Dali, there are sixteen wonderful grottoes that are enough to shock the world. History of Dali Kingdom".

Contemporary scholars generally believe that the Shibaoshan Grottoes were excavated between the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, which is an artistic achievement of the collision between the Central Plains culture, Nanzhao, Dali culture, Southeast Asian culture and even Indian culture at that time. The Persian stone carvings in the grottoes are enough to prove that Dali maintained friendly exchanges with countries in Southeast Asia and West Asia in the seventh and eighth centuries AD.

Baoxiang Temple, known as the "Xuankong Temple in Yunnan", has beautiful scenery and attracts wild macaques to settle down; Haiyunju, which is hidden among ancient cypresses and pines, has a rigorous layout of palaces, pavilions and temples. Elegant, quiet and quiet, the building fully demonstrates the superb skills of carpenters in Jianchuan, the hometown of woodcarving...

Listening to the sound of history and stepping on the song

With lyrics, without lyrics, with accompaniment, without accompaniment, Dongjing ancient music, Shibaoshan antiphonal songs, ancient Dian opera, which one do you want to hear? There are no professional actors, no professional choreography, however, no one cares about these.

Dongjing ancient music

Originating in the Tang and Song Dynasties and flourishing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the lost court music in the Central Plains has been preserved in the remote mountainous areas around Shaxi, Lijiang.

The performers are not musicians, they are all skills passed down orally from their ancestors. Sitting in a row on the stage in simple costumes, the sound of music instantly brought an indescribable spiritual shock.

Venue: Sifang Street Ancient Theater

Shibao Mountain Song Club

Use songs to express love, use songs to meet friends, sing all night long, and sing loudly for three days. Every year from July 27th to July 29th of the lunar calendar, compatriots of all nationalities gather in Shaxi. This is the Shibaoshan Song Festival that has been included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

During the day, listen to the singers singing love songs to the tune, enjoy the songs and dances of various ethnic groups, and at night, light the torches against the night wind and join the lively bonfire meeting. Singing and dancing cannot be fixed, just like the Bai language without words, these treasures will surely be passed on from generation to generation.

Location: Shizhong Temple, Baoxiang Temple, Haiyunju, Jinding Temple, etc. in Shibaoshan

ancient opera

You are not really listening to a play, but listening to a feeling. Their audience is not you, but a belief. The rhythm of the drama is as slow as the rhythm of life in Shaxi. The actors are not professional and can’t remember many lines. Makes people drowsy.

If you are willing to go further, go to Shilong Village, where 400-year-old costumes will still be on stage. At that time, many salt wells were discovered around Shaxi, and the imperial court sent soldiers to guard the place in order to control customs duties. This costume was the emperor's reward to the guards.

Venue: Sifang Street Ancient Theater

Zhou Guoping said that the best state of life is rich and quiet, and in my opinion, the same is true of Jianchuan.

The simple people, the secrets of the mountains, the light and shadow reflected by the warm sun...everything here makes people feel happy and peaceful.

If you are entangled in trivial matters every day and want to listen to the wind and see the time of two thousand years, then come to Jianchuan for a walk. Even if it is only a half-day stroll, between the distant mountains and flat fields, among the streams and folk houses, you will feel the detachment and elegance that keep a proper distance from the rolling red dust.

Luye Lusheng, make every simple day a good one

At the foot of Cangshan Mountain, next to the ancient city, Ximen Village, Dazhifang, there are good times in Dali that make people feel at ease. My big love, I recommend you to come and live~