In the comments of one of my travel articles, a friend asked: "It is very hard to travel and take long distances. What motivates the author to travel?"
Yeah, why should I take such a long trip? This is a great question.
"Read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles. People are on the way, but books are in their hearts." Such an answer may make people feel empty, perfunctory, or clichéd. In fact, this is really not empty talk or cliché. I want to use this short article to illustrate my thoughts.
Let’s start with an ancient poem:
"The day is beyond the mountains,
The Yellow River flows into the sea,
If you want to spend thousands of miles,
Take it to the next level”
When I was young, I recited this poem by Tang Dynasty Wang Zhihuan in front of my parents shaking my head. When I was a little older, I also stood in front of the desk and recited it respectfully in front of the teacher. After growing up, I also read it in various books, and even taught my children to recite it. In my heart, this is always a distant ancient poem, far away from my life.
Until the summer vacation of 2018, when I personally boarded the Guanque Tower and looked around, my eyes were very comfortable, and I suddenly became enlightened. With Zhongtiao Mountain in front of me, I can't help but recite this ancient poem again. This ancient poem is no longer so far away in my heart.
On the Guanque Tower, a tourist talked with me. He pointed to the majestic Zhongtiao Mountain, and told the story of 800 people in Shaanxi who fought bloody battles and sacrificed heroically on Zhongtiao Mountain during the Anti-Japanese War. "800 ga baby! 800 ga baby!" He was filled with grief and indignation. "Do you know what a Gawa is? It's a young man, a student, a child!" The hand pointing at Zhongtiao Mountain was trembling, with grief and anger in his eyes...
His wife helped him to leave slowly, while persuading him: "Okay, okay, stop talking, stop talking! Let's go, let's go!"
The trembling figure made people sigh.
The Yellow River is wide and flowing slowly in the distance, calm and silent. At this moment, you can feel the power of the Yellow River, which contains the power accumulated by the Chinese nation for thousands of years, the power bred by suffering and unyielding. Looking at the Zhongtiao Mountain, which is hundreds of miles away and close in front of you, it is lush and majestic, and the majestic mountain has a different meaning...
At this moment, the poem came alive in my heart. The understanding of this poem is more profound. This poem is no longer a distant story, but a magnificent picture that is alive and dancing in front of your eyes. Floors? It asks me, what do we want to see if we want to travel thousands of miles?
It is still alive today.
Guanque Tower
(Overlooking from the Guanque Tower)
Yongji Temple, an unastonishing temple. Who would have thought that a love story that has been passed down through the ages in Chinese history --- "The Romance of the West Chamber" happened here? Only after entering the temple did I understand why the book was called "The Romance of the West Chamber" and not the Romance of the Eastern Chamber or something else. In books, we appreciate the beauty of words and the expression of artistic conception more, but we have different feelings in real scenes. At the place where Zhang Sheng jumped the wall to find Cui Yingying, looking at the slanting tree and red wall, I really want to sigh Zhang Sheng's courage and the power of love. Today, under the nourishment of all kinds of chicken soup woven by cynicism, many people live warmly and complacently, their souls are paralyzed, and they are proud of their lives. They are far inferior to Zhang Sheng.
Now, whether we are aware of it or not, in our lives, to break through the tradition and the secular world, to pursue our own beliefs, to pursue social progress and our own progress, we must go beyond the walls that imprison our thinking. We still need Zhang Sheng's courage, this is the inspiration Zhang Sheng gave us.
Even in the pursuit of love, we still need to have the courage to climb the high walls like him. Now the high walls are no longer completely feudal ethics, but more about the thickness, arrogance and prejudice of money... …
The place where the story of "The Romance of the West Chamber" takes place
Zhang Sheng over the wall
Traveling is not from "a place where I am bored to a place where others are bored". It broadens my horizons and makes the rigid things in the books come alive. Let me feel the beauty of life and love life more.
Many times, when you drive across towns and fields on national highways or county roads, "motherland" is no longer an empty concept in books, but the green trees on both sides of the car, the rolling wheat waves in the distance, and the tiredness of farmers. The satisfied smiling face, the curling smoke in the setting sun and the melodious sound of the shepherd boy's flute on the back of the cow...you can really feel the beating of the motherland's forward pulse and the vitality of the earth...
Traveling is not only on the road, the memories and tastes after the trip are also part of my trip. I remember that one year on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I went to Taohuatan to find the place where Wang Lun and Li Bai had a happy chat. I passed by the "Southern Anhui Incident Memorial Hall" and stopped to pay my respects. I was deeply moved. On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival not long after, the scene in the "Southern Anhui Incident Memorial Hall" came to my mind. I asked myself, on this day of family reunion, it is so difficult that we should pay tribute to those heroes who have been buried in Yunling. Have a glass of wine?
Whenever I recall visiting the Tsarist Russian Prison in Lushun and the War Criminals Management Center in Fushun, I immediately think of what is animal nature and what is human nature! History is silent but better than textbooks. The scenes engraved in my mind prompted me to keep thinking...
After reading the book, I want to go for a walk, and when I experience the book while walking, I want to read more. This is a virtuous circle and mutual promotion, so that my life will be enriched, my vision will be broadened, and my heart will be broadened. Life will have more colors.
"Read thousands of books, travel thousands of miles, people are on the way, books are in the heart" is not empty words.
