Heshun Ancient Town is as picturesque as a poem

Reporter Liang Peiyun from Qiushi magazine

Entering Heshun Ancient Town in Tengchong City, Yunnan Province, one can only see the nearby pink walls and black tiles, small bridges and flowing water, and the distant clear stream winding around the village and waterfowl flying, creating a picturesque landscape of mountains and waters.

Heshun Ancient Town was built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty for military garrisons and border defense. It was a necessary passage on the ancient "Silk Road" in southern Sichuan, Yunnan, Myanmar, and India. Due to a small river passing through the village, it was called "Heshun", which later took the meaning of "scholars and people following" and was refined into its current name.

On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Heshun Ancient Town for investigation and research, to understand the exchange of the Silk Road, historical and cultural heritage, and ecological environment protection. Nowadays, Heshun Ancient Town has become a popular tourist destination, welcoming millions of tourists every year and is known as one of the "Top Ten Charming Towns in China".

The ancient town of Heshun is surrounded by five mountains, with three springs intersecting and two rivers flowing through. The village is built along the mountains, blending seamlessly with nature. Faced with the unique natural environment, we deeply understand that 'green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver'. Protecting the environment is protecting productivity, and improving the environment is developing productivity. Only by consolidating the ecological foundation can we have the confidence to develop, "said the responsible comrade of the Heshun Town Party Committee.

My hometown is good, it's best to sink into the river, with purple swallows among the green willows, green cows lying by the red lotus pond, and lonely boats sailing together. "This is the beautiful scenery of sinking into the river described by an overseas traveler. The Shenhe Wetland is a wetland located in front of Heshun Ancient Town, which is prone to getting stuck due to human activities and is vividly called the Shenhe. Due to a lack of management and control, the water quality of the sunken river gradually deteriorated, with severe siltation and difficulty in fully utilizing its functions. In order to restore a good ecological environment in the sunken river, with the support of party committees and governments at all levels, Heshun is making every effort to promote water ecological restoration and treatment, planning a high standard sewage treatment system, purifying daily generated sewage, dredging reservoirs and wetlands, updating aquatic plants in reservoirs and rivers, and continuously purifying water bodies. Nowadays, after protection and management, here the waves are shimmering and the scenery changes with boats, creating a picturesque countryside.

Towering ancient trees can be seen everywhere in Heshun Ancient Town. It is reported that the people of Heshun have always had a tradition of protecting trees and like to use trees to name alleys, such as Huangguoshu Lane and Huaiguoshu Lane. There are two bald cypress trees next to Heshunkui Pavilion, which are over 500 years old. In 1931, someone attempted to cut down two spruce trees, which sparked opposition from the villagers. Li Yuegai, the father of the famous philosopher Aisiqi and a veteran of the Xinhai Revolution, led his troops to protect the trees and wrote the long poem "Shuangshan Xing", which was engraved on a stone tablet. The last line of the poem, "Those who dare to attack can have their heads chopped off," became a local regulation. In recent years, the ancient town has strictly implemented environmental governance mechanisms such as the "forest chief system" and "hanging alleys and contracting households", increased afforestation and protection efforts, and achieved a forest coverage rate of 74%, becoming a paradise for harmonious coexistence of animals and plants. At present, there are about 110 ancient and famous trees in the ancient town, and the number of bird species in the sunken river has increased from over 30 to more than 280. Although the ancient town is very popular, it does not affect the habitat of wild ducks, purple water chickens, and other birds by the river. The scene of a hundred birds playing with fun is very harmonious, "said Chen Jie, director of the Heshun Town Village Planning Center.

If ecology is the form and the most dazzling background of ancient towns, then culture is the soul, showcasing the unique charm of ancient towns. For a long time, the Han culture of the Central Plains, the ethnic cultures of the border areas, and the cultures of South Asia and Southeast Asia have converged and integrated here, forming a harmonious and inclusive cultural atmosphere in Heshun Ancient Town.

Crossing the Shuanghong Bridge at the entrance of Heshun Ancient Town, climbing up the steps made of volcanic stones, passing through a three bay style flying eaved gable gable gate, a two-story building combining Chinese and Western elements stands out in front of you. This is one of the largest rural libraries in the country - Heshun Library. This library was built in 1928 by overseas Chinese in Heshun, Myanmar, who donated funds to revitalize their hometown's culture and education. It currently has over 130000 volumes of books.

Entering the reading room, I saw newspapers neatly arranged on wooden tables, with the corners of the tables and chairs polished off. The antique library was filled with traces of time. There is a pair of couplets hanging on the front wall panel of the reading room, which reads' The book flows from the edge of the clouds, opening up a wide and diverse world, reporting to the overseas community. '. This couplet contains a hidden sense of "ingenuity", with the first four characters of the upper and lower couplets read alternately, implying that "books and newspapers come from outside the sea of clouds". The guide explained that due to difficulties in land transportation, most of the books and newspapers ordered from Shanghai were transported by sea to Myanmar and then carried by horse caravan to Heshun. These hard won books and newspapers also fully reflect the thirst of Heshun people for knowledge and culture.