The beauty and the beast of Lijiang Yunnan, China

Continue on travel encounter at Lijiang, Yunnan

This afternoon, I arrived at this famous Baisha Old Town (Lijiang). In ancient time it was the political and commercial center for the local Naxi people, as it was described in the “Forgotten Kingdom” a book by Peter Goullart, seems like everyone here is busy running shops and trading in markets. Nowadays this picture perfect town with very little changes from the past. Shops still lie on both side of the maze like cobblestone streets, the three rivers still running thru the town with more shops and residences on its banks. There are many beautiful temples and the all imposing Palace of the Mu Family once rule this region site in the center of town. In the distance horizon, the landscape is dominates by the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain completed the stage like backdrop for the entire area to perfection.

The most unique features of the towns around the region were the “three-eyes well” as it is called. It is a water appropriation system created century ago that is still in use today. The elements consists of a single well on the ground with three openings, fed by a single clear water steam underneath, and yet the water never mixed, each well had it own purpose, one used for drinking, washing and waste removal. All villagers observe the straight rule of usage to ensure the clean water supply for the entire village, which is vital in the highlands provinces. I was puzzled by the mechanic of the system just short of lifting the thousand pound stone to find out how exactly can they accomplish that with ancient time engineering, just smaller in scale to the Roman aqueducts. I am glad I did not destroy the century old systems.

I decided to make my stay in a more remote little old village Shuhe, 2 miles out side of the old town Lijiang, to avoid the modern exploitation of historic towns by American commercialism. Their fast food restaurants destroyed the tranquility of the landscape.

This compact little village Shuhe hidden in the forest is a well-preserved example of a town along the ancient tea horse route and one of the earliest settlements of the ancestors of Naxi people. The smooth flagstones remind me of their flourishing past. At the center of town along the steam was the not so over developed entertainment district, with many weeping willow planted on both side of the banks, and many wooden cross bridges along the waterways. They also used a lot of traditional long red lanterns to lights up the front of the restaurant, and the waterways, give it an ancient feel like you were transform back centuries while visiting the district at night.

The evening chills were chased away by the warmth of cider pin wood fire in metal bowl place along the river. Tourist and local gather around the fire to keep warm. Further at the back of the town I found farmland that is full of seasonal vegetables ready to be harvested for the morning or the night market all around town. This is a real local town where family still live and many open their home as B&B Inns with much local charms.

I learn that in ancient times, this area is the important stop for (The Southern Silk Road town) otherwise also known as the Tea and Horse Road. It had its start from Burma, crossed Lijiang, Shangri-La County, Tibet, and journeyed through Iran, ultimately to the Mediterranean Sea. There is a museum in town showcase it glorious past. I did not know anything of the southern Silk Road and it’s contribution to the development of the Southwestern part of the remote Chinese territories. Now I do.

I was excited that I was able to go visit a Tibetan temple near by the next morning, I was looking forward to be greeted by a grand entrance to the main court, white washed walls with gold roof, high up in the mountain top, with colorful pray flags dancing in the wind. Instead the car drops us off by an almost invisible footpath leading up the hillside thicken with pine tress. I thought the driver was joking especially it is 7AM and I did not have any breakfast yet.

Well, I thought it may not be too high a hill to hike, but I see no monastery anywhere, besides I just arrive a day before at this high elevation city, not sure if hiking without oxygen before my body adjust to the environment is a smart thing to do, in fact it could be a deadly challenge. After all this is real life not your “Amazing Race or the Survivor serious”.

On the other hand how often I got to visit a monastery so inaccessible. Curiosity took the better part of me, I made no complains just follow the program. I think the nature guide knew what was on my mind. He made many short stops knowing I need to catch my breath with out making a fuss about I am not in the top of my form. That was appreciated.

The first stop that morning was on one of the vista point overlook the city. It is actually no more than a little opening among the thick pine forest I can stand on the edge of the cliff on a hanging rock and look forward. To my surprise, I saw the most glorious sunrise over the old town it is surreal like a movie set. The tile roofs the towers were all painted by the morning light with a faint touch of gold. The pale blue morning sky, the crisp clean air hit my face, I was lost for a moment to the beauty of the surrounding was only awoke by the guide gave me a wild apple he pick from the tree by the side of the cliff. I accepted the apple rather reluctantly, am I really supposed to eat this wild things just pluck from the tree? It did not look clean with little brown spot all over it; on the other hand I did not know when would I see civilization like the most admired 7/11 store again, what is in my hand is the only source of food up to that point. So I accepted the challenge, and took a bite with my eyes closed. Wow it was amazingly delicious, sweet and juicy… May I have the other one too….

Next, it was lesson of conservatism. The guide point out the bald spot on the hillside was because the villagers were systematically destroying the forest, using it’s natural resources for housing materials, furniture’s and firewood’s. It was sustainable in the centuries past with slow growth in populations in the area. However with the huge demand on export in recent years on raw materials, the supply from the surrounding forest were severely depleted, more old growth came down everyday in an alarming rate, I saw large track of land were being clear-cut. The locals are destroying their own paradise on earth?

On happier notes, I was shown the botanical specimens’ being used by locals for centuries as herbal remedies for very specific diseases along the trail, it was and still is collected at different seasons. It is like a giant open air Walgreens, except this pharmacy is free. You can pick this weed mix with that flower or leaves ground it down and make tea, and it will help relief symptoms or cure diseases. If you make a mistake picking the wrong leave you will end up express to heaven faster than calling 911.

As we walk along I almost forgotten the pain of hiking up hill, when I finally saw a charming old monastery appear behind the thick forest of pine trees. I rush forward to get a glimpse, to my surprise this was not an imposing monastery, I felt cheated. It was just a tiny humble monastery in the tranquility setting among this pine forest, while the beams of morning light mixed with a little fog streaming through the colorful pray flags and between the pine trees. There was no sound, no prayers, the monks pray in silence, lack of the pageantry of larger monasteries, but the birds were singing and wind touches my face gently. I was totally absorbed by the beauty of this little piece of paradise. I wish you were there, there is no spoken word can expressively and accurately describe the feeling of inner peace I achieve that morning up in that mountain monastery.

The trip continued after a country lunch.

Next I visited the house of an Austrian American Explorer, geographer, linguist and botanist Joseph Francis Charles Rock, a colorful character with larger than life persona and his contributions to botanical knowledge were significant, he is also the first one preceding all others that Yunnan is one of the most interesting botanical hot spot in the world, and indeed he was right. The house he rented is now a local museum located in an undeveloped village of Nguluko (Yuhu), outside of the city of Lijiang.


   

I am glad I had the opportunities to visit the rugged shack of a house he called home. Saw his work and photos of his expedition in its original form, as if he is still living there. The house is furnished with his original bed and writing desk, and the infamous campus bathtub he insisted on taking with him on all his expeditions. I wonder how he can survive the harsh winter condition in this mountain region, without any western comfort he use to. I was humbled after my visit.

While I was still thinking about Dr. Rocks, I enter another tiny Baisha mountain village to meet Dr. Ho. Before our meeting, I never dream of someone living in such a remote village running his Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Chinese herbal Medicine Clinic, can achieve a legendary status of international fame.

Dr. Ho is an energetic 90 years old, spoke 5 different languages, when he found out I was from the USA, he grab my hand proceed to show me all the old newspaper articles written about him. His clinic is free to anyone interested in a consultation, and he had patients arriving everyday from all over the world. No appointment was needed. His wife a stately beauty of 85 with little words was busy sorting and drying herbs in the garden. I wonder how can Dr. Ho do it without the access of Internet, or the all powerful media machine to make him famous all over the world. I have no answer for it, may be he had high speed Internet hidden from pain sight? It was an eye opening experience.

All these encounters helps me to understand if I have a clear vision and focus on what I want to do with my life, and do it out of love and not greed or fame, we will all have a happier and rewarding life. May be we can live in our own paradise on earth, wherever it may 

be, and doing works that is of substances to out societies instead of wasting away in the corporate world.

Live simple, especially around the holidays, think again, do we really need that new coat we cannot afford or the expensive electronic device we wanted to have. Do we? All the people I encountered in this remote village they had none, some time even the most essential like heat in the winter, and yet they are at peace with themselves, doing great work, my salute to them.

Chance Encounter Lijiang Yunnan China.