In 1639, Xu Xiake, the legendary Chinese travel writer and geographer, went on a journey to Tengchong. Mesmerized by its rugged mountains, stunning hot springs and enchanting landscape, he lingered for 39 days and later recorded the scenery he witnessed into The Travel Diaries of Xu Xiake, a classic Chinese travelogue book.
382 years on, Tengchong, now a county-level city in southwest China's Yunnan Province, is still embracing travelers with its constant appeal and allure, the same beauty in the eyes of Xu Xiake, Tengchong's very first reviewer.
Harmony between humans and the environment
Upon landing at the Tengchong Tuofeng Airport, you can relate to Henry David Thoreau's words in his masterpiece Walden that "Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads." The misty hills stretching along the skyline are so vividly striking that your eyes need time to adjust and process. The marshmallow-like clouds decorating the azure sky hang so low that you may have the impulse to grab a piece. Such a landscape at the entrance of the city serves as a perfect invitation to the place.
Beauty has never been in short supply in Tengchong, which is home to plenty of scenic spots, wetlands and nature reserves. Among which, Heshun Ancient Town sets the perfect example of how to seek harmony between humans and the environment.
A tree, rainbow, and building, together with their reflections, form a picture-perfect landscape in Heshun Ancient Town, Tengchong County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 7, 2020. (People's Daily Online/Meng Bin)
Stepping onto the flagstone walkway in Heshun Ancient Town immediately brings you back to the primitive and idyllic life that is still lived by the town's some 6,000 inhabitants. Though now a national 5A tourist attraction with tens of thousands of visitors each day, the 600-year-old town still preserves its unsophisticated and unspoiled sides.
In the vast tracts of paddy fields that sit at the east corner of the town, farmers are busy collecting crop residues while happily acting as the background in photos taken by elated tourists. Occasionally, you can see grandmothers sitting on stone benches chatting about affairs in the local dialect or children running about the alleys, regardless of the passers-by that come from all across the country.
Villagers wash their laundry at the laundry booth in Heshun Ancient Town, Dec. 7, 2020. (People's Daily Online/Meng Bin)
If you visit the town on a sunny day, you may see villagers washing their laundry at the laundry booth, an old practice one can hardly find in the contemporary world that is filled with an assortment of washing machines. Hand-washed floral bed sheets and clothing are usually hung on the nearby branches or bridge railings before getting picked up at dusk, bringing with them the mellow smell of sunshine and grass to their owners' homes and dreams.
The residents of the town seem to always maintain a secluded state of mind. Even the animal dwellers won't be distracted by the flowing swarm of tourists. At times, you can witness a goose strutting by the pond, clucking hard to clear its way, or a flock of ducks walking slowly towards the water, aiming for afternoon snacks. Such scenes are always a reminder that we travelers are merely outsiders and observers. At the end of the day, this is the place those human and animal inhabitants call home.
The reflection of a yellow-green tree melts into the shimmering river at Heshun Ancient Town, Tengchong County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 7, 2020. (People's Daily Online/Meng Bin)
To develop tourism while minimizing its impact on the residents and the environment isn't an easy task. As Pu Yazeng, mayor of Heshun Ancient Town, puts it, continued efforts are needed to preserve and improve the town's ecology and environment.
"Take the town's aquatic ecology as an example. In recent years, we have built a sewage treatment plant and set up sewer lines to enhance the water quality," Pu told People's Daily Online. "For the next step, we are going to enrich the vegetation on the surrounding hills and upgrade the nearby forest land."
With all the endeavors to protect the ecology and environment, Pu Yazeng believes that the town can always be a place for tourists to find those feelings of nostalgia.
The remnant light at dusk gives a sense of tranquility and tenderness in Heshun Ancient Town, Tengchong County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Dec. 7, 2020. (People's Daily Online/Zhou Yu)
A symphony orchestrated by nature
