Luxi city Pu - Xiangziyan
Shen Congwen

From Yuanling along the Yuanjiang River upstream, one hundred and forty in Xiangxi coal production to the famous place in Chenxi county. Should be after Luxi County, meter sixty li, for the day by Yuanling of upriver boat a station, and also is Dong River (Luxi) and hydrated yuan flow. Then on the sixty, named Pu City, which is under the jurisdiction of Luxi County, a golden era has over the past forty years, water pier. Then on the twenty in Chenxi County, Chenxi in the Yuanshui River at.
From Yuanling to Chenxi, the road, more in the mountains, not by the Luxi, without Pu city.
In many travels, multi load and Yuanshui River Basin in the middle, relics along the cliff ancient cave dwellings, red ocher huts or warehouse, speaking very touching. If a traveler thinks it is worth a look, he should take a boat. The cliff with the Yuanshui River Basin many riverside cliff like, are made of limestone. This especially famous cliff, is in Luxi Pu City, named Xiang Ziyan. The ochre wooden cabinet generally square wood, today there are three five well in its cutting rock crevice between the empty stone. This is really the dwelling hominid remains, or ancient barbarian bones storage cabinets, can make nothing of it. For the significance of the existence of it, it should be some of the more ancient records or legends, the time for a long time, they lost.
The following paragraphs cite the text, from a few years ago I picked a book:
[Luxi] Luxi county is surrounded by mountains, the river gorge in midstream to. The location in the Dong River and Yuan River confluence, the river boat close to the edge of the city, the river boat about 1/3 miles to the city. (commonly known as Dong River river, known as the Yuanshui river.) Dong River source in Miao Town, only about fifty years at estuary small black hole River boat. Get a small boat head kerchiefs seedlings, flower bag PA, waist skirt. There are people in white and delicate, speak a mouth to sing and refined and cultured. Dong River water rushed out high, the riverbed is turning slue, upriver boat here, are not suitable to use wind to sail, where boats into the river. Here, to sail about into a bundle, as a special mark, storage in the shops in the city, waiting for cargo down again. By train the Yuanshui merchant Chenzhou, sixty years for a large, docked in Luxi for a certainty. Pu City downstream boat if the predetermined day could not get to the Chenzhou, also in the night. But the two terminals to business have been snatched a day, although here a number of ships moored, town business is extremely thin. Along the river on the one hand, nor a stone wharf, ships were in the mud and mud embankment under the beachhead.

To fall rain, braving the rain, from the mud into the town street. The business street Jiang Westerners cloth shop, cabinet sitting in the white haired old woman, a solemn silence like a statue of buddha. Big boss had nothing to do, only protrudes belly, crossed his hands, the foot began to become the character, standing on the edge of the threshold on the street rain or snow water flowing along the eaves trance. The footpath stone built the narrow alley, children carry large and simple umbrella, ringing very lonely sound spikes. If the weather seimei, stone city proper sunset, battlements and towers are for the setting sun fall yellow day lining of the clearly orotund contour. Every hill are plated on a sheet of gold, is a river full of floating oar song. Is such a small town, but out of a write "Japan's lack of fear," Mr. Gong Debai.
This is a former prosperity and the decline of the pier.
The prosperity of the local vertex is thirty years ago, one of the reasons is every three month, please bring the Phoenix Town Hall Gan and Chenyuan Yongjing soldiers taotai guards the fourteen million taels of Xiangyin, many ships in the province so far, by the overland route Inn will be delivered to the silver.
Please pay officer and soldiers in escort was a job, money, money. At that time the river The Strip is often two or three thousand new oil oil basket in the sun.
Along the seven with a stone pier, half often parked strong tall four scull five class tanker. In addition, many ships from the downstream to salt, cotton cloth, cotton yarn, and Sichuan needed foreign goods. Sichuan border by land to the cinnabar, mercury, ramie, gallnut, raw and cooked herbs, this is also reproduced delivery. Wood floating down the river and, often half of the river is that the raft.
The local market is out of paper, firecracker, fat people, a pig. The river is wide and abnormal, dock clean and tidy.
At the end of the street is a long lake, the river is a small beach, whenever the dusk of the evening sunset sink into the earth, heaven Muyun is dark purple sunset the frit residual, help ship top-down, rowing boats moored in people near shore before, in full of the river mist, floats in the evening Twilight reminders of the scull song is a magnificent rare with songs of joy enthusiasm!
After 1911, the new army often years ago to mobilize, part of the province Zhongxie rates also by adjusting measures in likin. A short period of time instead of Xing affion transit, most by Guangxi road exit. All consumer shops are shrinking, leaving only some of the raw materials of the commercial vessels in the past. So a lot of financial activities, the source, the city consumer business is hit by a, narrows the scope, along with the effect to a series of small shops.
Now everything is gone, the river all the dock is in shreds and patches. A small boat parked at a pier, a total of twelve boats. In addition to a ship carrying the square column shaped hair iron, a ship carrying Chenxi coal, is there to sign the cargo, other ships seems to have parked for several days, no goods can be loaded, they both looked very lonely, tight squeeze in one place. Several boats are still small mast or penny hanging a woven with bamboo cable circle, as "the ship sold" wait for a sign of the Lord.
[Xiangziyan] that day is May fifteen, people in the country over the Dragon Boat festival.
Three of the most beautiful caves in the Dragon Boat Xiangziyan, were all out of country people floating in the water. The vessel narrow and long, the depiction of Zhu Hong lines, the whole ship filled with young Raoshou, head of the red cloth wrapped around the waist. The drums from the Department, the ship as a no arrow, in the tranquil lake and long fei. The riverbed is about a mile wide, on both sides of people who saw the boat, shout to. And something good from the back of the mountain climbed to hanging rock top up, the Melastoma dodecandrum "Bai Zi edge gun from the high rock throwing, as edge gun in mid air burst, formed a round confetti clouds of dust. Peng Peng Peng Peng the edge and surface ships and the corresponding sound of gongs and drums for history, caused by a fantasy, a little emotion.
Two thousand years ago the Chu exiled official Qu Yuan, if not be banished, crazy to the place full of singular brilliance, witnessed by the thrilling scene, two thousand years people reading, perhaps there is no blessing read "Nine Songs" the article, Chinese literature history wouldn't like the way they are now. In this long period of time, the number of people in the world have fallen, aging, and perish. As known as a piece of land in the great powers in East Asia, have how many times from the barbarians in the desert, Zhuang fat of horse riding, armed with crossbows and stiff bows, spears Euphorbia everywhere trampled! However everything in this place, although in history is still constantly killing, contention, and to regime change, sent people responsible for various unfortunate fate, dead died, live forced hair, haircut, in life by restrictions and domination. However, careful thinking, these people seem to have nothing to do with the history of progress. It seems from the methods they cope with survival and excretion of feelings of entertainment, even if the same is present.

The sun falls clouds light, both sides gradually disappeared in the gentle dusk.
Both sides see ship shouts less. The river is a haze shrouded, apart from the sound of the drums can identify those boats have no direction, in addition to see.
However cliff gap is noisy, and the smell of a child crying, women sharp cries and comprehensive give a person a kind of carefree feeling. After a long time, the sound of gongs and drums are still in the river floating, said a group of people are not willing to leave the boat, turning home. Until the dinner, climbed out of the cabin to see, ah, a full moon! The moonlight stone with the river, all the silver, has been completely transform a tune. Cliff gap at the water edge of the pier, there are people with waste bamboo cable or diesel oil burning smoky, fire sees many people wearing white people moving shadows. Those who are especially moving aboard, assigned to prepare dragon boat people. Original the young man drew a day boat, watching the boat has been cleared up, boating is not fun, three ships have to play in the middle of the night in the moonlight.
Mention this thing, make the person to feel poor Jian human language and that send voice, that kind of mood, really not in words can describe the exhaustive.
Each of these people to the big dragon boat festival season, the river playing all day dragon boat on an average day, but each in a separate, very simple the day down.
Daily watch ships rowed to sail, and watch the sunset with the birds. Although there are personnel on the small gains and losses, to grudge dispute into a ball when it happened one after another to celebrate or vendetta. However from the said to, these people life seemed with "natural" have mutual fusion, easily the where as the lives of their, and other inanimate matter as. However, in the sun, the moon and the lifting of continual alternately in radiation and decomposition. And in this process, people is how small things, these people than any philosopher in the world, also seems to know more.
These do not live up to the natural person and nature, no compromise, responsible for the history, living in this nobody knows where. And there are still a number of people with nature without compromise, come up with a variety of methods to control nature, in violation of the natural habit, also do continual alternately, watching the movements of the sun and the moon. However, the latter is in the change history, history. A new moon, will destroy the old things.
We should use what kind of method, we can make the hearts of these people feeling a "fear", and give up the attitude to natural peace, re gust of strength, is zoned Dragon Boat spirit alive? These people in the entertainment frenzy, proving that this craze makes them with occupy a piece of land in the world, live more happy for long. But who is to transform these people enthusiasm to a new competition? (from "trip to Hunan") this hope in Pu city itself is no conclusion.

Pu town and pig fat people, not only because of the time, has been almost "lost", asked the local people do not understand. Keep it with the name of the Yuanshui Valley people also know that there is a "Pu", all pull guns and actors. Yuanshui Valley people in distress like to use edge gun, marriage funeral with it, sailing on the beam with it, shuttle guests and relatives with it, sell a pig to buy cattle also uses it. Almost nothing don't need it. The side gun need to mesotrione and paper, Pu City good denitrification, and bamboo. Pu city edge gun is very cheap, very loud, so the supply of guns in Yuanshui river side, most from Pune city shops arranged. Pu people happy play, and understand the play. In August two farming starting or ending, people need to reward land, but also the need of public entertainment. So often have to accumulate in the pedestrian head part, invite large wooden puppet team to act. This theater role both neat, beautiful costumes, with the most famous place of pu. Pu town river downstream of the three towers, local legend tower with live the demon. Legend has it that really is too old, because of the flooding Jinshan Temple Xiwen. However, because of the popular legend, so the tower seem very new. The town has a temple on the river, Jiang Dong si. Ancient pine trees in the temple to five hands can hold I wish the old plum trees have three cubits high, bloom like a tree crimson snow, whispering by one inch thick. Temple side of the hospital erected a runner, wood for the third year, four feet, up and down with a big iron shaft. The wooden handle and three five people held the carved leading turn it, like the sound of the Dragon Ming, shrill and long, very touching. According to records of imitation Longsheng production, turning it in the middle of the night, ten miles away can hear clearly. Local Legends of the world a total of 3.5 runner, Pu City, one of the. The Tang Dynasty temple or the Black Knight weichijingde built. On the architectural style, it is the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty rebuilt. Local people long timber puppet show, Xiwen than black Erhualian rounded out the red face blaze story, weichijingde in Xiwen is a member of the valiant, so farfetched to go up to the temple, is also very natural. Pu city terminal is decline, thirty years ago a smash hit businesses, migration, migration, bankrupt, the great temples repeated troops, in recent years flowering trees have been completely destroyed, and temples have been broken into a pile of rubble. Just singing master, there are three five people, in which famous Yuanshui River basin. Most of the puppet is sung with the suona and pitched, with, in the field to sing, sentiment is solemn. Every cauliflower Huangzhuang corn harvest, these people and opera boxes everywhere you go to, in the field held in front of a small temple, distance in ten women young and old, many change clothes, young women to wear bulky silver, and some also carry their own bench, carrying a lunch box, run to the theatre, a theatre while eating something. The actor in good voice, good way to make the puppet vivid expression, often local young woman.
In winter ten singing with the twelfth lunar month, the addition of a house, rushed to the town of Fenghuang County Changchou God Nuo may play. This Thanksgiving play with the common situation is completely different, all by Miao Wu as the main body, the play the country, follow the wizard behind Ji seedlings before God, singing in the courtyard. Or ask each other, or a way of classical chorus. Held in the fire play under the night, dawn stop singing. In multi task fun nature, as usual, is not required money reward, only eating a meal of trouble, the ritual finished and transferred to another. All the way reminiscent of "A Midsummer Night's dream" Xiang drama scene, carpenters, masons, butcher, clothing people, without exception, to participate. Play on the local scenery were humorous and satirical, healthy and happy, "the Greek mime" taste. Don't string, not only with the suona, gongs and drums, you must end the chorus, the audience can also sing. The end gave "some", or "bluegrass and some words," to that of "Chu Ci" in the end the use of the word "evocation". Midnight opera singing, profile soil freezing, desolate gongs and drums, children have been on the altar nap sleep, the wizard will make person deacon rekindle the wax, Tim for offering, wizard for wear scarlet embroidered Satin Robe, copper Jian Jin brush in hand, the beating of a drum like thunder, sing the silent, solo dance entertainment gods and excited the audience. The last drop for food and drink you. Dewa everyone refreshed after the drama team re often these singing to the end of the Suimu, with the income pig meat (Lamb will take the hind legs, with the tiny tail). The size of rice cake, and happiness and fatigue, their home for the new year.

In the Pu town head to the west, you can see the mountains on a white, pointed to a transparent blue sky. Baita Chenxi County Feng Shui, Chenxi County in a lower position. The tower in the river on the mountain river, "Jin Tan silk", fishing people to put a pound of raw silk legend to the end. Jin Tan silk side is a cliff, mottled colors, such as brocade embroidery. The cliff is often parked a hundred small fishing boat, each ship was five seven black Osprey keeper. The birds had nothing to do, often squatting on the ship's side on the top wing, or silent dozing off. Thousands of surplus tired Baiyi Qi in Pingtan water fishing, called a spectacle, we can see that humans and other biological cooperation, competition for survival in nature, although everywhere must fight, but everywhere to see the harmonic. Xiangziyan is also a list of colored mottled walls, about three or four years, belong to the nature of the limestone. A new cutting such as cutting cliff linjiang. The river is deep and blue, the big fish, so many fishing boats. Many of the cave, the local people in the long dragon boat in May. There are people rock gaps, such as increasing the painting as creators, like the heart without the size of the house with the heart. The most interesting place vacant or that the air from the point of the cliff ochre huge wooden cabinet. Do not stick next day, late spring, the remains of ancient legend in the cave. The dragon boat races when the surface of the spectacular, ordinary people is not easy to get this kind of pleasure, it is not easy to imagine it moving about. In sunny weather, the day the west, thin clouds in the sky by the white to grayish purple. A small fishing boat moored under the cliff, the wet wood burning cook, smoke by wet, flat surface, such as a flat piece of white curtain. Three five mallard widgeons, fresh water swept fly away, disappear in the weimang in. All the beautiful and slightly melancholy.
To cut a sketch on paper, you can become a good painting in Song dynasty. Eyeful is a kind of pure poetry, poetry. Another form of life performance, that is, people and nature fit, regardless of the performance of each other, where you can contact the senses. A person if the patient, in this context, feel or can not be melted the whole personality, are at least willing to temporarily forget all the ukiyo Ying disturbance. Reality does not make people drunk, but thought-provoking. Over time, he seems to see 5000 years ago in the waist skin hand axes of heroes, to carefully design, wood dyeing with rutile powder coated, scaffolding to a cliff high above the scene. Think about two thousand years ago, Qu Yuan, Zhongzhi and not see the letter, was exiled after riding a leaf boat drifting on the river, no hope will not help the situation. More likely to be concerned about the future fate of this place, although life and nature of the contract, if not idea transformation, but will inevitably and nature the same fate, another powerful trained outsiders to conquer the control, finally the decline wiped out. Talking about it makes people suffer, because understand that the human being in a certain way to survive, by the times, will have a helpless pain. Compassion and responsibility will also arise spontaneously, feel ashamed to cheer up the necessity of seclusion.
Witness Yamakawa Mixiu so, "love" and "can not bear" will make people not dare to fall, can not fall. Therefore a conniving traveler, may wish to put down the car, convenient, by Yuanling by boat along the Yuanshui River upstream, with two days arrive Chenxi. Time is a little more and more income will.