Travel Notes | Exploring the Forgotten Village—Yuhu Village (16)

I went to Yuhu Village on the second day after coming to Lijiang, which was September 25th.

Yuhu Naxi Village is located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and is named after the local lake "Yuhu". This place is a niche attraction, and there is nothing special about it. It is just a typical ancient village. There is a lake not far from the village called Longnu Lake, and a lonely tree stands in the lake. An ordinary mountain scene.

But I have been to this place twice, and I quite like it. I also believe that everyone who comes here will love it.

The first time I went to Yuhu Village was with Xiaofeng. Speaking of Xiaofeng, this is the second time I have met her. The first time was many years ago in Shenzhen. We went out at dawn that day and arrived at our destination just after 9 o'clock. We had the idea of ​​leaving early and returning early because she had a flight to catch in the evening.

The bus took us to Yuhu Square. As soon as we got off the bus, a local came over and asked: "Do you want to experience horse riding and go around the lake?" We chose to walk there, which was only 1.8 kilometers away. Walking around the village, there are stone houses arranged everywhere. They are probably built with dry stones from the foothills of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. They look very strong. I don’t know how they were built up. Horses are also a major feature here, almost every household has one. Whether in the past or now, horses play an important role in the Tea Horse Road and local farming and transportation. Now you can also experience horse riding and tea horses here. ancient road. A sense of natural change arises spontaneously.

The earliest residents of Yuhu Village were those who protected the palace and raised deer for the Naxi king, so it was also called "Chuankuoluo". Yuhu Lake and Snow Mountain Deer Farm are also often mentioned in Naxi folk songs. The ancient Qiang people, the ancestors of the Naxi people, went through a long migration from the northwest region of China and settled in the Yuhu Village area. Today, there are currently 383 households.

One hundred years have passed, and Yuhu Village still maintains its appearance a hundred years ago. This is difficult to achieve in today's fast-paced society, and it is difficult for people to find a piece of pure land. In every corner of the village, everything seems to exude an ancient and simple atmosphere. Just take a photo and it will be a blockbuster, a blockbuster full of historical atmosphere. Nowadays, Yuhu Village has the reputation of "the first village in the snow mountain". It is far away from the hustle and bustle, quiet and isolated.

When it comes to Yuhu Village, we have to mention that Joseph Locke, a famous explorer and photographer from Austrian-American National Geographic magazine, came to Lijiang in 1922 to collect plant specimens. Soon after, he discovered this paradise on earth and lived here. During his 27 years of working here, he completed a large number of works on Naxi culture and brought these works to countries around the world. He can be called a pioneer of Naxi studies. This land became famous because of his research contributions. However, the land he occupied was surprisingly undeveloped and maintained its appearance a hundred years ago. In memory of Locke, a memorial has been built where he lived, which houses some of the artifacts he used in his work.

After walking past Locke's former residence, we continued to follow the navigation and came to Longnv Lake. The road was easy to walk. The weather was cloudy on one side of the sky that day, and it was about to rain heavily, while the sun was shining brightly on the other side. Maybe we came early, or maybe it’s a niche attraction with few people, so the two of us took over the entire lake. There were only a few locals holding horses waiting for business.

After a while, dozens of motorcycles came and practiced back and forth not far away. I didn’t see it clearly at the time. I thought it was the traffic police here to practice their riding skills. In fact, it was just a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who were preparing to ride far away to get familiar with the new motorcycles. vehicle. This is the busiest time.

We stayed for more than an hour and then left. It was indeed a bit cold, maybe because it was still early and the weather was average.

The second time we came to Yuhu Village, we rode a small electric donkey. We were accompanied by Danzi, Yang Qiang, Lu Xi, and Zhiqiang. We rented a car from Shuhe Ancient Town and set off. This day is October 5th, many days have passed since the first time.

Lu Xi took us on an unconventional path, and we went all the way through mechanical farming, which was a special test of our skills. Precisely because we chose this kind of road, we saw a herd of cows grazing. Riding on this kind of road can release our emotions and bring out the best in our nature. Are we the ones riding? No, it is our free souls wandering in the mountains and wilderness. It feels great to follow your companions through the mountains and wilderness! The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance and the Gesang flowers on the roadside are all beautiful scenery on our way. Maybe the important thing is not the scenery, but that our hearts are happy.

We rode to Longnu Lake. It was already afternoon and there were many people, including those taking wedding photos and those riding horses. We just took a look and left. After passing Yuhu Village, choose a road to return. Halfway through, we turned into a prairie again, and the view instantly broadened. We didn’t want to leave if we stayed here. If it hadn't been for the sun setting and the temperature plummeting, we wouldn't have even planned to leave. Is it the scenery here that retains us? No, it’s the free soul who doesn’t want the journey to end so soon, because everyone has to leave Lijiang the next day to perform their duties and go back to work hard.

Whether walking or riding, the scenery you see and the feelings you get are different, but the same thing is that they are looking for a place to empty their souls, put aside all their worries and come to this place where they are isolated from the world, hoping to Be purified.

Although I was born in a rural area, I am not a fan of cities with tall buildings and busy traffic. I still like this kind of primitive small village. I like this kind of original ecology that is hidden in the city. Maybe it is closer to the authenticity.

I hope that no matter how far we go, we will still be young when we come back.