From "Cliff Island" to "Mountain and Water Countryside"

On the second stop of this journey, we arrived at Huawu Village in the Hundred-Mile Gallery of the Wujiang River Source, Qianxi, Bijie. In the Miao language, Huawu means "village under the cliff." Its transformation is a vivid example of China's rural revitalization story. Many people learned about Huawu Village through the popular TV series "Deep in Wumeng." This drama not only showcases the magnificent landscapes of the Wumeng Mountains but also tells a touching story about the transformation of a "cliff village." Huawu Village was once isolated by mountains, with villagers relying on climbing the "hand-clawed rock" for travel, making transportation extremely inconvenient—it was truly a "cliff island." Today, a flat leisure trail has been built beside the hand-clawed rock, and a tourist road leads directly into the village. Huawu Village, relying on the stunning Wujiang River scenery and rich Miao culture, attracts more and more visitors. The Hundred-Mile Gallery of the Wujiang River Source features typical karst landforms, creating a unique landscape described as "mountains like the Three Gorges but waters surpass the Three Gorges, waters like the Li River but mountains surpass the Li River." The hundred-meter-high cliffs on both sides have been eroded by wind and rain over millions of years, forming magnificent murals such as the "Great Roc Spreading Its Wings," combining the grandeur of the Three Gorges with the elegance of the Li River, with peaks overlapping and varied shapes. Particularly remarkable is that the originally rapid and dangerous Wujiang River has formed tranquil and beautiful lakes within the karst plateau canyon, truly embodying the saying "a flat lake emerges from a high gorge," presenting the spectacular Hundred-Mile Gallery with "a line of sky above and a curve of water in the gorge." Last September, I hired a guide at the Maolan National Nature Reserve and hiked for six hours through the Maolan primeval forest. I love feeling my feet firmly on the ground, as if I can hear the breath and pulse of nature, which allows me to experience the vivid reality of nature and its magical power during exploration. The Hundred-Mile Gallery of the Wujiang River Source is just the same. I look forward to returning to the cliff village someday, staying for a few days, wandering through the mountain and water countryside.