Jiaju Tibetan Village and Shuopo Watchtowers
From Random Tales from the Middle Kingdom in Litang, China on Jul 22 '07
This entry is about:
see more photos »
The third day of our tour. We departed Rilong in the morning and spent the night in Danba. There were many points of interest during the day, however, some of the historical details are sketchy - the tour guide spoke only in Mandarin.
Shuangqiao Valley
Translates as Two-Bridges Valley. It was a 7km bus ride from Rilong to the entrance of the valley, followed by a transfer to a dedicated shuttle bus and a 35km trip to the head of the valley. It was drizzling and cool. Mountains towered over us and the Tibetan influence on the landscape was enident - Buddhist stupas, prayer wheels and the architecture of the homes. Following this we returned to the tour bus and journeyed along the Wuzi River, the sides of which comprised high rocky walls studded with Tibetan homes.
see more photos »
The Red Army and their Long March
From October 1934 to October 1935 the leaders of the Communist Red Army, including Mao Zedong, marched through rugged terrain from Yudu in Jiangxi Province to Yan'an in Shaanxi Province. The epic journey was undertaken to escape the forces of the Kuomintang, the Chinese Nationalist Party, led by Chang Kai-shek, who desired to stamp out the communists who threatened their rule. The comunists started their retreat with a 90000-strong force which was whittled away by conflict, infirmity, desertion and the elements to a mere 20000 troops on their arrival in Shaanxi, having covered a distance of 8000km on foot. We passed several sites of historical interest. At Da Wei there was a monument commemorating the joining of two divisions of the Red Army. The communists had split into numerous army divisions to make thir capture and defeat more difficult. At Xiao Jin, where we stopped for lunch, another monument celebrated one particular happy occasion for the Red Army boys.
see more photos »
Xiao Jin Township
This is Grace's favourite town on our travels so far. We walked down the colourful and lively main street and I ate some local "pancakes" and roti containing potato. Immediately to our left was a small Hui Restaurant, occupying a narrow shopfront, where we stopped for lunch. Having already eaten I watched Grace consume a large bowl of thin noodles with beef and vegetables. The restaurant was managed by two sisters. The son of the cook was sitting at a table next to ours doing his English homework.
see more photos »
A short stroll took us to the Red Army Party Monument. While photographing the obelisk four young girls appeared from between the two stone pillars forming the monument. "Hello. Hello." they called. They followed Grace and I.
"Hello. What country are you from?"
"Australia", Grace answered.
"Oh" the eldest girl said. "What time is it?"
see more photos »
"It's 2.30 in the afternoon".
"Well, we'll be dancing here at 3 oc'lock".
And with that, the skipped of and continued to watch us from a distance, occasionally venturing close enough to yell out "hello" again. We boarded our bus and headed to Danba.
Jiaju Tibetan Village
see more photos »
This archetypal Tibetan village is located 7km from Danba by a narrow but sealed mountain road. The name "jiaju" means "one hundred families" in Tibetan. The tiered village extends to the base of the sacred Yaxiao Mountain. An information board at the entrance to the village informed us that the "elegant white Tibetan houses embelish in forest on the hill which scattered all over like stars in the sky". It continued, "the green trees and Tibetan houses and terraced fields form a beautiful picure feeling like heaven on earth". The houses indeed were dotted on the hillside scattered amongst corn fields. At this altitude and distance from the large cities, we had escaped the pollution to reveal a sky that is as pristine and blue as we're accustomed to in Australia. We explored a Tibetan home, complete with satellite dish, and sampled their tea which was salty and unpalatable.
see more photos »
The return trip to Danba was delayed by a broken-down tractor. The bus attempted to edge past the stranded vehicle but it was very tight and people on board became edgy. At this point several of the guys piled out of the bus and lifted the tractor out of the way.
Shuopo Watchtowers
These structures are found just out of Danba. Ther'ye at least 1200 years old and were used to warn the local villagers of invading forces. Precariously perched in various vantage points on a grassy hillside overlooking the river below, they appeared as lonely soldiers faithfully maintaining an eternal and silent vigil for the protection of the villagers.
see more photos »
Danba
Stayed ovenight at the Danba Holiday Hotel. Disagreed with the receptionist who wanted to take our passports and take them to the local police elsewhere in town. We said, "no way" and grabbed the passports back. We avoided the front deskwhen leaving the hotel,though, they said nothing more about it. Dined on Tuar Jie Jie Street at another restaurant called "Eat to the Sky" restaurant. We consumed two large bowls offried rice - one with egg and the other with strips of beef. Then wandered along Jiarong Bu Xing Jie Street, a wide paved well-lit area without cars, and harbouring plenty of shops.
Get your free travel blog
Do you have your own experience to share? Signup for your free travel blog »
Would you like to comment or ask a question?