Wenxian
A Brief Survey
With its beautiful scenery and mild climate, Wenxian
has been known as Gansu' s "Xishuang Banna" (a subtropi-
cal area of Yunnan Province). It has an area of 4, 900 square
meters and a population of 210, 000, The highest point of
this county is 4. 187 meters above sea level while the lowest
is just 550 meters. Its annual average temperature is 15 de-
grees centigrade. Many plants usually found either in south-
ern or northern regions also grow well in this area. In addi-
tion to the major crops like wheat, rice, and corn; there are
also more than 1, 200 species of traditional medicinal herbs
and 300 species of economically valuable trees in Wenxiane s
forest-covered mountains. The main mineral resources are
gold, silver, copper, iron, and manganese.
Scenic Spots
Heavenly Lake
Lying in the Tianwei Mountains at an elevation of
about 2, 400 meters and about 100 kilometers north of the
county seat, it is one of the four famous heavenly lakes in
China. It~ s depth is 87 meters. It is shaped like a bottle
gourd and has a circumference of about ten kilometers. It
has nine !arge crooks and 108 small ones. A long time ago,
~,
an earthquake blocked'the river here;the water accumulated
behind the natural dam. and thus, the lake was formed. This
beautiful alpine lake is surrounded by fantastically shaped
peaks and dense forests where live many rare animals such
as golden.haired monkeys, leopards, antelope, musk deer,
golden pheasants and others, Many valuable trees such as
birch, Chinese pine, masson pine, spruce, and fir, which are
rarely seen in Gansu, also grow here. The lake reflects their
beauty with its clear-blue water rippling in the breeze, a de-
lightful, quiet, secluded retreat. Being in the remote moun-
tain area and far from industrial cities, the lake fortunately
has little pollution or man-made debris; therefore, it is pure
and clean, a ~Fairyland on Earth~L the "Land of Peach Blos-
soms", a land of tranquility away from the turmoil of the
world.
A trunklike hill stretches from the bank deep into the
lake, It is covered by huge. old trees twined around by wiste-
ria and rattan. Along the hillsides and on the cliffs, grow
many kinds of wild flowers and fragrant grasses, Boating on
the lake, you feel incomparably comfortable as you inhale
the fresh air, moisture laden, and heavy with the fragrance
of flowers. Watching the mist-covered waters, some beauti-
ful legends about the lake come to mind. One legend says the
waterfall flowing down from Zhaobi Mountain is a fairy' s
'ressing mirror; another says the Wuzhi (Five Fingers)
Springs are the five outlets poked there by a fairyt s five fin-
gers in order to drain off extra flood waters;there are many
more legends.
Sleeping in the remote mountain area for a long,long
time, Wenxiant s Heavenly Lake has received few visitors,
but it is just for that reason that it has a special charm. With
the development of Gansu tourism, it will attract more and
more visitors in the future.
Bikou--old Town
At Bikou, three provinces, Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan
meet: therefore, it has long been an important hub for land
and water transportation, Behind it stand high mountains
covered by grotesque rock formations, old trees, wild flowers
and lush grasses. In front of it flows the clear Bailong River.
Pingtao Mountain and 'Motialing Mountain are among the
more famous of the many mountains in this area. Bikou is
noted not only for its beautiful scenery but also for its im-
portance as a collection and distribution center for tradition-
al medicinal herbs and other native products produced in the
southern part of Gansu. One surprising thing is that in this
remote small mountain town there are rich gold resources,
and one of the largest gold prospecting boats in China oper-
ates here.
The Panda Habitat
Along the Baishui River and on the mountains which
have an elevation of 2. 000-3, 000 meters is one of the few
areas where the panda, one of the world' s rarest animals,
can live and reproduce freely. Here, Jian Bamboo, the panda'
s favorite food, grows in abundance. A panda-protection zone
has been established by the government. Additionally, a
special base has been set up at Qiujiaba for breeding, rais-
ing, and training pandas. More than ten pandas have been
sent out from this happy garden to other areas of China.
Folk Customs
Flower Picking Festival
In the mountain villages of Wenxian County lives an
ethnic group called the Di minority. Dressed and decorated
just like Tibetans, they are often mistaken for them, but
they are, in fact, Di not Tibetan. Some of their ancestors be-
longed to an army detachment of Tibetans sent to occupy
this area during the Tang Dynasty and they stayed here nev-
er to return to Tibet; during the centuries since, they have
fully assimilated with the Di people except for their form of
dress.
Each year, from May fifth to sixth of the lunar calen-
dar, they celebrate their Flower Picking Festival. The first
part of the celebration is to take water from the local
springs. It is said that on that day, water fetched before sun-
rise will make people lucky and healthy if they drink it or
use it to wash with. Later, when the sun rises, all the vil-
lagers dress in their holiday-best and joyfully give a warm
send-off to the girls who go to a certain mountain to pick
flowers. Gorgeously dressed and accompanied by their
brothers, these flower-picking girls head for "Cierkan", the
"Flower Mountain", laughing and singing all the way. The
destination is a steep mountain slope densely covered by
mixed trees, shrubs, grasses and, above all, abundant fra-
grant flowers. Wearing their bright costumes, these young
people make the place even more colorful and dazzlingly
beautiful. They sing while picking flowers, and later, in the
evening, they dance and sing around the campfires beside
which they will spend the night after singing and dancing to
their hearts~ content. Early the next morning, carrying bas-
kets full of flowers, herbs, and cypres branches on their
backs and with the girlst hair decked out in flower wreaths,
they head back home laughing and singing all the way. As
the parade approaches the village, their waiting families wel-
come them by setting off strings of firecrackers and wine is
presented to the girls, who, accompanied by the villagers, go
to the wheat-threshing ground. Here they all form a circle
and start their traditional group dancing. The festival ends
in a gay-hearted atmosphere.
Local Products
Wen Tang
This is a kind of Dangshen (Codonopsis pilosula--simi-
lar to ginseng)which grows in Wenxian. It has a special
chrysanthemumlike gross-grain ("wen") when sliced, hence
the name. Its quality is good and its medicinal effect effica-
cious, thus it sells well.
Jiachang Dried Persimmon
This dried presimmon is remarkable for its size, bright-
golden color, sweet taste, and delicate fragrance. Although
produced in a remote mountain area, it is well-known even in
Beijing and used to be presented as tribute to the imperial
court.
Walnuts
These thin-shelled walnuts are easy to crack and have a
high oil content and plump delicious meat. They are a top-
quality product.
Oranges
Wenxian is Gansu' s main orange production area. Re-
cently, good species of oranges have been introduced. As a
result, orange output is increasing yearly and planting or-
anges here is an economic activity with a great future.
Chestnuts
Wenxian ami other southern areas of Gansu abound in
chestnuts, which are noted for their nutritive and medicinal
values. Chestnuts can fortify the spleen and tone the liver.
Braised chicken cubes with chestnuts has long been consid-
ered an excellent dish for home and banquet.