Xinzhou, 4 April -- Topic: Skylight, clouds and shadows wander together: The source of the Fenhe River is as clear as a mirror

Written by Gao Ruifeng

The valley rain is half-over, and the Guanzhuo Mountain under the warm sun is lush. Next to the Thunder Ming Temple, a pond is clear and quiet, like a mirror, and the blue sky and smoke clouds are reflected in it. Traditionally, this area is regarded as the true source of the Fenhe River, which meanders southward for thousands of miles, stretching through most of Shanxi.

Dongzhai Town, Ningwu County, Shanxi Province, about 1 km northwest, a sweet spring gushes out from the leaky cliff, passes through the bottom of the Fenyuan Pavilion on three floors, and flows into a pool, the wall of the pool is engraved with the four characters "Fenyuan Lingnuma", the spring water through the pool from the mouth of the white jade dragon head, converged into a pond. The poet Yuan Hao asked Zeng Zan: "Guan Fenyuan big wheel, Pingquan Bazhang glass basin." ”

Ningwu, Shanxi, under Guanzhuo Mountain, next to Leiming Temple, a sweet spring gushes out from the leaky cliff and merges into a pond. Traditionally, this area is regarded as the true source of the Fenhe River. Photo by Gao Ruifeng

"Fenyuan Lingnuma" lost its color

Since the 20s of the 70th century, the coal industry has been the backbone of Ningwu's economy, extensive mining, coupled with excessive logging, the ecological environment of the source of the Fenhe River has deteriorated, the "glass basin" has degenerated into a "small puddle", and soil erosion has intensified.

"When I was a child, I used to play here, it was a small puddle, surrounded by barren grass and all kinds of garbage. Sometimes outsiders come and take a look. Han Haibing, a native of Dongzhai, recalled, "At that time, coal trucks were pulling coal trucks day and night, pressing the road into large and small pits, and you had to use a flashlight to shine on the road at night, or you would fall into the pit." ”

According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, "The mountain of Guanxiao, the water comes out." "Ningwu Fuzhi" contains: "Louzi Mountain, one of the peaks of Guanzhuo, there is a shrine in the western mountains, and the source of the Fenshui under the temple comes out, and there is an ancient stele carved with the cloud 'Fenyuan Lingswamp', and the years cannot be examined." ”

At that time, the source of the Fenhe River was rich in water and fertilizer, and the wood of the pipe could be bundled into a raft, and it flowed down the Fenhe River into the Yellow River, and Liu Zongyuan's "Jin Wen" has the record that "there are foreign materials in the North Mountain of Jin, and the craftsmen and craftsmen are the palace who ask for big wood, and the whole world is destroyed". After generations of logging, reclamation, and the rise of the coal industry, the source of the Fenhe River was eclipsed and the prosperity faded.

Since 1988, Ningwu has integrated coal mines, shut down polluting enterprises, promoted pollution control, greening and water control, continued to carry out comprehensive treatment of water and soil conservation in the upper reaches of the Fenhe River, treated river beaches, restored wetlands, and returned farmland to forest... Over the past few decades, the source of the Fenhe River has treated more than 300 square kilometers of soil erosion, reducing sand transport by more than 146.<> million tons per year.

In 2017, the Regulations on Ecological Restoration and Protection of the Fenhe River Basin of Shanxi Province were officially implemented, which explicitly prohibited the exploitation of mineral resources in areas such as the headwaters of the Fenhe River and the headwaters of major tributaries. With continuous governance, the ecology of the source of the Fenhe River is improving.

Ningwu, Shanxi, the source of the Fenhe River scenic spot. Photo by Gao Ruifeng

Beautiful scenery reappeared

"Trees were planted everywhere, and the environment was visibly better." Han Haibing, who often undertakes tree planting work, sighed, "For more than ten years, the places where trees can be planted in the barren mountains and bald mountains have basically been full of trees. In the early years, when planting trees, they needed to be watered, and it was not good to live without watering trees; In recent years, trees have been planted, no watering, and a cloud will rain if there is a random cloud. ”

Today, the source of the Fenhe River is rich in vegetation, blue sky and water, and beautiful scenery has reappeared, and its dense forests in Guanzhuo Mountain and the 10,000-year-old ice cave of Luya Mountain have become a famous tourist destination in Shanxi.

At the source of the Fenhe River, the distant peaks are verdant and the forest sea is vast; The pavilions in front of you are weeping from the willows. The warblers are in a hundred places, like a paradise. Climb to the top of the Thunder Temple, as far as the eye can see, the mountains converge, the green peaks through the clouds... Thousands of scenery and all kinds of styles can be seen.

Fenyuan Pavilion stands majestically and with flying cornices, and tourists will pass through its main hall to explore the jellyfish cave behind the jellyfish statue, and most of them will taste the Fenyuan spring water with a curious and reverent heart. Liu Lu, a girl from Taiyuan, couldn't wait to take a sip of the spring water that had just been poured into the bottle, slammed her spirit, and said with a smile, "It's so cold, it seems to be a little sweet." ”

"The source of the Fenhe River is so beautiful now." Han Haibing's words could not hide the pride, and the scene today is completely different from more than ten years ago. "The traffic is developed, the scenery is more beautiful, there are more tourists, and the villagers have opened homestays, farmhouses, and sold some local products, and their lives are very good."

From the "glass basin" to the "small puddle", and then to the blue water like a mirror, the change of the source of the Fenhe River reflects the great changes in the ecological environment of the Fenhe River Basin. From the source, the Fenhe River, which was once covered with scales and wounds, has new skin, and the picture of "blue water is as clear as promise, splendid into the painting", and the grand scenery of the big river of the past "Sufen has been in my home for thousands of years, and often remembers the Hun yarn to Hengmen" is reappearing. (End)