Anlong: Po
Anlong: Poetry and Distant Places Amidst the Mountains and Rivers of Guizhou
If the landscapes of Guizhou are poems left behind by immortals, then Anlong is the most graceful chapter. The fragrance of lotus blossoms permeates the weathered city walls, the afterglow of the Southern Ming Dynasty rests on the upturned eaves, and Zhang Zhidong's "Record of the Half-Mountain Pavilion" imbues this land with a thousand years of literary fragrance. If you haven't yet set foot here, let the lotus breeze caress your brow, let the stories flow through your heart, and in the ethereal beauty of the karst landscape, encounter a romance that transcends time.
At dawn, a thin mist veils the Zhaodi area. The ten-mile lotus pond slowly unfolds in the morning light, layers upon layers of lotus leaves like emerald paths, dewdrops trembling on the tips of the leaves, awakening the sleeping lotus pods. A ray of morning sun rises from the eaves of the Drunken Lotus Pavilion, the sound of wooden pestles mingles with birdsong, the laughter of women washing clothes startles the fish in the pond, and the breath of those jogging at dawn has already blended with the fragrance of lotus blossoms. Back in the 28th year of the Daoguang Emperor's reign, the 11-year-old Zhang Zhidong penned "A Record of Banshan Pavilion" here. The lines "Ten thousand mountains converge, a river encircles" resonated with the youthful talent and the spirit of the landscape, creating the timeless masterpiece, "The First Pavilion in Southwest China."
At the ruins of the Southern Ming Palace, glimpses of its former glory can still be seen amidst the broken walls and ruins. The ochre palace walls have faded to a pale lotus root color, only the corner tower ridge beasts still stubbornly hold their heads high, as if guarding the Yongli Emperor's never-returning imperial carriage. Inside the museum, the mottled patterns of the ram's horn-shaped bell and the faded characters of the secret edicts silently tell the final tragic song of the Southern Ming, causing one to pause and sigh.
The soul of Anlong is hidden in the warmth of a lamp's oil. During the Daoguang era, Prefect Zhang Ying's act of "adding oil to the lamps" for impoverished scholars gave rise to the famous saying, "The prefect adds oil to the lamps, and the scholar leaps over the dragon gate." For 14 years, the constables traversed the streets and alleys, adding tung oil to the lamps of those reading late into the night. Those dripping oil stains eventually coalesced into a galaxy of stars bearing the words "Add Oil!" When Zhang Zhidong wrote "The Record of Banshan Pavilion," he probably never imagined that his father's lamp, burning late into the night, would become a spiritual spark for the entire nation. Today, Anlong has further refined this perseverance into the city's character of "Upholding Integrity and Perseverance, Achieving Success Through Endeavor."
If you want to experience the wildness of Anlong, Fangmais National Mountain Outdoor Sports Park is the perfect place. Rock climbers soar along steel cables along sheer cliffs, ATVs race across muddy tracks, and kayaks glide across the turquoise waters of the Raft River, splashing up tiny sparks of starlight. As evening falls, the sunset sinks into the cliffside infinity pool, and the Z Cliff Hotel, with its lava-themed atmosphere, lights up. Lying in bed, you can embrace the peaks and seas of clouds—a paradise for adventurers and a secret escape from the hustle and bustle.
Anlong's snacks possess a comforting, down-to-earth charm. The red oil rice noodles are particularly unforgettable; thin, translucent rice sheets wrap around sour soup and crispy pork cracklings, with optional additions of houttuynia cordata, and finally drizzled with a spoonful of secret-recipe red oil—the sour, spicy, and savory flavors explode on the tongue. Unlike the ubiquitous "trendy food streets" elsewhere, Anlong's snack streets are full of unique local flavors. This authentic, everyday life is what makes it so memorable.
This is the "Anlong" that Xu Xiake missed, the "dangerous frontier" described by Wang Fuzhi, and the Shangri-La in people's hearts today—a place where "beauty is not self-evident, but enhanced by people." When the lotus breeze sweeps through the town, carrying the rich aroma of wine and the melodious lingering notes of Buyi folk songs, you will understand: Anlong's beauty lies in the richness of its historical heritage, the poetic beauty of its landscapes, and the enduring romance of its everyday life. Beautiful scenery to please the eye, delicious food to soothe the stomach, and stories to nourish the soul. If you're looking for a health and wellness retreat in southwestern Guizhou this autumn and winter, Anlong is the place to be.