In those years, Hengshan Village was the biggest tea/horse trading place on the road. People brought other things too, such as books. Culture from the Central Plains area radiated to remote places via this road. Thanks to these age-old cultural exchanges, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar still maintain similarities in their language and customs with the Zhuang ethnic group in Guangxi.

    While the Southern Song and its sworn enemy the Kingdom of Jin were locked in a stalemate on the battlefield, the Mongols rose and quickly replaced the Jin as the Southern Song's number-one enemy – but they proved far more formidable. In a huge fire, Hengshan Village disappeared, leaving only remains here and there to remind later generations of its existence. These reminders are not lost, for local people today have established a historical site to boost local tourism. In July 2007, the local government made it the first "motorists' camping ground" in Guangxi, an agricultural tourism demonstration spot in the following year, and a National AAA scenic area in December the same year.

    Staying inside old style houses and waking up to bird twitters from trees outside the windows is a very enjoyable experience for many. This place, called Lotus World, tops the list of local eight famous landscape attractions. The moat around the ancient fortified village has a 1,000-year history, and was built by soldiers who were stationed here to guard this ancient village.

    Enjoying lotuses stretching into the distance and picking lotus seeds in drifting boats are activities often found in literary pieces. Yet unless you do it personally, you won't get their full taste.

    In modern history Tiandong held a special position. It has many sites of historical significance like boats, schools, and wharfs that the Red Army used. The factory that once produced uniforms for its soldiers is still here. In Baigu Red Army Village, 131 people from 85 of its 86 households joined the Red Army, and 16 died in battle. A People's Liberation Army general named Zhu Heyun is from this village.

    Local tourism is themed around "Red Army history" and agricultural production features rice and vegetables. And of course the villagers' lives are much better than before. All families have electric appliances and the majority have multi-story houses.

Chess-board Shore

    This shore is indeed a blessing from Mother Nature. Forty-five kilometers from the county seat, it is located in a mountainous area north of Tiandong, right at the foot of Lotus Mount.

    The shore has upper and lower parts, each pitted with row upon row of black boulders about 1-2 square meters in size, like pieces on a chessboard. Water trickles around them and converges before tumbling down a deep valley with a booming sound.

    A friend asked me if I played chess. "No I don't," I said. At this, he suggested I jump from one boulder to another. It dawned on me that I had become a pawn in someone else's game. How did this large chessboard, 210 by 150 meters, form? Some ascribe it to water flows, while others believe it came from an ancient lava flow.

    Looking up, I saw the Lotus Mount, the highest peak in Tiandong. Ancient trees in it are carefully preserved, but the most unusual are the bamboo varieties. Unlike those in other places, local bamboo has triangular or square tubes, believed to be a very old species from the dinosaur age.

    Close by is a gorge 50 meters long and 5-10 meters wide. With nice vegetation on either side, it makes a wonderful place for local people to have an outing.