Qiannan Prefecture
– The Land That Time Forgot

Construction of the telescope is well underway. After it is completed, the powerful instruments will be turned to the sky to spy on the wonders of the universe. But there are wonders on earth as well, and some of them are right next to the telescope. Hiking around Dawohan, visitors can take in picturesque scenery of rising peaks, purple Chinese wisteria, karst caves and old, traditional villages.

There are many peculiarly shaped rocks around Pingtang County. For instance, there is one particular rock face in Cangzi Rock Valley that has cracked in a way to resemble the five Chinese characters “the Communist Party of China.” The locals call it “a letter from heaven.”

Getting to the valley where the rock is located requires hiking, but the route is lovely and dotted with creeks, waterfalls and bamboo forests. The uncanny inscribed monolith, called Hidden Words Rock, is actually at the end of the valley. It has split into two pieces, both of which are around seven to eight meters long and three meters high. There’s a gap of about a meter separating the two rocks, and the five Chinese characters are on the middle part of a fractured surface on the right-hand piece. The “writing” was actually formed naturally around 200 million years ago – when Guizhou Province was at the bottom of an ancient sea. One day, the logic goes, the huge rock rolled down from the top of an ocean peak into the valley and broke into two pieces. The fissures that make up the characters could actually be imprints of the fossils of brachiopods, according to scientific studies.

Fuquan and the Yelang Kingdom

Visiting Fuquan City, we leave the epic natural scenery behind and take a tour down history lane. Fuquan was the seat of Qieland Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), and was also the capital city of the ancient state of Yelang over 2,000 years ago. Plenty of historical sites have survived, and visitors today have plenty of choices.

The first site we visited in Fuquan was the ancient city wall. The city’s layout and construction techniques reflect the wisdom of planners during a period of war. Standing on the city wall, visitors gain a panoramic view of Fuquan. The city itself is divided into an “inner sanctum,” the middle “water city” and the outlying suburbs.

The inner city sits high on the top of a hill and enjoys a commanding position over the whole cityscape. A river winds downhill and connects the inner and outer city sections. The outer city stretches to surround three sides of the inner city – as protection in former times. The three parts form a staircase-style defense system. There are two stone arch bridges across the river to connect the inner and the outer city. Iron lock gates feature at the entrance to the bridges from the outer city, ostensibly to cut off the waterway and prevent sneak attacks. During the An Bangyan Rebellion against the Ming Dynasty from 1621 to 1627, Fuquan, thanks to its defenses, withstood and beat back an attack from 30,000-odd enemies with a skeleton army of a few hundred.

Six hundred years later, the city’s appearance hasn’t changed much. The river still flows and the four towering city gates still look magnificent – and imposing.

Within the broader Fuquan city limits lies Zhuwang, capital of the ancient Yelang Kingdom.

The ancient city wall.

Over 2,100 years ago, Yelang King Zhuduo is reputed to have rhetorically posed a question to a Han imperial envoy: “Which is greater, Yelang or Han?” In the end the king’s arrogance led to the state’s demise with the defeat of his 100,000-men army. Exactly how the Yelang faded away is something of an unsolved mystery. Today the historical ruins of the kingdom are still on display in Fuquan.

Within Zhuwang itself is a village called Yanglao. Most streets and lanes in the community are paved with blue slabstones, which at first glance appear to be very old. But there is no record proving the streets were paved when Yelang was at its prime.

Emperor Jianwen (1377-1402) of the Ming Dynasty fled to the region after a coup by his uncle, and left behind his inscription on the cliff of a lotus-shaped peak near the village. It reads “God-carved Lotus.”

The ruins of Zhuwang City attest to a well thought-out layout and an imposing array of grand architectural achievements. The streets are in a grid layout, the major thoroughfare eight meters wide. Lanes, four meters wide, branch off from it. The Yanglao River flows past the foot of the city. A 150-meter-long, 1.5-meter-wide and 2-meter-high tunnel connected the fortified city with the river. It was most likely used for obtaining water during times of war. There are five beacon towers on the mountains around the Zhuwang City. The soil around the river is extremely fertile, and provided sustenance for Zhuwang’s citizens. On leaving, we decided it was a great pity that this once glorious state had ceased to exist.

One spot not to miss in Fuquan is Fuquan Mountain, a holy site for Taoists located to the south of the city. Zhang Sanfeng, a legendary Chinese Taoist priest during the Ming Dynasty, lived on the mountain for eight years. Standing on the top of the Fuquan Mountain and looking down, we saw undulating slopes folding out from the banks of a nearby river. It was extremely pleasant, and no doubt a peaceful environment to come and contemplate life’s inner meaning.

Zhang Sanfeng is believed by some people to have achieved immortality. Whatever his mortal status, during his time he was a master philosopher, painter, calligrapher and poet. He was also known as an expert in medicines, Qigong (breathing exercises) and Tai Chi. In one letter to Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, he wrote:

“If you want to ask me how to achieve immortality, I would reply that there is nothing special about immortals. Mortal or otherwise, the most important thing for maintaining physical and mental health is moral cultivation, continence and keeping a peaceful mind.”

A memorial temple has been built on Fuquan Mountain to commemorate Zhang’s stay here and his brilliant contributions to health and martial arts. In the temple there is stone-carved portrait of the master, which fully reflects the transcendent demeanor attested to him. For those wishing to pay tribute to the legacy of Zhang, a visit to Fuquan Mountain is a must.

Fuquan City is also home to 130-odd ancient bridges, all of which have their own special features. Among them is the One Step Bridge from the Qing Dynasty, the smallest in China. One step, and you’re across it.

That one step proved to be one of my last in Qiannan Prefecture. It’s a shame, because I felt I’d barely scratched the surface of this fascinating pocket of China.