Jiaxiu Tower, Cuiwei Garden, Nanming River

Guizhou is one of the birthplaces of ancient humans and ancient culture in China. Humans lived and thrived here 500,000 to 600,000 years ago. Before the Spring and Autumn Period, northeastern Guizhou belonged to Jingchu, while the rest of the region was generally referred to as Nanman. During the Warring States Period and the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Yelang Kingdom rose in southwestern China, and Guizhou became the center of Yelang. After the unification of China by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the Five-Chi Road was built in some parts of Yelang, and prefectures and counties were established. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Yelang was pacified and became Zangke Prefecture. Jiaxiu Tower was built during the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty. The original purpose of its construction was that the governor of Guizhou hoped that Guizhou would produce more talented people, so he built this tower for young students to study in, to change the situation of the lack of talent in Guizhou. The scenic area is divided into three parts from north to south, starting from the archway of the square. The first part is the stone archway, Hanbi Pavilion, and stone archway. The second part is Jiaxiu Tower. The third part is Cuiwei Garden behind Jiaxiu Tower. Cuiwei Garden is adjacent to Jiaxiu Tower and was built during the reign of Emperor Hongzhi of the Ming Dynasty. It is a large group of ancient buildings. When the lights are on and the night is falling, the Nanming River flows in front of the tower, and the bright moon and cool breeze create a dreamy scene. There are also many delicious snacks around Jiaxiu Square, which are very distinctive. On this trip to Guiyang, I stayed at Sofitel Guiyang Hunter. The hotel is in a great location, offering a view of the beautiful scenery of Jiaxiu Tower and the Nanming River, as well as the cityscape. It is a ten-minute walk to Jiaxiu Tower. I stayed for three days and two nights. On the morning of the second day, I took a taxi from the hotel to visit the Guizhou Provincial Museum. In the afternoon, I took a taxi to Qianling Mountain Park. On the first night and the morning of the third day, I went to Jiaxiu Tower and Cuiwei Garden for a walk and sightseeing. Guizhou is a place with stories. Wang Yangming's "Enlightenment at Longchang" happened here. During the reign of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty, he was demoted to Longchang, Guizhou. In the quiet and difficult environment of Longchang, he reflected day and night. One night, he suddenly had an epiphany: "The mind is the principle, and the way of the sage is self-sufficient." Xu Xiake's Travel Notes is a travelogue written by the Ming Dynasty geographer Xu Xiake. It is the first systematic study of China's geomorphology and geology, and it also describes the scenic resources of China's beautiful mountains and rivers. His later travels in the southwest focused on exploring the sources of mountains and rivers, local customs and cultural relics, and the distribution and development of karst landforms, such as the Diary of Travels in Guizhou and the Diary of Travels in Yunnan. Xu Xiake traveled for 34 years and visited 16 provinces and cities in China. The Daguan Tower in Kunming and Jiaxiu Tower in Guiyang each have a long couplet that best reflects the state of mind. "The 500-mile Dianchi Lake rushes to the eye, and thousands of years of history come to mind. Drinking wine in the void, half the river is lit by fishing lights, two lines of autumn geese, three springs of willows, and ten thousand acres of dark sand." "Standing steadily on the turtle's back for 500 years, supporting the sky alone, let me go up one more level, broaden my horizons, look at the east pillow of Hengshan and Xiangjiang, and the west lapel of Dianchi and Zhaozhou, decorating the beautiful lakes and mountains. I sigh at the famous people of several generations, leaving old traces for thousands of years. Facing the clouds sending the snail peak, the sunset dining on the elephant ridge, walking slowly to appreciate the painting pavilion and smoke scenery, I feel as if Penglai is within reach, inviting the immortals to talk about their travels."