Wawang Valley Nestled in the Rainbow Clouds: A 'Beautiful County' of Livable, Workable, and Tourist-Friendly Westmeng
In the early 1990s, as a writer, I first went to Pu'er from Beijing. The Shimiao County Executive Li specialized in sending me to Xiwang to interview with a Beijing 212 Jeep. The distant mountains would occasionally bring 'drums, gongs, and the singing of the Awa people' – a moving song. This might be the first impression I had of Xiwang Valley.
During the interview, Mr. Lao Li, who later became a major leader of the Puer City Party School, accompanied me. According to him, Xiwang Valley is a human-childhood silhouette. The sound of drums, inheriting harmony between heaven and man; long hair fluttering, dancing with countless styles. The Longma Father God site, the MyiJi God Valley, millennium spiritual breath blowing through village after village. Beautiful homes with magic, 'The Awa People Sing New Songs' – the birthplace.
'A building, a painting, a block, a scenic spot, an entire park' is not only written on paper but also a real depiction of the developing Xiaomian County.
During a subsequent visit to Awa Mountain, I was seated in a fire truck specifically configured for me by the Puer Fire Rescue Team. Mr. You Lao Shu, who was then the Deputy Commander of the Puer Fire Rescue Team, mentioned that Xiaomian is a very interesting small city. Entering Xiaomian, you find shaded streets, unique buildings, and intersecting light and shadow, especially giving a 'city in the forest, forest in the water, water in the city' impression.
Mr. Lao Li, then the Commander of the Puer Fire Rescue Team, introduced this small mountain city adjacent to Myanmar with a poetic and affectionate tone, 'The Awa people reside in the clouds'. In fact, every city has its own coordinates and style. 'Ethnic elements + traditional architectural style + modern urban construction' make Xiaomian County's urban landscape different and unique. Walking through Xiaomian's streets, it feels like walking in a ethnic cultural resort town.
Urban planners ingeniously incorporated Awa ethnic clothing, traditional architecture, totem culture, urban brands, and color elements into urban construction. This is a highlight of Xiaomian's urban construction. Xiaomian's buildings 'wear' ethnic elements and 'wear' traditional architectural styles. 'Wearing' and 'hatting' showcase 'visible' ethnic cultural symbols, and the streets and alleys are full of ethnic style.
Every street lamp, every brick road sign, and every manhole cover in Xiaomian's city is a piece of ethnic art. Details reveal the truth. Xiaomian's design in every corner continuously enriches the city's core and showcases its characteristics.
The county's unique natural resources, colorful ethnic culture, and harmonious co-existence of human advantages gave Xiaomian County a natural and pure, relaxed and leisure characteristic, creating a 'slow life' state. Xiaomian is continuously digging into the inner and outer contents of traditional ethnic culture, and continuously exploring the path of the fusion development of ethnic culture and modern civilization. A 'livable, workable, and tourist-friendly' beautiful county is stepping on the cheerful rhythm of 'The Awa People Sing New Songs' and marching towards a new era.
Text and Photos: Zhang Yaohui Wei Linxia
