I have personally experienced rope skating..., a fellow villager of Nujiang | Platform | Nujiang

Where are you going for a summer trip? The crowded internet celebrity scenic area was immediately abandoned by us all.

I have decided to drive into Yunnan by myself - along the Nu River, to explore the legendary "most difficult" National Highway 219 and experience the taste of the "Bingchacha Line".

Passing through Nujiang Prefecture in Yunnan, we have been walking along the Nujiang Grand Canyon.

The Nujiang Grand Canyon is the world's longest, most mysterious, most beautiful, perilous, and primitive canyon. The canyon is over 300 kilometers long in Yunnan, second only to the Colorado Grand Canyon in the United States, with an average depth of 2000 meters. The deepest point is in the Gongshan Bingzhongluo area, reaching 3500 meters, and is known as the "Eastern Grand Canyon".

Overnight in Lushui City, the five characters "Nujiang Grand Canyon" on the hillside are particularly eye-catching.

The Nu River, passing through the city, stands on the shore, listening to the rolling and roaring waves of the river. A couple leans against the guardrail by the Nu River and engages in conversation.

"Wife, do you dare to go rope skating in the Nujiang River?"

"I dare not, I'm afraid I might accidentally fall into the Nu River."

"Wife, I must go take a ride on the rope and bravely fly over the Nu River, otherwise I will regret it for a lifetime..."

Looking at the tumbling Nu River in the night, I admire the courage of this young man.

The Nujiang Grand Canyon and its banks, along with the Biluo Snow Mountain and Gaoligong Mountain, are stacked with towering cliffs and steep cliffs. The water in the valley is turbulent and surging. Since ancient times, transportation here has been very inconvenient, as the saying goes, "Rock sheep have no way to go, monkeys also worry.".

Legend has it that a pair of Lisu lovers living on both sides of the Nu River, in the distress of not being able to meet, were inspired by the rainbow in the sky and pulled up the first rope on the Nu River.

But I still can't imagine that the people of the Nujiang River used to fly back and forth on the turbulent river, sitting on a rope, which was once a part of their daily life.

The entire Nu River can only be crossed by wooden boats at a few slightly gentle crossings, and other places are neither able to build bridges nor cross. The Nu people on both sides of the strait can only rely on the ancient river crossing tool of rope to fly and maintain communication and connection with each other.

Nujiang, Slipping Rope. Writer Acheng once wrote a novel in which a group of bandits crossed the Nujiang River through a rope, and I still remember it deeply.

The ox in the caravan glides across the river, shedding two tears uncontrollably. Its big eyes lose focus, and its flesh begins to tremble. The ox's mouth grins open, unable to make a sound, and its flesh shakes until it becomes blurry. All feces and urine are spilled in the river

Acheng vividly portrayed the perilous scene of the horse caravan sliding across the river, which deeply attracted me.

This almost primitive way of crossing the river was once the only choice for people to travel deep in the mountains of southwestern China. The half mountainous area of Yunnan Province accounts for 94% of the total area. There are over 600 rivers in the province, with mountains crisscrossing and water systems intertwined. The valleys are deep and the lakes are crisscrossing, making it a nightmare for the local people.

In 2010, 36 sliding ropes were rebuilt into bridges in Nujiangzhou. Bridges replaced ropes one by one, connecting the two sides. The rope has become a living fossil, a memory of history.

Nowadays, the section of National Highway 219 in the Nujiang River is flat and spacious, with a colorful plastic runway laid along the banks of the Nujiang River, known as the "most beautiful highway". Many Nujiang people run towards us in the morning.

If "Three Rivers Flowing Together" is a Chinese character written by nature on the land of China, then this magical hieroglyph, majestic and profound, can only be its first stroke - the Nu River.

Our self driving Tank 300 drove along the 219 National Highway on the edge of the Nujiang River cliff. The Nujiang River roared and flowed in front of us, with lush green cliffs on both sides and misty clouds surrounding the elusive peaks. Speeding through the mountains and wilderness, we enjoy the magnificent scenery on both sides of the Nu River.

The car is not far from the Lushui River, and it will be the Climbing Embankment Bathhouse Meeting. There are over 20 natural hot spring pools of different sizes here, arranged by the Nu River for free soaking. Because for hundreds of years, the Lisu people, of all ages and genders, have been bathing together in a pool, with unique ethnic characteristics and a focus on bathing, hence the name "Bathhouse Meeting". This period is the rainy season, with the Nu River rising and many natural hot springs submerged by the river water, making it impossible to bathe and gather in this hot spring pool.

But the only remaining Nujiang Slips here are still resurrected.

There used to be over forty pairs of ropes on the Nu River, but now there are very few left. The rope that can be preserved in the "Climbing Embankment Bathhouse" undoubtedly becomes a living fossil that witnesses the development and changes of transportation.

Young and energetic Yang Hui, of course, will not miss this opportunity. He was the first to sit on the rope and quickly slid smoothly to the platform across the Nu River. Amidst the sound of Jiang Tao, he waved his hand across the river and shouted loudly, "Exciting, Fei Lao, it's too exciting!"

I am a bit tempted and hesitant about giving it a try. When the young lady was the second to sit on a rope and fly over the Nu River to the opposite bank, I no longer hesitated. Even though I was already in my twilight years, I had to bravely let go

The rope started to slide, and after a few meters, the canyon and the river were right under your feet. The river wind howls, the steel cables shake, and when you look down, you can see the rushing river water flowing under you, with the sound of the waves filling your ears. During the rapid skating process, the wind hitting the face carries a mist of water from the impact of the river, and a tense and excited mood accompanies the entire process.

Looking at the deep canyon, my heart raced and I held onto the rope tightly, never daring to let go and wave again, even closing my eyes. The rope came to a steady stop on the shore under the guidance of my fellow villager, and my suspended heart finally fell.

Due to nervousness, I felt a bit wheezy and rested on the platform for a long time. The fellow villager who protected me by sliding across the river lit a cigarette on the platform and told me a true story about life that happened yesterday——

In the past, children in the mountains by the Nu River had to use this rope to go to school every day to reach the school across the river.

That day, his niece hung up a rope and went home as usual after school. Unfortunately, something happened. A pair of newly purchased shoes fell out of her niece's backpack. She released her grip on the rope and wanted to grab the shoes. The unbalanced pulley tilted, causing the rope hanging on the pulley to fall off, and her niece fell into the turbulent Nu River. The blooming girl was taken away by the surging river water.

The villager took a deep breath of smoke and said, "Brother, knowledge is on the other side, and dreams are also on the other side. In order to study, my niece has paid the price of her life. In difficult conditions, they have no choice but to move forward. The reason why I am still guarding this rope is because every time I slide back and forth, I seem to be able to see my niece's smiling face and the newly bought embroidered shoes that fell into the Nujiang River..."

A poignant story. In the river breeze, I seemed to vaguely hear the voice of a girl.

Sitting on the rope again, I returned to the other side. Once again suspended in mid air, white clouds floating above my head, raging waves rolling under my feet, the sharp wind whistling in my ears, and the rope slipping over the Nu River, I am no longer afraid.

Nowadays, the Lisu people no longer rely solely on cable skating to cross the river. In the areas where the Nu River flows, many bridges are erected, whether they are cable-stayed bridges, arch bridges, or suspension bridges, all of which have become local scenery.

Looking back at the winding Nujiang River, amidst its simplicity and vicissitudes, and its wildness and wildness, my heart tightened and heated. Amidst the collision of history and reality, sorrow and joy intertwined, and I sighed with emotion.