Live Your Best Lives
Baise, Guangxi, on the southwestern border of Guangxi, hides a paradise on earth.
Here, the mountains remain tranquil and the waters remain leisurely.
Just one highway is enough to become famous all over the world and is known as the "most beautiful highway in the world". Foreign media have praised it and exclaimed that it is a fairyland, shrouded in clouds and mist, and the beautiful mountains on both sides of the road are looming.
△Hena Expressway
There is no scorching heat in summer and no severe cold in winter. The four seasons here are like spring, which earns it the reputation of "Little Kunming".
The unique karst topography creates a rare natural landscape here, surrounded by verdant mountains, crystal-clear waters, and picturesque countryside. Without excessive hustle and bustle, people work from sunrise to sunset, much like the secret paradise described by Tao Yuanming.
The complex terrain of these mountains, forests, lakes, and seas has fostered a diverse biodiversity, but the lack of arable land has led to a rather wild diet for Guangxi residents. Chen Xiaoqing, while filming "A Bite of China," once said, "Guangxi is the region with the most complex cuisine in China."
The vigorous people of Baise have discovered many hidden cuisines, breaking the taboos on ingredients, which are both novel and delicious.
Jingxi, this mysterious little town that hides all the beautiful mountains and rivers in the world, has more to offer than you can imagine.
Want to learn more about this secret place? Then keep reading.
Guangxi's "Little Guilin" is hidden in the inner sanctuary, unknown to the world.
According to legend, in ancient times, there was an old lady named Yang in Nian'an Village who picked up two goose eggs on the mountain. She loved them so much that she warmed them in her palms and heart. After a long time, two geese were hatched.
One day, a goose was playing in the water when suddenly the sky darkened, a thunderstorm struck, and with a loud bang, the pond collapsed into a deep pool! From then on, the spring water gushed out in a mighty and mighty manner... The origin of the Goose Spring is quite interesting.
Goose Spring, Butterfly Spring in Dali and Ruquan in Xishan, Guiping are known as the three famous springs in southwest China.
The water of Equan is clear with a light blue-green color, and a group of small fish swim through the crystal clear lake from time to time.
A long, winding bridge, paved with lotus-leaf-like pebbles, connects the two banks. The gurgling waters are adorned with the graceful swimming of geese, fearless of strangers, creating a lively and interesting scene.
The 15-arch bridge, one of the scenic spots of Equan, was built in the Qing Dynasty. It has an ancient charm. Sometimes bamboo rafts pass under the bridge, and farmers drive their cattle across the bridge to go home.
Green mountains, green waters, stone bridges, lush bamboos, farmlands and houses form a beautiful mountain painting that makes people linger.
Quyang Lake is known as the Guilin on the Water. It is similar to Vietnam's Halong Bay. It is actually a large karst plateau lake reservoir. There are more than a dozen peaks scattered in the lake. When the weather is good, you can take a cruise to appreciate the beautiful scenery here, which is breathtaking.
The Quyang Lake is shrouded in mist in the early morning, and the sunset glows with golden light on the lake surface at dusk, bringing different visual impacts at different times.
Take a boat trip on the lake, watch the sunset over the water and mountains, and enjoy the villages dotted along the way, which will comfortably relieve you of the day's fatigue.
It turns out that the fairyland is not a dream, but drifts down to the human world with the wind. This is not an exaggeration to describe the Detian Waterfall on the China-Vietnam border.
China National Geographic Magazine once rated Detian Waterfall as "the most beautiful waterfall in China". It is also the filming location of the costume TV series "The Journey of Flower". Its majestic beauty has shocked countless visitors.
It spans China and Vietnam and is connected to Vietnam's Ban Gioc Waterfall. It is the largest transnational waterfall in Asia.
Without any documents, you can take a bamboo raft across the border to enjoy the beautiful Ban Gioc Waterfall in Vietnam up close and get up close to the thundering Detian Waterfall.
△Ban Gioc Waterfall
When you are marveling at the magnificent scenery on the observation deck, there may be Vietnamese vendors coming here by boat from the other side, speaking fluent Mandarin and selling cigarettes, coffee and other Vietnamese products to tourists.
Funny and very friendly.
You can also cross the border and visit small markets with a wide variety of Vietnamese goods.
One waterfall, two countries, and a unique border landscape are a rare natural landscape in the world.
Mingshi Villa, about an hour's drive from Jingxi, has attracted countless Chinese and foreign tourists with its 20-kilometer-wide Chinese pastoral scenery, making it known as the China-Vietnam border landscape gallery and the home of Chinese hermits.
This is also one of the important filming locations of "The Journey of Flower". Staying here, you will forget the passage of time, as if you have entered a deserted place.
When the green mountains stand upside down in the water, they are like a hanging canvas. It is difficult to distinguish what is real and what is fake. They look different at every moment and are as beautiful as a carefully painted ink painting.
Stay here for a night, and look out the window before going to bed. Occasionally, you can see the twinkling lights of fireflies among the flowers. When the weather is good, you can also enjoy the bright starry sky above your head.
There are green mountains and black tiles in front of the window, and mirror flowers and water moon behind the house. Enjoy the comfort of falling asleep surrounded by mountains and water.
After checking in, you can also visit the Zhuang Nationality Museum in the scenic area for free, enjoy a song and dance performance with strong Zhuang ethnic style, and gain a deep understanding of the origin and essence of Zhuang culture.
In this quiet space, you can let the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers sort out the complicated thoughts in your mind.
The Tongling Grand Canyon is known as "a beautiful scar on the earth". With gurgling streams, the entire canyon is filled with refreshing spiritual energy.
A huge waterfall with a drop of 188.6 meters rushes down from the top of the mountain. The gauze-like rain barrier is white and extremely quiet.
Turning back from the path below the Tongling Treasure Cave, you can see a ray of sky above and a surging underground river below!
You can also see various original natural karst caves. If you look up carefully, you can see the mysterious hanging coffin cave burials. However, when, where and who were buried here has not been revealed to this day!
The vendors along the way were also quite interesting. Some wild herbs resembled the mountain elves that appear in Hayao Miyazaki's paintings, with roots resembling four legs, sneaking away when people weren't paying attention. After asking the locals, I learned that they were hemostatic herbs called golden dog.
In addition to wild medicinal herbs, there are also stalls selling fresh fruits and Vietnamese yogurt, with mango, strawberry, pomegranate... various flavors of yogurt to satisfy your taste buds.
Located in southern Jingxi City, the ancient city of Jiuzhou, formerly known as "Naqian," is rich in cultural relics and is the hometown of the renowned female heroine "Madam Wa" who fought against Japanese invaders. It is known as the "Living Museum of the Zhuang Nationality" and is also renowned as the "Hometown of Hydrangeas."
There are hundreds of families living on Hydrangea Street in the ancient town, and almost every household knows how to make hydrangeas.
On both sides of the bluestone street are old brick and tile houses. Occasionally, you can see residents in the houses carefully making hydrangeas. What they create with every stitch is a cultural carrier that allows Jingxi to go global.
Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, men and women sing folk songs to each other. If a girl finds her ideal man, she will throw an embroidered ball to the other party as a token of love.
Take a stroll along the "Hydrangea Street", away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and experience the most sincere customs and culture of the Zhuang people in the border area.
When it comes to eating wild food, Baise must have a name
A flavor born from the local environment, to satisfy local diners. Baise borders Yunnan to the west, Guizhou to the north, and Vietnam to the south. The long-term collision of multiple ethnic groups has created the unique flavors of Guangxi people.
The barbecue documentary "A String of Life" shows us the wild recipes of Baise up close.
“I especially love the moment when it explodes in my mouth. It’s scary, exciting, and I want to try it!”
Baise people's love for roasted pig eyes is a fatal obsession.
Roasting pig eyes is a grueling task. If you overcook them, the eyeballs will burst. You need to keep turning them for 20 minutes. If they're too hot, let them cool for a while before roasting them again, until they're sizzling and springy.
Don't be impatient to eat the hot eyes, as the juice in the eyeballs can easily burn your mouth. Let it sit for 10 minutes before eating, it's just right. When you bite into it, the eye juices burst into your mouth, and the stimulation is 100 times that of the piss beef balls!
The diners in "A String of Life" described the deliciousness of roasted pig eyes like this:
“Eating roasted pig’s eyes is wonderful, just like first love!”
It looks scary, but the moment you put it in your mouth, you will forget its original appearance, and only the delicious taste will linger between your lips and teeth.
Among the delicacies that Baise people serve to their friends from other places, in addition to roasted pig eyes, another one is roasted pig whip, which looks equally strange but is addictive.
Brush a layer of oil on the surface, turn it over and bake it carefully, adding flavorings continuously until it is cooked and fragrant.
Opening a bottle of Liquan and eating it together goes beyond just filling your stomach. You can enjoy the lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth, the chewy texture, and the tempting dark taste.
Some people are born with a fear of snakes and will faint when they see them, but they will also faint after tasting them because they are so delicious.
The snake skin becomes crispy and tough when baked over an open flame. Adding seasonings in batches enhances the flavor. It would be a shame not to try it.
Every bite is like a wrestling match with the chewy meat, which easily arouses one's desire to conquer.
Invite a few good friends, find a bench to sit on in this lively place, have some roasted snakes, chat about everything, and have a great time.
“High protein and crunchy!”
“It’s even more delicious than shrimp chips!”
Fried and stir-fried insects can be seen everywhere on Guangxi Food Street.
In fact, eating insects is a long-standing custom in Guangxi, where forest coverage exceeds half, and locals see insects as simply nutritious protein.
Eating insects in various ways has become a daily snack for people in Guangxi. Just close your eyes, open your mouth, and you'll be amazed by the delicious taste.
Even heroes cannot resist the temptation of beautiful women, and people from Guangxi cannot resist the temptation of sour and wild food.
Guangxi's sour wild vegetables are made by pickling local seasonal fruits and vegetables with sour vinegar, chili peppers, sugar, etc. They are crispy, fresh, and sour with a lingering aftertaste.
On the streets and alleys, uncles or aunties pushing mobile stalls of sour wild vegetables, plus cans of sweet and sour, colorful sour wild vegetables on the carts, make up unforgettable memories for the taste buds of Guangxi people.
Baise Jingxi is a wild and daring eater, a peaceful and contented person, the so-called fairy life is probably like this!
