As Green as Emerald

Wang Yanxiang

Flower City Publishing House

March 2024

60.00 (CNY)

The author begins at Wanlü Lake， located in the northeastern part of Guangdong in South China， exploring stories of verdant landscapes and the people who inhabit them. Through meticulous fieldwork， the author uncovers， pursues， and presents the beauty of nature， ecological life， and cultural history along the Tropic of Cancer. Using a prose style， the book captures the flourishing results of ecological construction in Guangdong and the “High-Quality Development Project for Hundreds of Counties， Thousands of Towns， and Tens of Thousands of Villages.”

Wang Yanxiang

Wang Yanxiang is a military writer， seasoned media professional， and member of the China Writers Association.

I knew that one day， I would return here. To see the endless green landscapes， to witness the rapid development like rushing rivers， and to feel the cool breeze over the water and the bright moon between the mountains. I wanted these beautiful rivers and mountains to cleanse my eyes and bathe my soul once again.

This was my true feeling as I ended my journey in Heyuan and left that day. There was a sense of reluctance， like bidding farewell to an old friend with whom I’ve shared many years and deep affection.

My decision to head to eastern Guangdong was both spontaneous and inevitable.

One day， a friend called me: “Do you want to take a trip to Wanlü Lake?”

I asked， “Where is Wanlü Lake?”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then he laughed and said， “It’s in Heyuan!”

I still played dumb and asked， “Where is Heyuan?”

My friend didn’t answer me， perhaps feeling too ridiculous， and then he laughed over the phone. I laughed too， laughing at myself.

After hanging up， I imagined his face filled with surprise， maybe even a bit dumbfounded by my question， with his mind stuck， unable to respond， or perhaps just not bothering explaining.

Of course， I had heard of Wanlü Lake and knew where Heyuan was， but I had never been there.

This happened after the 2023 Cold Dew solar term. As I put down the phone， I was suddenly struck by a sense of shame.

Sure， my friend said I was ignorant， but that’s not entirely true. As a seasoned media professional， I have traveled across much of China， from the remote villages of Xinjiang， Xizang， Yunnan， and Guizhou to famous mountains and lakes. I wouldn’t claim to be well-versed in all things， but I’ve seen my fair share. Having lived in Guangzhou for nearly twenty years， I’ve visited most of the cities and counties in the south of the Five Ridges， some more than once. But when I thought about it carefully， I realized I had never been to Heyuan. It was like a spring breeze， a drop of rain， a bird in flight， quietly slipping away from my life.

Looking at a map of the People’s Republic of China， it’s easy to find Heyuan. Ah， there it is， a prefecture-level city established in 1988， characterized by alternating mountains and basins， with a mild climate and abundant sunshine.

Heyuan governs Yuancheng District， Dongyuan County， Lianping County， Heping County， Longchuan County， and Zijin County. It lies at the junction of the northeastern mountainous region of Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta plain， in the middle and upper reaches of the Dongjiang River， bordering Meizhou to the east， Huizhou to the south， and Shaoguan to the west.

In the Eastern Zhou Period， Heyuan was part of the Baiyue lands. During the Qin and Han dynasties， it was known as ancient Longchuan， and in the Sui and Tang dynasties， it was called Xunzhou. The Old Book of Tang records: “Heyuan， Sui County. The Xun River， also known as Heyuan Water，” which is how Heyuan got its name. From the 33rd year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (214 BCE) when the county was established， starting with the Baiyue in pre-Qin times and Zhao Tuo as its first magistrate， it has witnessed the passage of countless generations. Heyuan is one of the earliest regions in the south of the Five Ridges to be developed by the Hakka people.

On the third weekend of October 2023， I set out， deciding to use my precious vacation time to visit this place on the Tropic of Cancer that I had overlooked.

“Riding” doesn’t mean riding a horse; there are no horses to ride in this era. My journey was hasty and cursory， more of a fleeting glimpse or a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface.

My walk began at Wanlü Lake. My original plan was to visit the six towns around the lake， enjoy a leisurely 300-kilometer walk along the lake’s edge， soaking in the scenic beauty， and then return to Guangzhou. But overwhelmed by a sense of unfamiliarity and curiosity， I suddenly changed direction. I wanted to see a broader， deeper unknown， so I ventured further and further.

Walking among the rolling mountains and hills， I was deeply moved by the profound green that surrounded me， by the vibrant diversity of the land， by the stunning mountains and rivers before me， by the marvels of nature’s craftsmanship， and by the many people and events I encountered.

Perhaps life is like this， a place where some work and live， some come in admiration， and others watch from afar， longing.

After returning， I sat silently in front of my computer for a long time. And in the silence and quietness， I reflected on my fragmented experiences， those moments of immense joy and emotion. I cherish these experiences and strive to approach a sense of authenticity in both my heart and reality， which led to this little book.

Although I have returned from those enchanting landscapes of emerald green， I know in my heart that I still haven’t fully understood or seen them clearly. Just as when I walked into the ancient county of Longchuan， walked along the banks of the Dongjiang River， or entered the mountainous villages and faced those dark-skinned yet bright and determined people， I suddenly realized how little I knew.

When we usually say a place is good， we often have a standard for evaluation: beautiful mountains， beautiful water， and beautiful people.

The vast and vibrant northeastern Guangdong is such a blessed land. Here， ecology and greenery are everything， just as you and I would wish for.