Essays and Reflections: The Underdark Spirits – Flower River Dark River
The vast ocean often evokes memories of boundless expanse and surging waves; the Yangtze River brings to mind the magnificent spectacle of turbulent currents and nostalgic recollections; the Yellow River conjures dreams of the meandering and intimate Yellow River Eighteen Bends. Asking about the underground dark river, one finds oneself in a vast expanse, and the heart is always filled with a sense of longing.
Written by Han Canran (Henan)
The Great Dark River is such a world, unknown until you come close, unimagined until you touch it, unappreciated until you feel its shock. In autumn, exploring secrets, particularly excited, always have a special flavor in their hearts.
According to the data, the Flower River Dark River is located in the Qiejiu District of Chongqing, a tributary of the Ape River, and its dark river can reach a length of about 2 kilometers, with the deepest water reaching more than 20 meters. It is mainly composed of dark rivers, caves, and gorges. The scenic spots include Tian Sheng San Bridge, Black Dragon Pool, Chahua, and the Grand Canyon.
The dark river is part of the Flower River Dark River scenic area. Currently, only one waterway landscape has been developed, reaching the end point and then returning by the same route. We can successively admire the scenery along the dark river.
The scenic area is adjacent to the ancient town of Wutou, Asia's first wind and rain bridge, which was an important route for land exiting from the Sichuan Basin. According to local farmers, in spring, the green leaves of the psidium and the fragrant flowers and birds, a vibrant scene; in summer, the willow and flowers are blooming, the birds return home, a singing and dancing of swallows; in autumn, the small bridge and flowing water, the yellow rice and red fruit, showcasing rural scenery; in winter, the fat elk and tender young chicks, fish and shrimp full of warehouses, welcoming guests from all over the world. Too much, I've become drooling, looking forward to it. Now it's autumn, the season of abundant harvest, thinking about it, I'm full of joy.
That day, because I got up early, I didn't have to queue much and directly boarded the inflatable raft. After completing the safety precautions, I immediately set off.
From the gorge mouth, we paddled upstream, and saw a narrow waterway winding along the natural path. Within a moment, we arrived at a cave. Under the illumination of the flashlights, there was a wonderful cave, which felt like a fairy cave. In front of the cave, a Buddha statue stood on the cliff, which had the flavor of 'a natural cave and a beautiful landscape, a beautiful landscape in a perilous peak'.
Soon after, we paddled for about a kilometer and exited the cave. Suddenly, a Tian Sheng Bridge appeared, standing tall and dignified, startlingly in front of us. Looking up at the sky, we could only see two natural round holes on the bridge side. It's like two eyes. The guide said this was 'Eye of Heaven', and people often say 'there is someone in heaven watching', perhaps this is its virgin land.
It's admirable that humans have such imagination. Any mountain has thoughts rising, and thoughts are jumping. Where the heart goes, it instantly brings out a burst of brilliance.
Continuing along the dark river, we steadily moved forward. In the dark and gloomy environment, we felt like passing through, and the sound of flowing water splashing against the cliffs echoed in our ears, as if searching for the dawn in the darkness. The night was not long, but it was the long journey of searching for the dawn.
The river became narrower and narrower, and we couldn't go any further when we reached the mouth of the Chahua. Because there was no road ahead, only retreat was possible.
Returning by the same route, paddling downstream, we felt unusually relaxed. When we glanced at the Grand Canyon and returned to Black Dragon Pool, our hearts were still full of excitement and thrill.
I feel that the Flower River Dark River is even more thrilling and exciting than I imagined. It is like a running elf, silently accumulating strength in the darkness and condensing longing. It awakens from the depths of the mountains, bursts out of the cave, and has the ambition to encompass all fields and integrate all directions.
The dark river is an invisible beautiful landscape, although not encountered, but we can feel its magnificence. It is a fairy, ubiquitous.
Suddenly, a fairy was jumping and running in the depths of our hearts, running and running, all the way to the distance
