Jiang Ge Explores the Hidden Trails | The Big Banyan Tree in Yangshuo: A Thousand-Year Song
Xishuang County's Ten Miles Gallery is renowned, and along this approximately 5-kilometer road are many attractions, including the Big Banyan Tree, Moonlit Mountain, Dragon Pool, Tuteng Ancient Road, Butterfly Spring, Jishan Temple, Gold Water Rock, etc. Many people come here to rent a bicycle and slowly ride along, feeling the idyllic scenery of Yangshuo. It's truly mountain and water scenery.
Because my sister doesn't know how to ride a bike, we could only take a bus. First we came to the most famous attraction in Ten Miles Gallery – the Big Banyan Tree. The Big Banyan Tree is famous because, in addition to being a thousand-year-old banyan tree planted in the Tang Dynasty, it is also the filming location of the movie ‘Lotus Sister.’ The scenes of ‘duets,’ ‘throwing embroidery hoops,’ and ‘setting fates’ were all filmed here.
The movie ‘Lotus Sister’ was filmed in the 1960s as a musical film. Through this film, I learned about Lotus Sister. Singing the songs from the film and stepping to the rhythm, we quickly entered the park. From afar, we saw a huge tree standing by the river – that was the famous Big Banyan Tree.
According to the information on the sign, this banyan tree is 17 meters high and 7.05 meters in circumference. The area covered by its canopy is about 2 mu (approximately 1300 square meters). Looking closely at the banyan tree, it looks quite old and aged. About a thousand banyan tree aerial roots hang in the air, like the tree’s whiskers, swaying in the wind. It is said that once these aerial roots contact the ground, they will firmly grasp the ground and burrow downwards, becoming the banyan tree’s ‘new roots.’ This is a characteristic of this type of banyan tree.
The aerial roots of the banyan tree are suspended in the air to maximize oxygen and water absorption for the tree body, helping the tree maintain growth. Once they come into contact with the ground, they become new ‘roots,’ absorbing nutrients from the soil. This is why banyan trees can ‘stand alone in a forest.’
There is a small river next to the ancient banyan tree, called Golden River. The ‘Banyan Shadow Ancient Ferry’ was here in the past. We took a bamboo raft to cross the river, and on the opposite side was a rock with a hole through it, known as ‘Piercing Rock.’ Behind the rock is a village, that is the famous ‘Piercing Rock Village.’ The duet stage in the movie ‘Lotus Sister’ was filmed here.
Looking around, the breeze was gentle, the birds were singing, the mountains were green and the bamboo was lush. The Zhuang ethnic village scenery was magnificent, captivating and pleasing to the eye. In the distance, Camel Peak, Water Lion Rock, and Monkey Mountain were echoing, creating a magnificent landscape of the Guangxi countryside.
Standing quietly by the ancient banyan tree, it seemed like we could hear the distant songs of Lotus Sister. Leaving the ancient banyan tree, we continued our journey through Ten Miles Gallery.
Travel tips:
1. Transportation: Ten Miles Gallery refers to the road near Moonlit Mountain. This road does not allow outside vehicles from 8:00 AM, only local vehicles are allowed. To enter the scenic area, you must take the scenic area’s shuttle bus or rent a bicycle or electric bike. The scenic shuttle bus fare is 50 yuan and can be taken on any attraction. Bicycle rental is about 10-20 yuan per day, and electric bike is about 30-50 yuan. It mainly allows tourists to appreciate the idyllic scenery along the way. If you ride a bike from Xiecizhen to Ten Miles Gallery, start from Xiecizhen and ride along Anti-War Road until you reach Stone Horse Roundabout. Then you’ll pass through Tuteng Ancient Road, Butterfly Spring, and across Workers and Peasants Bridge, and then you’ll pass through the Big Banyan Tree, Jishan Temple, Dragon Pool, Moonlit Mountain, etc. When you reach the last attraction of Ten Miles Gallery, Moonlit Mountain.
To visit Ten Miles Gallery, it’s recommended to enter from both ends – either from Moonlit Mountain or from Fengming Parking Lot. This way, you can appreciate the scenery along the entire route.
Please note that the attractions inside Ten Miles Gallery are sold separately and do not include the shuttle bus.
2. From Yangshuo County, you can take buses 602, 802 or 801 to Fengming Parking Lot and then transfer to the scenic area shuttle bus or rent a bicycle or electric bike to go to the scenic area.
3. Food: Guilin Rice Noodles, Fish in Spicy Sauce, Lychee Shrimp Stir-fry, Sizzled River Snails, Bamboo Rice, Guilin Flower Cake, Handmade Fishing Soup, Baijiu Water Bone, Dragon Ascent Tea Oil, Spicy Steamed Loach, Lotus Leaf Frog, Seasonal Vegetables (Broad Beans) etc.
Author: Jilin Daily All-Media Reporter Yang Yue, Gao Ge; Narrative/Illustration: Yang Yue, Gao Ge
