Jinjiping in Nanzhen Town

　　Climb to the top of Jinguifeng, gaze into the distance, and where the sun sets behind the mountains, you’ll see undulating bamboo seas; far off under the horizon lies an endless grassland. In early summer, both the bamboo sea and the grasslands are already a world of green. This is the easternmost part of Guangxi — just cross the mountains and you’ll be in Guangdong Province. It’s home to the largest bamboo sea in Hezhou, spanning thousands of acres. It has the largest alpine grassland in Hezhou, Jinjiping. It also boasts the largest alpine wetlands in Hezhou, the naturally formed Shangtang, Xiatang, and Zhongtang, where the story of the "Nine Oxen Descending into the Pond" of the local Zhuang people took place.

　　Jinguifeng, the place where the golden rooster heralds the dawn; Jinguifeng, a name familiar since childhood, with countless mysterious tales about the mountain heard time and again in those early years.

　　Yet, it took me over twenty years of eager anticipation to finally come face to face with Jinguifeng. It wasn’t until a recent long holiday that I finally climbed the mountain.

　　Is Jinguifeng far away? It can be reached on foot from Baijiuchong Village in Datang, Nanzhen Town, Babu District, in just one day. Is Jinguifeng very high? With an elevation of only 1,469 meters, it takes just a few hours to reach the summit from Zhongtang Camp. But to hike around the entire Jinguifeng range, it takes at least three days. Most of the main ridge of Jinguifeng lies within Nanzhen Town, with parts bordering Butou Town in Babu District and Shangshuai, Xiashuai, and Lanzhong in Huaiji County, Guangdong Province — a total of five towns.

　　The fact that Jinguifeng borders five towns across Guangxi and Guangdong shows that its summit area is quite expansive. This is mainly because between elevations of 1,300–1,400 meters, there is a large alpine hilly plateau. For decades from the early days of liberation up to the 1970s, for defense preparedness, Jinguifeng was home to an air defense outpost, where sentry militia were stationed year-round on the mountain.

　　Below 1,200 meters in elevation, Jinguifeng’s mountain mass is rich in water-source forest resources. Above 1,200 meters, it is covered with continuous alpine hills. The hills to the northwest are a world of bamboo. With well-developed root systems, fast reproduction, and thick layers of humus, the bamboo plays a significant role in soil and water conservation. To the southeast, there are three high-altitude grasslands: Shangtang, Xiatang, and Zhongtang. Due to constant water accumulation, these form alpine wetlands — currently the largest discovered in Hezhou.

　　Shangtang and Zhongtang are relatively small, each spanning just a couple of hundred acres, while Xiatang is much larger, covering several thousand acres. To the east, a mountain ridge borders Guangdong Province. The waters from the three ponds converge into Shiyangchong, which is the source of the Huluo River. These three ponds were likely true high-mountain ponds in ancient times, but over the long years, sedimentation has turned them into flat land. The bamboo forests at the foothills around the ponds also thrive vigorously. The bamboo on Jinguifeng is the favorite food of the wildlife species — bamboo rats — making it a prime habitat for them.

　　What locals refer to as Jinjiping is probably that vast grassland of several thousand acres where the “Nine Oxen Descended into the Pond.” There are no trees or bamboo here, only mixed wild grasses, and the soil is so rich and black it seems to flow. Nearby farmers have tried planting crops on the mountain, but due to the highly alkaline soil, only alkali-loving plants like leeks and taro grow well — other crops and vegetables do not thrive. Farmers from neighboring towns often drive their cattle up the mountain during the farming off-season to graze freely. The herds leisurely munch on the grass in Jinjiping, then retreat to the bamboo forests at the mountain’s base at night. When plowing season comes, they’re herded back home.

　　Jinjiping is a true alpine grassland. Although there are a few low hills scattered throughout, the area is mostly contiguous. Standing on a high slope and gazing out over the grassland, you can witness several different scenes in a single day. In the high mountains, fog is abundant — in the morning, heavy mist limits visibility to just a few dozen meters, giving the grassland a solemn and boundless feel. When wind stirs the clouds and fog, layers of mist roll rapidly, creating a majestic atmosphere as if rain is imminent. Under the blazing sun, the grassland is serene — tender green blades stretch to the horizon, glimmers of light dance on the streams, and cattle graze peacefully. All of this makes you forget that you’re standing on a high mountain, the very place where the legendary Nine Oxen once descended into the pond.

　　Legend has it that long, long ago, the Nanzhen Basin was a huge lake, surrounded by mountains, with water levels that never overflowed. The scenery of lake and mountain was magnificent, and the lakebed was scattered with gold and silver. One day, the bandit Shi Erjia and his gang of robbers attempted to cross from Huailu Dong in Butou Town, Huaiji County, Guangdong, over Jinguifeng into Nanzhen Basin to plunder the wealth. They were spotted by a rooster atop Jinguifeng. This rooster, which never crowed, suddenly let out a cry, startling the “Sea Dragon King” in the lake. The dragon swung its tail and sliced through the towering mountains to the northwest, cleaving a 30-plus-kilometer-long, kilometer-deep canyon from the rocks. The floodwaters washed away the gold and silver, burying them within the stone mountains along the canyon. Once the lake drained, the Sea Dragon King turned and opened its mighty jaws as if to swallow the robbers whole. The terrified bandits froze in shock, instantly turning into “stone oxen” and remaining forever in the fields of Shuangcheng Village, Butou Town, at the foot of Jinguifeng. Today, the Sea Dragon King has become a beautiful stone lion lying at the entrance of the Dujian River Grand Canyon, mouth agape and eyes wide, cheerfully overlooking the Nanzhen Basin.

　　The “Nine Oxen Descending into the Pond” is a remote place, located on Jinguifeng, which borders Nanzhen Town and Butou Town in Babu District, easternmost Hezhou, Guangxi, with Shangsi Town in Lianshan County, Guangdong, and Lanzhong Town in Huaiji County. It features the largest alpine wetland in Hezhou. This is a place far removed from the hustle and bustle, with fresh air all year round. An ancient Wolf Soldier Trail runs through here. Legend says it was the military training ground for thousands of troops under Ming Dynasty’s Wu Sangui. It has the largest natural bamboo sea in Hezhou — bamboo flute factories in Guangzhou and Changsha purchase special bamboo from here every year for making flutes. It’s rich in a nationally protected Class III wild animal: the bamboo rat. At the mountain’s base, the towns of Lanzhong, Nanzhen, and Butou in both Guangxi and Guangdong host three natural hot springs with abundant flow. Around 1,200 meters in elevation on Jinguifeng (1,469m), there exists an alpine wetland composed of grassland, marshes, and hills spanning tens of thousands of acres. Among them are three basin-like grassy plains: Shangtang, Zhongtang, and Jiuniu Xiatang. The widest, Jiuniu Xiatang Marsh, exceeds 3,000 acres. With minimal damming, it could form a high-altitude lake of over 1,000 acres. Such an untouched alpine lake, nourished by primeval forests, bamboo seas, and meadows, would remain shimmering and crystal-clear year-round, free from air pollution or human litter. The emergence of such a high-altitude lake on Jinguifeng could very well become Hezhou’s own “Jiuzhaigou”!