“On August 16th, at the 31st Golden Rooster Awards nomination press conference held in Beijing, the documentary film 'Mount Hailongtun' fought its way to earn a nomination for Best Documentary.” This news exploded across my social media feeds.
The very next day, I made up my mind to go and see for myself just how beautiful the nominated Mount Hailongtun really is.
With great anticipation, I boarded the train from Duyun to Zunyi, heading north. During the somewhat lengthy journey, I arrived in Zunyi at six in the morning, just as the sun was beginning to climb over the hills. My first stop was the long-awaited Mount Hailongtun. I took Bus No. 23 via Gaoping Town, and looking around, the scenery was quintessentially rural northern Guizhou—lush green mountains and waters in the distance, quaint wooden houses beside farmlands, and a few bright flowers blooming in front of and behind the cottages. After winding around a few mountain ridges, I finally reached the parking lot outside the ruins of Mount Hailongtun.
On the mountainside are wooden houses built in the northern Guizhou style, with gravel paths in front of their courtyards and unnamed wildflowers blooming all around. Since I arrived in the morning, there were few visitors at this time. Looking out, the distant verdant mountains paired with the tranquility before me—closing my eyes, a feeling of desolation arose, yet at that moment, everything around me felt strikingly and peacefully beautiful.
It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to be at Mount Hailongtun in person. Behind every fortress and pass witnessed here lies a historical story about home. Together, these stories weave a historical tapestry of the rise and fall of the Yang family’s tusi (native chieftain) kingdom. Today, that history lives on in these silent stones and mountains. But it is not only the history of Guizhou—it is the history of China and even the world. As someone from Guizhou, I feel incredibly proud.
To this day, it has been nearly two years since Mount Hailongtun was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List. I deeply regret and blame myself for not coming here sooner.
At noon, I headed to the Tusi City at the lower settlement of Mount Hailongtun, which recreates the bustling commercial scene of Mount Hailongtun during the Ming Dynasty. There are a total of 96 buildings in the South and North zones. Being there felt like stepping back in time. Inside Tusi City, there are two not-so-long streets lined with shops, museums, and media display centers. All the architecture follows the artistic style of Tusi culture. The pathways are mostly paved with cobblestones, the wooden houses are mainly of timber structure, and many designs feature Tusi cultural motifs. There are also many original souvenirs, exquisitely crafted. The rooftops share one thing in common: they all have a 30-40 cm gap left before the roof is placed on top, giving them a distinctly classic charm.
At three in the afternoon, I checked into the Legendary Starry Sky Campsite at the foot of the tea mountain near Mount Hailongtun. It felt like a completely different world from Mount Hailongtun itself. Here, there are 71 luxury tents, each with its own private courtyard, all built against the mountains and facing Mount Hailongtun, offering extremely expansive views. The sky is a brilliant blue, deep and light in hue, simply stunning. By the tent doors, flowers bloom vibrantly against the blue sky and bright sun, creating an incredibly eye-catching scene. The average summer temperature here is around 22°C year-round, making it a natural summer retreat. At night, it gets even cooler, with a sky full of dazzling stars. Falling asleep under the stars, with your eyes closed, you can almost feel every mountain, every stream, every blade of grass, and every tree as if they’re within reach—perhaps the energy they hold is quietly being transmitted to you.
I’m truly grateful to Mount Hailongtun for letting me get to know it, for allowing me to draw close to it, and for giving me the chance to be alone with it.
Here, no one cares about your comings and goings. Moving slowly and leisurely, it’s an absolutely unique experience—like under the vast open sky, no one else is competing for my breath.
We won’t say goodbye, just see you next time.