All the way north, drunk on the Black River

Mohe Arctic Village all the way east, passing Huma to Heihe is picturesque. But ultimately, we have been enjoying the generous gifts of this great river, Heilongjiang. In fact, Mohe was once called "Mohe". I have been thinking that it might be better if the name "Mohe" is still maintained. In this way, whether it is from ink to black or from black to ink, wouldn't it be "Mohe"? A journey to find the North in the dark?

Heilongjiang, the true reputation of this large river on the Sino-Russian border is still far from known to the world. First of all, the drainage area of ??the Heilongjiang river system is larger than that of the Yangtze River. The drainage area of ??the Heilongjiang river system is more than 1.843 million square kilometers, and the drainage area of ??the Yangtze River system is about 1.8 million square kilometers. Secondly, according to the most accurate current measurement, the length of Heilongjiang exceeds that of the Yellow River, and its water volume far exceeds that of the Yellow River. Third, most of the Heilongjiang water system is distributed in forest areas, with very little water and soil erosion. The sediment content in the river water is only one-quarter of that of the Yangtze River and one-third of that of the Yellow River! Among the famous rivers in my country and even the world, water quality ranks high.

So why is Heilongjiang not so famous as a river? I personally think that in addition to being geographically located in the north of the north and developing relatively late, the main reason is that after the "Aihun Treaty" , this once inland river in China became a boundary river, and more than half of its basin area, length, etc. were divided up by Tsarist Russia. Therefore, the popularity of this large river seemed to have been cut in half, and it was greatly reduced in people's eyes.

But this does not affect the real charm of Heilongjiang. Just like its clarity, you would never imagine that a river with water that looks like ink from a distance is so clear until you get close. It is precisely because she continues to receive a large amount of fertile humus along the way. Most of the humus settles and adheres to the sand and gravel on the river bottom, which results in the black color of the water, including many of its tributaries.

The color of rivers can also be confusing. Therefore, in ancient times, when productivity was extremely underdeveloped, especially in such wild places, the ancestors were full of awe for such black rivers. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, this river It was once named "Weak Water". This is a very poetic name in the eyes of many artists today. Not really. In "Journey to the West", the extremely dangerous Liusha River is described in poems as evidence: "The boundary of eight hundred quicksands, the water depth of three thousand, the goose feathers cannot float, and the reeds sink to the bottom." It can be seen that in ancient times, not everyone dared to come and "get a ladle of water" like this. Another evidence of the "dangerous" nature of this river is the name of the ancient city of Heihe, "Aihui", which means "terrible" in Manchu. The name "Heihe" actually comes from Heilongjiang, specifically a section of the river.

Heihe is a beautiful and legendary city. When traveling to Heihe, it is recommended to read relevant information first, or find a qualified and high-level local tour guide. Otherwise, it is really just a quick glance. Because we came all the way from Mohe, we saw many mountains, rivers, forests, and wetlands, so it was inevitable that we would be a little tired of our eyes.

But Heihe will not let you down. Passing through Huma County, take Provincial Highway 209 to enter the Heihe boundary. The terrain gradually transitions from the Greater Khingan Mountains to the Lesser Khingan Mountains. If you observe carefully, there are still differences. After passing the "Three Cards", the highway becomes a real "along the river". Driving on such a road is simply a kind of enjoyment. Looking up at the flowing clouds in the sky, the sky is blue and white, looking to the left to see the winding rivers and winding rivers in the east, and the green mountains on the right. , canyons, forests, and fields are constantly changing. Coupled with the good road conditions and very few vehicles, self-driving is all the fun.

Twelve years ago, I came to Heihe for a research project, so I still know a little about this city. As we approach the urban area of ??Heihe from north to southeast, a large lake suddenly appears in our field of vision surrounded by mountains. This is the famous "Woniu Lake". If Heilongjiang is a black jade belt, then Wanniu Lake, located on the bank of Heilongjiang, is a bright and dazzling pearl next to the jade belt. The city is animated by water. The river is moving and the lake is still. The aura of the city comes out between movement and stillness.

Just beside Wanniu Lake, there was a golden and dazzling sculpture of Wanniu.

Personally, I think this is really a failure, because the historical term "Woniu" actually has nothing to do with cows. Woniu Lake was originally called Woniu River. In the 1970s, the river was dammed and dammed, so Woniu River became Woniu Lake. The original local name of Woniu River was Eni River, and Woniu River is the pronunciation of Eni River. Eni also has homophones and different writing methods such as Eni, Eni, Eji, Eniang, etc. The word "Eni" means mother. Historically, the Heihe area was the place where the Manchu people lived. Therefore, based on the distribution of ethnic groups in ancient northern my country, the meaning of phonetic sounds and many other aspects, it can be concluded that the Eni River should be the name of the Manchu people.

For a "picky" traveler like me, the local tour guide will not like it. Of course, I am self-aware and do everything by myself. This way I can be more free, even if my own knowledge If you are wrong, you can just ignore it and justify it. Traveling is just about having fun.

Close to the urban area, the Sino-Russian Style Park is a must-see. Unfortunately, because we are preparing for the "Provincial Tourism Development Conference" in August, this exotic and charming park has been selected by many Chinese and Russian film and television productions. The base was temporarily closed, preventing his family from seeing his beauty. For the same reason, we were unable to enter the ancient city of Aihun, which has experienced many vicissitudes of history, as well as the Aihun History Exhibition Hall and the Educated Youth Museum. Instead, we had a real picnic under the ancient city of Aihui and by the Heilongjiang River. The "Heilongjiang Boiled Instant Noodles" attracted the attention of many tourists. When I was washing the dishes in the river after the meal, I accidentally caught several small fish looking for food. It seems that these so-called "junk foods" do have a special charm to attract animals!

Although the peripheral attractions are temporarily closed, one benefit is that I can finally calm down and enjoy the city scenery. The hotel we chose is Wangjiang Hotel, just opposite the "Mother Square" on the edge of Heilongjiang River. Looking up is Blagoveshchensk, the capital of Russia's Amur region and the third largest city in the Far East. It originally belonged to China and was originally named "Hailan Pao".

From the Chinese literal point of view, "Hailan boo" is a beautiful name. In fact, it is pronounced "hailan boo" in Manchu, which means "elm tree home". This name appeared as early as in junior high school history textbooks. In the hearts of Heilongjiang people, this name is full of bloody and humiliating memories. Looking at the city on the other side, I always feel an unspeakable resentment. Although it is really beautiful, this beauty is based on our past cowardice, incompetence, and bullying. Standing by the Heilongjiang River this time, I felt the same as the first time I came here. But looking at the scenery on the other side that has not changed much in more than ten years, and looking at the cityscape on our side that is changing with each passing day and full of high-rise buildings, I can't help but feel good. When you feel like it, you can take off your clothes and enter the river, and join other tourists to take a dip in the water. This is the first time in my life that I have truly bathed in the mother river of Heilongjiang people. I was intoxicated as soon as I entered the water, but I also truly felt the power and danger of this big river.

On the surface, the flow of the river is not very fast, but once the water reaches your waist, it will be difficult for you to maintain your balance. An unstoppable and powerful force comes continuously, pushing you towards the river. Forward, forward, there is no room for you to hesitate. Compared with the Hulan River and Songhua River in my hometown, I suddenly felt that if I use a metaphor, these two rivers are like the "Seven Monsters of Jiangnan" in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". At first, I thought this was a master, until After seeing Heilongjiang, I realized that the "Southern Emperor and Northern Beggar" are actually here! People often say that if you don't advance, you will retreat. But here, even if I try my best, I can't move against the current even one cent! As mentioned earlier, the Qing army marched into Yaksa City from this. This must be the reason why Xia Xia preferred to take the land route rather than the water route.

It’s night, because the road from Heihe to the south is smooth, and both my wife and children can drive, so I feel relaxed and look for a special restaurant, where I can take my father, wife and children to a feast, tasting fresh fish from Longjiang and delicacies from Heihe. After drinking half a pound of white wine, I felt refreshed. After dinner, walk along the river and enjoy the beautiful scenery on both sides. Landing on the island (Daheihe Island) and leaning on the railing, I think about the vicissitudes of a hundred years. Once upon a time, people occupied my home and killed my relatives with swords, guns and axes; once upon a time, people used ships and cannons to show off their power; once upon a time, people had abundant food and clothing, and lights were bright; once upon a time, people had horses, horses, and soldiers, and they watched with eager eyes.

But now, our side is full of flowers, tall buildings, bright lights and busy traffic.

Only twelve years ago, on the National Day in 2008, my friends and I took a night tour of Heilongjiang here. When the lanterns were first lit, fireworks suddenly shot up on our side, filling the sky with bright lights, and tourists like Weaving and bright lights. At that time, the lights on the other side were dim, and residents along the river gathered on the riverside to "borrow the light" and enjoy the spectacular scenery on the other side. At that moment, I truly felt the pride and pride of being a Chinese. Today, compared to twelve years ago, the scenery here is better, but the scenery on the other side is still the same. You can’t show off your wealth, but you can’t live without national pride. Walking on Wangsu Street and passing by the Mazhanshan Anti-Japanese War Office, every scenic spot silently records history and tells future generations that the so-called justice can only be achieved when the country is strong. Talent can turn into dignity and reality, and dignity is obtained by countless Chinese people with their blood and lives. We must not forget it, let alone forget it!

On the second day, our family visited "Half Aihun" because the ancient city and the exhibition hall were closed, but because of this, we had enough time to "look at" this quite interesting place. A famous town. It is famous because it is the earliest administrative seat of Heilongjiang Province and can also be understood as the "provincial capital". In the 22nd year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1683), in order to fight against the invasion of Tsarist Russia, the Qing government set up generals to guard Heilongjiang and other places on the left bank of Heilongjiang (today's Weixiailei Village in Russia), built cities and garrisoned troops, and appointed the famous anti-Russian general Sa. Bushu was the first Heilongjiang general. In the 24th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1685), the Heilongjiang general moved to Tolga City (today's Aihun Town), a Dahur castle on the right bank of the river, and called this place New Aihun City, also known as Heilongjiang City. Unfortunately, due to the constant wars after the late Qing Dynasty, many monuments have been razed to the ground, but the early customs buildings are basically intact and have an obvious combination of Chinese and Western styles. The reconstruction of the ancient city is also based on evidence and has basically restored its original appearance. I visited the History Exhibition Hall last time. There are many cultural relics in it. The description and performance of Aihun's history are very vivid, which is particularly worth seeing.

What is under construction on the riverside should be a statue of Sabusu, the first Heilongjiang general of the Qing Dynasty. It stands angrily facing the north, which should be a sign. Near noon, my wife contacted her monitor in college, who is currently a leader in Heihe City. Of course, we have known each other for a long time. We had similar interests and temperaments when we were young. We have interacted with each other many times, and we have already reached the kind of relationship where we are not classmates but close classmates.

This guy was very good when he was in school, he was good at socializing and drinking, and he acted with integrity. This time I learned that we had arrived in Heihe, so I took time out of my busy schedule to host a banquet at a special fish restaurant. After not seeing each other for many years, we reunited with the men from the Northeast, and they were both good drinkers. He was a man who devoted his efforts and emotions to Heihe. I am a person who has some research and interest in Heihe, so now he is no longer the host, and neither am I. Treating themselves as guests, accompanied and watched by their father, wife and children, the two men who were "running for five" had three full bottles of "Golden Sturgeon" vodka known as "Russian Moutai" while reminiscing about the past and wandering around. Not a drop of wine left!

After that, I was drunk and said to my son in a slurred manner: Boy, whoever says "Old Maozi" can drink in the future, you can proudly tell him that your father has also drunk to their height. liquor!

I was really drunk this time, drunk on the humanities and history of Heihe, drunk on the beautiful Jiejiang River, drunk on the delicious food and wine, and even drunk on the deep friendship between classmates who were still calm even after all the glory. . I will come to Heihe like this again!