酉阳桃花源

□ 文/本刊记者 胡睿

酉阳桃花源

□ 文/本刊记者 胡睿

雄奇险峻的自然山水风光，造就了《桃花源记》原型地—桃花源，“武陵之魂”—龙潭古镇、“绝壁音符”—龚滩古镇，“峡谷仙境”—阿蓬江大峡谷等令人神往的山川奇景。这里是人们远离尘世喧嚣、回归绿色天堂的绝佳旅游目的地和度假天堂，也是国家AAAAA级旅游景区，国家森林公园，国家地质公园，中国最具国际影响力旅游品牌，最负国际盛名景区，国家户外运动基地，重庆市文明旅游风景区。

酉阳桃花源位于重庆市酉阳土家族苗族自治县，地处武陵山腹地，渝、鄂、湘、黔4省（市）在此接壤，距重庆主城区360公里，面积2734公顷，森林覆盖率80%，由世外桃源、伏羲洞、桃花源、金银山、酉州古城、二酉山等六大部分组成，是重庆“特色森林公园”。

酉阳有2200多年建县史，800年州府所在地，600余年土司制史。来到酉阳桃花源，欣赏土家族的风土人情是旅行的一大亮点，土家吊脚楼，土家摆手舞，土家木叶情歌，面具阳戏，傩戏，梯玛跳神，打饶棺都是酉阳特有的文化特色。其中，摆手舞是土家族最主要的标志性文化形态之一。是以摆手为特征的祭祀性舞蹈，是土家先民在进行图腾崇拜、祖先崇拜、土王崇拜和漫长的生产生活实践活动中创造出来的。

对于酉阳丰富的文化底蕴和美景，被多数人知晓的是来自《酉阳直隶州总志》的记载：“核其形，与渊明所记桃花源者毫厘不爽。”被广泛认定为就是陶渊明笔下的《桃花源记》的原型地。景区里面除了有“世外桃源”的美丽田园风光外，还有被“天坑学之父”朱学稳先生称为“世界奇观·地下石林”的伏羲洞，有“天下第一洞”“地下桃花源”之美誉。紧邻世外桃源的酉州古城，依山而建，风格各异的土家吊脚楼矗立在青石板街的两旁，气势恢宏，展示着土家族的建筑、历史、民俗、文化，是武陵山土家族的“清明上河图”。还有“巴蜀第一镇”“绝壁上的音符”之称的龚滩古镇坐落于乌江之畔。

Mysterious and magnificent natural landscape leads to the prototype of“Peach Blossom Spring” (written by Tao Yuanming, a Chinese well-known writer of the Eastern Jin Dynasty) – Peach Blossom Valley, "Wuling Soul" - Longtan Town, "cliff note" - Gongtan Ancient Town, "Canyon Wonderland" - A Pengjiang Grand Canyon and other fascinating natural scenery. It offers an excellent and ideal tourist destination and holiday paradise for people who want to keep away from the bustling world and return to the green heaven. It was selected as “National AAAAA Level Scenic Spot”, “National Forest Park”,“National Geological Park”, “China's Most Globally Influential Tourism Brand”,“the Most Famous International Scenic Spot”, “National Outdoor Sports Base”,“ Chongqing Municipal Civilized Tourism Scenic Area”.

Youyang Peach Garden Scenic Area is located in the Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County of Chongqing Municipality (hereinafter refered to as Youyang County) and the hinterland of Wuling mountain area in the junction of Chongqing, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Guizhou Province. It is 360 km away from the main urban area of Chongqing, covering an area of 2734 hectares, with a forest coverage rate of 80%. Composed of Ancient Peach Garden, Fuxi Cave, Peach Blossom Valley, Gold and Silver Hill, Youzhou Ancient Town, Youyang Peach Blossom Valley is a "characteristic forest park" in Chongqing.

Youyang has a long history of being a county for more than 2,200 years, being a state capital for some 800 years, and establishing the Tusi system for over 600 years. When traveling in the Youyang Peach Blossom Valley, to appreciate Tujia local customs and folks is a major highlight of your trip. Youyang has numerous unique local cultures such as Tujia stilting wooden houses, Tujia hand-waving dance, Tujia Leaf Love Song, Mask Yang Opera, Nuo Opera, Tiema god dance, Buddhist ceremony to release souls from purgatory, among which Youyang hand-waving dance is one of the Tujia most symbolic cultural forms. Youyang hand-waving dance is a sacrifi cial dance characterized by waving, which was created by Tujia ancestors in the practice of totem worship, ancestor worship, Tujia chieftain worship and long life.

Most of people know Youayng’s rich culture and scenic beauty from the record of Youyang Direct-administrated Prefecture Annals, which said: What Youyang looks like is exactly what Tao Yuanming described about Peach Blossom Valley in the essay of “Peach Blossom Spring”. For this reason, it is widely hailed as the prototype of “Peach Blossom Spring”. In addition to the beautiful rural scenery featuring "the Land of Peach Blossom ", Fuxi Cave, honored as " the most spectacular cave" and "underground Peach Garden", also lies there, which is reputed as "underground stone forest and the world's wonder" by zhu xuewen, " the father of Chinese sky hole". Neighbouring with Peach Garden, Youzhou Ancient Town was built on the hillside, in which on the both sides of flagstone road, astonishingly stand diff erent styles of Tujia stilted wooden houses, displaying the Tujia architectures, history, folk customs, and culture. Therefore, it is regarded as "the Qingming Festival" of Tujia minority groups in Wuling Mountain. Besides, Gongtan Ancient Town, praised as "the first town of Ba" and " cliff note", is situated by the Wujiang River.

Youyang, the Realistic Peach Blossom Valley

□ J ournalist/ Hu Rui