Pour a cup of Yellow River
Drunk in Lanzhou
A bowl of noodles, a river and a book
A city, a bridge, a mountain
She did not fall asleep in Gansu for eight thousand years
Her son's name is Lanzhou and he is not homeless
Dream of Hexi Corridor
Lanzhou, Lanzhou
The first time I wanted to go to Lanzhou was probably because I watched the CCTV documentary "Hexi Corridor" and was deeply shocked by "Dream of the Hexi Corridor" composed by master Yanni. The desolate and distant melody took me back to the majestic and simple world of Hexi countless times. Two thousand years ago, Zhang Qian embarked on an exploratory journey to the west without hesitation, creating an empire that followed the Hexi Corridor in the prosperous years and the brilliance of the Silk Road in the future.
The city of Lanzhou became civilized because of the Hexi Corridor, and it also became dazzling because of the Silk Road. Zhang Ji wrote in "Liangzhou Ci", "Countless bells are ringing far away from the moraine, and they should be carried to Anxi." He takes us to relive the history of Lanzhou's prosperous business in the Hexi Corridor from a distance. In his travel notes, the Russian Potanin recorded what he saw when he visited Lanzhou in the 10th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. He said: "This city gave us the impression of a true provincial capital. We have never seen such a big city west of Baoji Prefecture."
Therefore, yearning for Lanzhou is not only due to curiosity about the extremely passionate Lanzhou Marathon, nor is it just intoxication with the folk tale of "Lanzhou, Lanzhou" by the Low Absinthe Band. In fact, it is more because of the desire to explore and explore the ups and downs and vicissitudes of life on the eternal road.
Tao
The road to Lanzhou is very close.
From the perspective of a large geographical unit, Lanzhou is located on the west edge of the Loess Plateau, adjacent to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the west, and beyond Wushaoling is the Hexi Corridor. Lanzhou is surrounded by mountains and ridges, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack. Coupled with the flowing Yellow River, it has become a veritable Jincheng hot spring, so Lanzhou was called "Jincheng" in ancient times.
It took 19 hours of waiting and a journey of more than 1,400 kilometers to get to Jincheng. The road to Lanzhou was so long all the way to the north, crossing lofty mountains and mountains. I didn’t know how many tunnels and mountains I passed through along the way. The main color outside the window gradually changed from green to yellow, yellow rivers, yellow mountains and rivers. The uncle on the pavement said: "earth The old houses and the yellow land will make you realize how satisfying life can be if you have been to the countryside in the northwest. "The upper berth went to Urumqi and it became more and more yellow as we went further. The house was very short to prevent wind and sand." The train's broadcast played an introduction to the Toksun Yadan landform and the Devil's City, which seemed to take me back to the midnight time when I listened to Notes on Tomb Robbers. The sky going north is getting bluer and bluer, forming a sharp contrast with the gradually yellowing land. The Northwest is such a magical world.
My first experience in Lanzhou was that it was cold. After getting over it, I realized that this place is really very social. It is said that Lanzhou is the most corrupt city in China. You can see it at the train station. Ethnic women wearing headscarves can be seen everywhere. If you pick anyone out from the bustling crowd, they may have different beliefs than you, but they must have an amazing amount of alcohol. The girls here are always ready to go through fire and water for love. The most common catchphrase of the men here is: "No matter how big the problem is, it doesn't matter if your head is smashed."
The white hats and headscarves of Islam, as well as the red-robed lamas of Tantric Buddhism, make you feel like this is another country compared with Wuhan. I don’t know if Master Xuanzang, who was a thousand years ago, was worried about walking from here to Yumenguan and Dunhuang in the desert, which means that he has lost his old friend. And Kumarajiva, the translator of the scriptures, has crossed most of the Silk Road to teach the Dharma and cure the emotions. When he came here, Chang'an was approaching, so he couldn't hide his excitement.
And I, a stunned boy, came here for Lanzhou Marathon. The ruggedness of the Northeastern people felt friendly to the toughness of the Lanzhou people, so I didn’t feel disobedient when following the locals across the road at the fastest speed, and I also enjoyed haggling loudly with the aunts in the shops.
Climb Wuquan Mountain and overlook the entire city of Lanzhou. Although there are high-rise buildings, there is still an indescribable desolation. I really feel the sadness of the ancients when they passed through Jincheng and looked back at Chang'an. The huge capital of Gansu Province lives between several mountains. The lack of land has become the biggest problem restricting the development of Lanzhou. The new district passes through the mountains and was built 40 kilometers away from the city. It is now known as a "ghost city." This is the extreme Lanzhou in the eyes of Central Plains people, the provincial capital of Gansu, and a third-tier city in the northwest.
The Yellow River, which has not yet gone east, has ripples for a moment.
Thousands of miles away in a tall building, you stayed up all night
I once chatted with a friend from Lanzhou who was studying abroad. I was surprised to find that for him, Lanzhou was not a desolate and dry northwest border town, but a place he wanted to go back to and visit countless times at night. Lanzhou people or people who have stayed in Lanzhou all have an indescribable attachment to Lanzhou.
Following this attachment, this time I came to Lanzhou. I wanted to see what kind of magic Lanzhou has that makes people never forget it? The scary thing is that when I was about to leave, I discovered that in my place, Lanzhou, it really couldn’t be wiped off...
What I cannot forget is the taste of Lanzhou. I don’t know when, Lanzhou became inexplicably popular on Douyin. Everyone calls it the fourth Internet celebrity city in the country. However, only Lanzhou people know that the beef noodles by the Yellow River have recently risen to eight yuan. People in Lanzhou start their morning with a bowl of beef noodles. There are more than a thousand halal noodle restaurants here, and more than one million bowls of beef noodles are consumed every day. A hundred years ago, Ma Baozi, a Hui nationality, added boiled beef and mutton liver soup into the pot. The fragrant hot pot noodles became very popular. From then on, Lanzhou beef noodles became famous all over the world. During my few days in Lanzhou, I ate Ma Zilu and Tongue Jian Beef Noodles recommended by the guide, Jin Qiang Beef Noodles recommended by the hostess of the hotel, and Ma Youbu Beef Noodles that I came across by chance. Each had its own characteristics. In the end, I tasted the beef noodles all over my body. An excellent bowl of beef ramen should have five characteristics: refreshing soup, white radish, red spicy oil, green coriander, and bright yellow noodles. I don’t know if it’s authentic or not, but I enjoyed it anyway.
What cannot be erased is the freedom of Lanzhou. People say that Lanzhou is a wild city. "The high and low buildings are irregular, the beef noodle restaurants large and small are irregular, the roads that are sometimes clean and sometimes dirty are irregular, the roads that are sometimes wide and sometimes narrow are irregular, and the environment that is sometimes wild and sometimes quiet is irregular..." This is a wild city with no rules. It is not as prosperous as Shanghai or as gentle as Jiangsu, but you can feel a kind of freedom. Therefore, there are many folk songs about Lanzhou. Those wandering singers who traveled all over the world with guitars came to Lanzhou, gave up their wandering and sang about freedom.
For me, the freedom of Lanzhou is still the sky that is sometimes sunny and sometimes cloudy at Lanzhou University.
It is the colorful Huatian Lane that is incompatible with the entire yellow city.
It is a waterwheel that allows you to play freely on the dry loess soil of the Great Northwest.
It’s also the salty and spicy stuffed skin in Du Kee’s desserts…
The most touching thing is the memory of Lanzhou. This is a city with stories, and the origin of all stories is the Yellow River. Thousands of years ago, General Li Xi gave an order to build a ferry on the Yellow River. This is Lanzhou today. The Yellow River flows endlessly through Lanzhou from west to east. Its rolling turbid waves and bursts of waves not only nourish the land and water of Lanzhou, but also create the bold and rugged character of Lanzhou people. The city also becomes warmer and richer because of the Yellow River.
The Zhongshan Bridge across the Yellow River is the oldest ancient bridge in Lanzhou and the first real bridge on the Yellow River. All the building materials of the bridge are of German origin and have a history of more than 100 years. I visited Zhongshan Bridge twice and the aerial photography under the sunset was breathtakingly beautiful.
The next day, the wind was blowing, the sun was shining, and the handrails were passing by the bridge. The old bridge had been exposed to hundreds of years of rain and heard the winds of the century. For hundreds of years, this ancient bridge still spans the Yellow River, echoing the Baita Mountain. "Raise your head to welcome the White Pagoda and slowly cross the Yellow River. There are two mountains on the opposite bank, and there are many interesting things in the middle stream." Looking at the bridge and the river from the Baita Mountain, I seem to hear the voice of the times: "The biography of Huang Qiyan, the Iron Han Qin Zhangguang Longban; the river is clear and the sea is flowing, and the bridge is rainbow-colored and guarding Jincheng."
At the foot of Wuquan Mountain, I was lucky enough to see the statue of General Huo Qubing. The young general crossed Yanzhi Mountain to seal the wolf as Xu, crossed the Lanzhou Ferry and went straight to the camp of King Hunye alone, and fought behind the enemy lines of the Huns to open up the Hexi Corridor. Behind the story is today's Lanzhou. Nowadays, the old and young in the park only know that this general is called "Qu Bing". He can cure diseases by touching it. The sign next to it says "Pray politely". While I was still excited to see the general, I wonder if the local Lanzhou people know the magnificent stories that happened to the general thousands of years ago.
So Lanzhou has such sharp edges and corners, with stories and wine, songs and faces. How can we forget this city with such a clear distinction between love and hate?
Ranma always leaves early in the morning
Ranma, warm drunkenness at noon
"Lanzhou, the endless water of the Yellow River flows eastward; Lanzhou, at the end of the road is the entrance to the sea..." Lanzhou in folk songs is full of poetry. In reality, Lanzhou is not only poetic but also full of enthusiasm and vitality. The Lanzhou Marathon is undoubtedly the best representation of this enthusiasm and vitality. Since I am here for the Lanzhou Marathon, I must focus on the Lanzhou Marathon in my eyes...
Lanzhou Marathon is the most attractive marathon event in the northwest region. Some say that this is an event that running enthusiasts must participate in because Lanzhou Marathon is the only marathon in China that runs around the Yellow River and has the highest altitude. Many runners come to Lanzhou not only to participate in a race, but also to have a dialogue and persistence with themselves, and to practice self-emptying. As the leading event in the western region, the Lanzhou International Marathon is the seventh international gold-label event in China after the Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen, Chongqing, Yangzhou, Jianzhen and Dongying International Marathons.
The Lanzhou Marathon, founded in 2011, has been held for seven consecutive years. The event is the largest international sports event with the largest number of participants organized so far in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. The race route of the Lanzhou Marathon runs along the Yellow River, passing through famous historical and cultural attractions such as the Centennial Zhongshan Bridge, the Yellow River Waterwheel Park, the Yellow River Mother Sculpture, and Baita Mountain.
Different from the previous race notes, this time I don’t want to just use a first-person perspective to record Ranma’s experiences and feelings from the 1st kilometer to 42.195 kilometers. Instead, I try to remove myself as much as possible and use a few keywords to outline my impression of Ranma.
For Ranma, the first key word that I can think of is "details".
The rugged Northwest man can also have such a delicate side, which I never thought before the race. The details of Lanzhou Marathon are mainly reflected in thoughtfulness and strictness. The pick-up location is set up at the Gansu Provincial Convention and Exhibition Center. The security personnel at the entrance of the Convention and Exhibition Center will carefully check the pick-up list of each contestant. This is only the first procedure. Then there will be several other security personnel to check the packages of the contestants, and then conduct body searches. This kind of formation is something I have never seen before in so many competitions.
After entering the convention and exhibition center, you will find that the collection area is arranged in an orderly manner. Although there is not a large formation of Han Marathon, you can still see enough attentiveness, especially the information desk set up in the collection center to facilitate timely answers to questions for runners. After receiving the package according to the competition number, go to the competition clothing department to collect clothes. There will be volunteers standing with hands behind their backs waiting for runners, which is very ceremonial. When receiving clothes, volunteers will carefully tell everyone, "Our clothes are a little larger, it is recommended to choose a smaller size." Then the chip will be detected. After going through this procedure, you will unknowingly find that you have arrived at the entrance of Lanzhou race expo.
The arrangement of each station at the race expo is still orderly, and there were plenty of freebies. It is the first experience of hosting a marathon, and the details are very detailed.
The race day deposit package still feels full of sincerity and intention. All participating athletes can ride all bus operating lines in the city for free with their competition uniforms and bib numbers. Moreover, Ranma’s bag storage area is indoors, which is windproof, rainproof and sun-proof, making it convenient for runners to pick up their bags and stretch indoors directly after the race. When entering the bag storage venue, there would be volunteers lining up to welcome and cheer. The security at the door asked everyone not to enter or exit. I wanted to go out and take photos of the volunteers, but I was rejected several times. Volunteers indoors practice stretching steps, and there will also be gym coaches waiting in their own areas.
I originally wanted to start from area D with my roommate, but when I arrived at D, I discovered that Lanzhou Marathon has strict zoning. Different from the front area in Wuxi and Xiamen, you can go to the back area to start. Lanzhou Marathon has to pass the record tape once to enter each area, so that effective results can be obtained after the race. This also effectively avoids the unsafe risks of runners in the back area. The security of the track is very strong. There are security personnel every few meters in the starting area. There are even non-commissioned officers from the military area standing in front and back in a dignified manner. If they want to take pictures, they are expressly prohibited.
There will be signs at the supply points on the track telling runners how many tables there are at this supply point and how many tables are left behind. This year's Lanzhou Marathon has caught up with the scorching weather. The northwest sun is really strong, but don't be afraid. The water tanker on the roadside will spray mist all the time. Running in the sunny mist rainbow must be a very novel experience.
Free WiFi is available along the track around the clock. Free WiFi is also available in key areas such as the International Convention and Exhibition Center, Chengguan Yellow River Bridge North, Jinchang North Road North Exit, and Citizen Square. Ranma, which is so full of details, deserves to be awarded the domestic and international double gold standard.
The second key word of Ranma, I want to say is "atmosphere".
When it comes to atmosphere, I think like everyone else, the most intuitive feeling must be enthusiasm. The enthusiasm of Lanzhou is really shocking every meter. In 2017, there were 350,000 people cheering for the Lanzhou Marathon. This year's Lanzhou Marathon should be no less impressive. The roads, intersections, and every overpass are full of people. The audience shouts loudly, children and contestants high-five, and various performance groups in national costumes sing and dance, accompanied by the boiling water of the Yellow River, all the way to the end of 42 kilometers. Those phrases "Lanzhou team, fight again!" "China team, will win!". It is the best motivation for every runner to persist.
The atmosphere of Ranma is indispensable for its glamorous beauty. There are pretty girls holding placards at some kilometers. When runners pass by, they will cheer for the girls or take shy photos together. I also ran and took photos along the way. I am not a ronin, but I just want to do my best to present a beautiful and affectionate Ranma. After all, there are still only a few runners who can come to the northwest to experience the western style. As one runner said: "It's really hard for the girls holding placards to be exposed to the sun. We can only express our gratitude with a photo." When I went to take a photo, I would also say thank you: "Thank you for your hard work."
Next, I want to talk about the inheritance in the lively atmosphere of Ranma. What moved me the most along the way was to find that there were parents with their children around the track, and encouraged the children to enthusiastically high-five the players. I once heard a saying that "the world's football desert is in China. China "China's football desert is in the northwest." Running through Lanzhou really made me doubt the authenticity of this sentence. Lanzhou, a city with such good sports genes, is definitely not the sports desert in our minds. Looking at the enthusiastic smiling faces of the children, we have reason to believe that Lanzhou's sports spring will always come.
If I say that there is a little bit of reserve in the atmosphere of Lanzhou, I wonder if you will believe it. The volunteers in Lanzhou are not as hot and unrestrained as I imagined. Instead, they are a little reserved and shy. When I was depositing my bags before the race, I wanted to take a photo of a volunteer girl, but she walked away shyly and said, "Don't be like this." It made me dumbfounded. The same scene is seen at the supply point during the race. The volunteer will ask the partner next to him with a surprised look on his face: "What is he going to do?" I can imagine that her mental activity should be like this: "What is this CouLiuMang going to do?" (awkward face.jpg). Compared with the volunteers in Wuxi and Wuhan, the volunteers here are indeed very reserved, which makes me feel very different from the northwest. Fortunately, the supplies are abundant. Although they are a little reserved, the orderliness and efficiency of the volunteers still left a deep impression on me.
The third key word of Ranma, I want to give it to "runner".
The first two keywords are the experience that Ranma creates for runners, and the colorful stories of "runners" are the best returns from the runners. It is because of the colorful runners that Ranma is so exciting.
To Ranma, running is about spiritual practice. Here I want to focus on two people. The first one is Wang Xuebing. In fact, in the early 2000s, he was very popular and often played the male lead in various dramas. Later, Wang Xuebing was assisted in the investigation by the police on the grounds of "drug involvement" and became a drug addict in people's eyes. The contract was subsequently reduced, probably due to the impact of work. In 2016, Wang Xuebing gained the fattest weight in his history at 82 kilograms. By chance, he started running. After completing his first marathon in Xiamen at the beginning of the year, Wang Xuebing finished the race in Lanzhou with a time of 5 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. Because of running, many people have turned from haters to fans of Wang Xuebing. In fact, everyone makes mistakes. What is important is whether they can recognize their mistakes and correct them, and whether they can start over again. This kind of courage is more important than anything else. Just like the introduction on Wang Xuebing's Weibo, "It's better to learn well than to learn anything." When you have the courage to turn around a bad life, aren't you slowly learning?
The other person was an uncle I met in the last five kilometers. The uncle was carrying a 40-pound weight and dragging his cramped legs on the Lanzhou Marathon track, but his eyes were so determined. The uncle vowed to complete his 100-marathon goal before the 2022 Winter Olympics. I said I would carry it for you for a while, and he smiled and said: "No need." I left the last journey to the uncle himself. I hope more cameras will be focused on him alone, and let more people know that this persistence actually has weight.
Runners come together too. At the finish line, I finally met Fang Ji and Yue Qi, fellow undergraduates from Harbin. They wanted to see me even if they almost missed the train to Xining. Fang Ji even proposed to Yue Qi at the finish line. The photographer helped them record this touching moment. They came together because of running. Ranma is like a grand party, and runners fill in all kinds of touching stories in this big party. After the race, I also saw Leiru, who is a good writer. We met through running and writing, and we felt friendly when we met. Also because of such an event, many strangers who used to be in front of mobile phones and computers have become good friends in life. This kind of gathering is happy enough. After the race, many players sat on the ground in the baggage area, opened a can of Yellow River beer, and chatted. Because of Lanzhou Marathon, we from all over the world gathered here. This kind of gathering made Lanzhou Marathon full of human touch.
Lanzhou Marathon, I came with the rising sun in the early morning. At noon, I received the magnificent "big gold cake" and felt the professional and meticulous stretching of the volunteers. I left with warmth.
This is the Ranma in my eyes, the Ranma that I will never forget.
No more windy Hexi songs sounded
Lanzhou, which has been lonely since then, is quietly raining tonight
With reluctance to welcome the new week and finally return, Calvino described a city called Despina in "Invisible Cities". There are two ways for people to come to the city, by boat and by camel. People who come by camel see the city as a ship, while people who come by boat see the city as a camel. Therefore, unlike the train when I came, I chose to fly back. On the one hand, I was anxious to go back to school, and on the other hand, I also wanted to understand Lanzhou from a broader perspective. It was very convenient to get to Zhongchuan Airport from the train station. I boarded the plane smoothly and left.
Feeling the gradual climb of the plane, I reluctantly said goodbye to this place. At an altitude of several thousand feet, thinking back on the journey of the past few days, I seemed to hear the sound of camel bells coming from the depths of the desert, and the endless flow of caravans passing through the Hexi Corridor gathered here. Porcelain and silk, gold and amber, wealth and longing... Scholars and monks from the Eastern and Western worlds carry ancient books and scriptures. Even through the turbulent times, their thoughts and beliefs are still alive and well.
The plane continued to climb until it reached an altitude of tens of thousands of feet. Through the clouds, I seemed to vaguely see the surging Yellow River in summer, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty looking far to the west. The four counties in Hexi stand stubbornly and defiantly in the vast Gobi Desert, guarding the dream of an empire to manage the west.
Wuwei means military power;
Zhang Ye, cut off the arm of the Xiongnu, broke the arm of the Han Dynasty
Jiuquan, the general poured wine into the fountain, and the strong army destroyed the barbarians;
Dunhuang is grand and glorious.
After two thousand years of clouds and smoke gathering and dispersing, I feel that I am lucky enough to come to Lanzhou in the name of marathon running and overlook the Hexi River. After running past Ranma, who was almost crazy with enthusiasm, he was still moved by every moment of this gluttonous feast.
Looking down at the land surrounded by mountains such as Gaolan Mountain, Guanshan Mountain, and Jiuzhou Terrace, it is geographically and aesthetically barren to the point of being extremely desolate. The Yellow River is still rushing, but the grand scene of the past has long been gone, leaving only memories drifting in the wind. Lanzhou is like an old left-behind man, his hair messed up by the strong northwest wind, old and lonely.
Goodbye Lanzhou, that dry ancient city in the northwest, that important town on the Silk Road, that windy Longxi. The former moon is hard to find, and today, the passion and poetry of Longxi still make it difficult for me to calm down. In fact, how much we hope that Lanzhou will be remembered by the world, not just the bowls of steaming beef noodles, not just the Yellow River ballad that makes people's eyes red, and not just the passionate Lanzhou Marathon. But where is Lanzhou's desire to lead the northwest? Lanzhou Strong!
