Heshun Ancient Town, a poetic and picturesque place.

Stepping into the Heshang Ancient Town in Tengchong City, Yunnan Province, one is greeted by the sight of nearby pink walls and dark gray tiles, small bridges and flowing water, while in the distance, clear streams wind around the village, waterfowl take flight, presenting a picturesque landscape of mountains and rivers.

Heshun Ancient Town was established during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty for military garrisons and border defense. It was a crucial stop on the ancient Southern Silk Road connecting Sichuan, Yunnan, Burma, and India. Named "Heshun" because a small river flows around the village, it was later renamed to "Heshun" to signify "harmony among scholars and the populace," and refined to its current name.

The ancient town of Heshun is embraced by "five mountains," intersects with "three springs," and is traversed by "two rivers." Villages are built along the mountains, blending harmoniously with nature. "Facing the unique natural environment, we deeply understand that 'green mountains and clear waters are golden mountains and silver mountains.' Protecting the environment is protecting productivity, and improving the environment is developing productivity. Only by solidifying the ecological foundation can we have the 'confidence' for development," said the responsible official from the Heshun Town Party Committee.

"Home is best, and the best part is Xianhetou. Purple swallows dart through green willows, a green ox lies by the red lotus pond, and companions float in solitary boats." This is the beautiful scenery of Xianhe as described by a homesick overseas Chinese. Xianhe Wetland is a stretch of wetland in front of Heshun Ancient Town, aptly named because people easily get stuck while walking through it. Once lacking proper management and governance, the water quality of Xianhe deteriorated, with severe siltation and impaired water functions. To restore the good ecological environment of Xianhe, with the support of Party committees and governments at all levels, Heshun has vigorously promoted water ecological restoration and governance, planned sewage treatment systems to a high standard, purified daily wastewater, dredged reservoirs and wetlands, and updated aquatic plants in reservoirs and rivers to continuously purify the water. Now, after protection and governance, the area is radiant with rippling waves, changing scenery with each boat's movement, and a picturesque rural landscape.

Ancient trees towering into the sky can be seen everywhere in the Heshun Ancient Town. It is introduced that the people of Heshun have always had the tradition of protecting trees, and they like to name the alleys with trees, such as the Ficus pumila Lane, the Sophora japonica Lane, etc. Next to the Heshun Kuige, there are two bald cypresses, which are over a hundred years old. In 1920, someone wanted to cut down the two cypresses, which led to opposition from the villagers. Li Yue'ai, the father of the famous philosopher Ai Siqi and a veteran of the 1911 Revolution, led the people to protect the trees and wrote the long poem "The Double Cypresses" which was engraved on a stone tablet. The last line of the poem, "Whoever dares to cut them down shall have their head chopped off," became a local rule. In recent years, the ancient town has strictly implemented environmental governance mechanisms such as the "Forest Chief System" and "Alley-Household Responsibility," increasing efforts in afforestation and protection. The forest coverage rate of the town has reached 100%, making it a paradise where animals and plants coexist in harmony. "Currently, there are about 10,000 ancient and famous trees in the ancient town, and the number of bird species in the Xian River has increased from the original 100 to over 200. Although the ancient town is very popular, it does not affect wild ducks, purple waterfowl, and other birds from resting by the river, creating a very harmonious scene of birds playing," said Chen Jie, director of the Village and Town Planning Center of Heshun Town.

If ecology is the form and the most dazzling backdrop of the ancient town, then culture is the soul, showcasing the unique charm of the ancient town. For a long time, Han culture from the Central Plains, ethnic cultures from the border regions, and South and Southeast Asian cultures have converged and blended here, forming a harmonious and inclusive cultural atmosphere in Heshun Ancient Town.

Crossing the Double Rainbow Bridge at the entrance of Heshang Ancient Town, ascending the steps paved with volcanic rocks, passing through a three-bay gate with upturned eaves and a hip-and-gable roof, a two-story building that blends Chinese and Western architectural styles comes into view. This is one of the largest village libraries in the country—Heshang Library. Established by overseas Chinese from Heshang who donated funds to promote cultural and educational development in their hometown, the library was built in a certain year and currently houses over 10,000 volumes of books.

Entering the reading room, one sees newspapers and periodicals neatly arranged on wooden tables. The edges of the tables and chairs have lost their paint, and the library, with its antique charm, bears the marks of time everywhere. On the wall panel at the front of the reading room hangs a couplet that reads, "Books from the clouds connect distant lands, newspapers from overseas enlighten the masses." This couplet conceals a "trick": when the first four characters of each line are read alternately, they form the meaning "Books and newspapers come from the distant seas and skies." The guide explained that in those days, due to the difficulty of overland transportation, books and newspapers ordered from Shanghai were mostly shipped by sea to Myanmar and then transported to Heshun by mule caravans. These hard-to-obtain books and newspapers fully reflect the Heshun people's thirst for knowledge and culture.

Nowadays, borrowing books for reading has become a part of the daily life for the residents of the ancient town. Yin Yiyao, the deputy director of Heshun Library, introduced that in this border town with a permanent population of just over a thousand, thousands of library cards have been issued, and over 100,000 paper books are borrowed annually. To facilitate readers' borrowing, the library has introduced digital equipment such as information retrieval machines and e-book borrowing machines. In addition to offering functions like e-book downloads, ancient text retrieval, and information queries, the equipment also regularly updates and displays content, which has been highly praised by both readers and tourists.

There are many such historical and cultural buildings as the Heshun Library in the ancient town. At the Big Horse Gang Museum, learn about the history of the Silk Road and the culture of the horse gangs; visit the Ai Siqi Memorial Hall to appreciate the charm of philosophy and reflect on the true meaning of life; step into the Heshun Alley to experience intangible cultural heritage such as ancient papermaking and shadow puppetry, engaging in a dialogue with time.

Whether it is ecological protection or cultural heritage, the ultimate goal is the happiness of the people. In the process of some ancient town tourism development, some places have relocated the original residents out of the scenic area, demolishing old buildings to construct new ones, but Heshang Ancient Town did not do so. The person in charge of Yunnan Bolian Heshang Tourism and Culture Development Co., Ltd. said, "As the main body responsible for the development and operation of Heshang Ancient Town, we particularly emphasize sharing the fruits of development with the local residents. The company has multiple employees, with local residents accounting for over %, and annually uses ticket revenue to pay for the urban and rural residents' medical insurance for over residents with agricultural household registration in the town, and has also set up funds for early childhood education and pensions; over % of the residents in the town are directly or indirectly involved in tourism development, and many residents have transformed their old houses into guesthouses and restaurants, profiting from the 'traffic' of the ancient town. We have achieved that not a single household of residents has moved away during the development of the ancient town." The facts also prove that only by benefiting the local people can the ancient town become better and truly achieve harmony and prosperity.