Upon arriving in Dali, the first thing that catches your eye is Cangshan, followed by Erhai Lake and the ancient city. However, Xiaguan, the main urban area of Dali, seems somewhat unremarkable. Yet, since it is known as one of Dali’s 4 romance—often referred to as Xiaguan Wind, Shangguan Flowers, Cangshan Snow, and Erhai Moon—Xiaguan is not entirely ordinary.

Facing the dazzling evening sun, I walked to the far western side of Xiaguan, where the narrow valley between the southern end of Cangshan and the northern side of the Ailao Mountains opens up. This area is famous for its strong winds, and the only outlet of Erhai Lake, the Xier River, rushes westward through the valley, flowing into the Yangbi River and then the Lancang River. I recall the time before the high-speed rail was built, when traveling from Dali to Baoshan required taking a bus winding through the mountains, with the canyon scenery I saw along the way still fresh in my memory.

The concrete bridge, the old buildings from the last century, the small vegetable market by the river, and the elderly taking a leisurely stroll after dinner—all these elements at the edge of the city give the feeling of a small county town in the mountains.

Walking back along the Xier River, I passed the Longweiguan Pass, which is also where Xiaguan got its name. As I climbed up along the mountain in the evening darkness, looking south from within the pass, the lights of the main city across the river sparkled. The guards of the Nanzhao Kingdom would never have imagined that the countryside beyond the moat would transform into this scene, while today, only scattered residential courtyards remain within the ancient city walls.

Descending again to the banks of the Xier River, the lines from Bai Juyi’s poem in Tang dynasty , “To this day the banks of Xier River, arrow holes and knife marks fill the dry bones,” are long gone. Beneath the bridge and in the glow of the lights, only night fishermen remain.