April 3rd, a day of leisurely strolling in Guiyang

Summary: Guizhou Province was a completely new map to me. Apart from Guizhou Maotai, my limited knowledge about Guizhou was really sparse. After arriving, I found out that the Zunyi Conference actually took place in Guizhou. I repeated the name 'Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture' several times, only to forget it moments later. Hence, I decided to start by visiting the provincial museum to get my bearings. I arrived at Guiyang Longdongbao Airport at 9 o'clock last night, found a budget hotel near the provincial museum, and planned to stay for two nights. However, the hotel was desolate and the air quality was not great. After taking a shower, I went straight to bed. So this morning, I changed my reservation, checked out, and moved into a youth hostel (named 'A Forest'). Around 8 a.m., I stored my luggage and then ran back to visit the provincial museum. It was a bit of a hassle, but it gave me peace of mind. I skimmed through the provincial museum, saw Wang Yangming's enlightenment at Longchang (today's Xiuwen County), Xu Xiake's travel notes (Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun), and also witnessed the concerns for the nation by reformists like Tan Sitong and Liang Qichao during the late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China, with their petitions on the public carriage. In the 'Xu Xie Tie', I saw the interaction between Han Qi and the tipsy sage Ouyang Xiu. I had previously seen his 'Record of the Drunken Old Man's Pavilion' in Chuzhou, a very distinctive ancient figure. There was also a phrase in Tao Tingjie's regular script album: 'Doing good is like spring, the growth of the garden's grass is unseen, yet each day it grows taller.' I found it very interesting and share it as an encouragement. I wanted to buy a souvenir of the iconic buildings, but currently, only commemorative coins were on sale, so I gave up. At noon, I had a bowl of beef soup noodles with an egg for 14 yuan at Wang Ji's Old Guiyang Beef Noodles next to the hostel, and then gnawed on a piece of Napoleon cake for 9.5 yuan from the Yuliang Cake Shop on Renmin Road. Afterward, I went back to the hostel to check in and rest. In the afternoon, Jiaxiu Tower is recommended for its night view, but it's better to come early, make a reservation to enter and see it, as it closes at 6 p.m. So it's best to arrive around 4 p.m. and take your time. The late cherry blossoms along the Nanming River are still very beautiful in early April. Not far from Jiaxiu Tower is Wenchang Pavilion, which I didn't visit, but it easily fits into the frame when taking photos. Jiaxiu Tower was built during the Ming Dynasty by Jiang Dongzhi from She County, Anhui Province, during his tenure in Guizhou, to encourage scholars to study diligently, with the hope of producing outstanding scholars and talents. The entrance of Jiaxiu Tower bears a couplet: 'Climbing this tower amidst the hustle and bustle, I inquire about the well-being of the counties, never forgetting the aspirations of ordinary days.' The matching line reads: 'With a scratch of the head in this vast world, I lament the vast rivers and mountains, full of changes from ancient to modern times, relying on the outstanding to navigate through safety and danger.' With my limited cultural knowledge, I couldn't read many of the characters on-site and had to look up information online later, grateful to the predecessors. I leisurely strolled around, watched the old men playing chess by the river, imagined chess strategies in my mind, sat on a bench nibbling on dumplings, sipping tea, and admiring the flowers, which was very pleasant. I found a buddy to go with me tomorrow morning to visit Mr. Yangming's Memorial Hall in Xiuwen County, coinciding with the Qingming Festival, to pay respects, which is quite nice. In the evening, I joined a group for dinner and had a big iron pot meal, which I didn't quite enjoy, and another place was too crowded, with no numbers left.