After twenty years, I finally found Li Xiaoyao's Immortal Island
The day I arrived in Jinyun, I woke up at 4:30 AM.
It wasn't my alarm clock; it was an eagerness twenty years overdue. A friend sent me a link saying that for the 20th anniversary of "Chinese Paladin," there would be interactive performances with Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling'er at the Xiandu Scenic Area. I stared at the screen for three seconds, then opened a ticketing app—some appointments, even if twenty years late, must be kept.
At 5:30 AM, I stood on the stepping stone bridge at Zhutan Mountain. Morning mist was rising from the foot of Dinghu Peak, enveloping the entire valley in a faint blue haze. In the distance, an old farmer slowly led a water buffalo across the stone bridge—this wasn't a prop arranged by the scenic spot, but the original appearance of this landscape, which the "Chinese Paladin" crew simply captured on camera. Thin mist lightly shrouded Dinghu Peak, a solitary, majestic peak piercing the clouds, reflected in the emerald green stream. Mountain breeze caressed my face, water gurgled, and faint smoke curled in the distance, looking exactly like the secluded dwelling of a master in a Wuxia drama.
I stood on the bridge, imitating Li Xiaoyao from back then, with my back to the camera, gazing at the distant Dinghu Peak. In a trance, I seemed to see that carefree young man flying in on his sword, a blade of grass in his mouth, shouting at me, "Hey, are you here to cultivate immortality too?"
After descending from Zhutan Mountain, I headed straight for Dinghu Peak. The "Chinese Paladin Inn" at the scenic area entrance was still there. I picked up an activity map, and a staff member handed me a check-in coupon resembling a silver note: "Collect all the stamps and you can exchange them for a shaobing." I took it, suddenly remembering my younger self twenty years ago, sitting in front of the TV collecting stickers—back then, I thought collecting a complete set of stickers was the happiest thing in the world. Walking further along the stream, I found the filming location where Li Xiaoyao landed on the island. In front of Xingyun Courtyard, you can take a bamboo raft ride, with the solitary peak reflecting in the clear water behind it, creating a full Wuxia atmosphere. I got on a bamboo raft, and the raftman slowly paddled towards the center of the lake with a pole. Dinghu Peak grew taller and taller behind me, and the water surface was like a mirror, perfectly reflecting the entire peak upside down. At that moment, I suddenly heard that song from twenty years ago: "A rainstorm, trapping me here..."
At noon, I bought a Jinyun shaobing from a stall at the scenic area entrance. The freshly baked crust was crispy and fragrant, and the savory preserved vegetable and pork filling melted in my mouth. The stall owner, an older woman, saw me with my camera and smiled, asking, "Here to check in for Chinese Paladin, are you?" I nodded. She said, "There were even more people during the National Day holiday, with interactive performances by Xiaoyao and Ling'er. Lots of young girls came dressed in Hanfu to take photos." I took a bite of the shaobing, suddenly feeling a bit envious of those girls—they could confidently wear Hanfu to fangirl, while twenty years ago, I could only roll up my school uniform sleeves and pretend to be Li Xiaoyao.
The weekend after returning from Jinyun, I sat in front of my computer, flipping through photos, and suddenly remembered that Maomao in "Chinese Paladin 3" most wanted to go to Chang'an. So I bought another ticket and went to Fenghuang Ancient Town. Standing on Xueqiao Bridge, the Tuojiang River flowed quietly beneath my feet, and the lights of the stilt houses reflected in the water, shattering into thousands of flowing fragments of light. The Chang'an that Maomao couldn't reach, I reached for him. I stood in the middle of the bridge, and the wind from the Tuojiang River swept through, making my clothes flutter. Suddenly, I understood the phrase "never change in this life"—it's not that you wouldn't change, but that some things, you simply can't bear to change.
On the high-speed train back, I leaned against the window, looping "June Rain," that song from twenty years ago, over and over. It turns out that chasing "Chinese Paladin" filming locations was never about seeing how many sights, but about keeping an appointment twenty years overdue. Twenty years ago, we waited in front of the TV for "Chinese Paladin" updates; twenty years later, we wait in Xiandu for a mist, for a bridge, for that young man flying in on his sword.
Some appointments are kept twenty years late. But Xiandu won't blame you; it has been quietly waiting there—waiting for you to push open that door to Immortal Island.
⛰️ Practical Tips: The core check-in spots in Xiandu Scenic Area are Zhutan Mountain (water buffalo crossing the bridge performance on weekends and holidays from 9:30-11:00 AM, 2:30-4:00 PM), Dinghu Peak (filming location for Li Xiaoyao landing on the island, bamboo raft rides available), and Xiao Chibi. Take the high-speed train to Jinyun West Station, then a taxi for about 30 minutes to reach the scenic area. It's recommended to wear Hanfu or light-colored New Chinese style clothing for a perfect match with the mountain and water scenery. Xiandu Scenic Area admission is about 110 yuan, and you can drive inside the scenic area. Fenghuang Ancient Town's Xueqiao Bridge, Tuojiang River, and stilt house clusters are all filming locations for "Chinese Paladin 3." It's recommended to stay in a river-view room and enjoy a night tour of the Tuojiang River. Entry to the town is free, but some attractions require tickets. Jinyun shaobing is a must-try; its crispy, fragrant crust is a local iconic flavor. The best atmosphere for photography in Xiandu is during the misty mornings, so it's recommended to enter the park early.