Guizhou Yelang Valley: 20 Years of Devotion and the Birth of a Stone Castle
Yelang Valley tells the tale of an elder's legend, a man named Song Peilun. From a young age, he displayed a unique talent in the arts, and as he grew older, his mastery in the field deepened. In 1997, at the age of 57, after achieving fame and success, he chose to abandon titles that could secure his livelihood, such as 'artist in America' and 'master cartoonist,' to live in seclusion in the mountains, dedicating himself to creation in a valley.
The origin of this creation may stem from Song Peilun's childhood dream of building his own 'Peach Blossom Spring'; perhaps it is related to his desire to live out his days with his beloved, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, in a romantic love story of growing old together in a quiet castle amidst nature; or it may be inspired by his participation in an American art fair in the 1990s, where he was motivated by the Native Americans' construction of the 'Crazy Horse Memorial' to realize their dreams. Ultimately, after 20 years, the elder built a city known as an 'art kingdom'—Yelang Valley. In this creation, he skillfully integrated artistic concepts with nature, adapting to the local conditions by the mountains and waters, collecting many uniquely shaped stones, striving to maintain their original appearance, and constructing brick by brick in a primitive way.
Stepping into the ancient castle, a mysterious atmosphere pervades, related to both the mystery of the ancient Yelang state and the strong religious color of the Nuoxi culture. In fact, during the creation of Yelang Valley, Song Peilun ingeniously combined elements of Guizhou's 'ancient Yelang state' with Nuoxi culture. Yelang Valley is built against the mountains, with a river running through the valley, dividing the castle in two. Looking up from the bottom of the valley, one can see stone statues, stone pillars, the Great Wall of stone, and stone fortresses in succession. The stone statues are varied and well-placed, each with a unique expression and posture, some solemn and dignified, others lively and active, and even the noses, eyes, and crowns on the statues' heads have their own styles. Climbing up the steps, the highest points are the stone Great Wall and stone fortresses. Stone pillars, statues, the Great Wall, fortresses, and the stone steps leading to various places are all made of irregular stones. All of this is a modern person's imagination of the ancient Yelang state, a 20-year dialogue with the earth, bringing the ancient Yelang state in his heart into reality.
Song Peilun's journey with Yelang Valley reveals the significant results of twenty years of perseverance. The emergence of Yelang Valley, along with reports by the BBC and visits by international art exchange groups, has transformed this once secluded and mysterious valley from an arrogant cultural symbol of the ancient Yelang king's phrases 'Who is greater than I in Han?' and 'Yelang's self-aggrandizement' into a cultural cornerstone that showcases the confidence of the people of Guizhou and the Chinese nation.
Today, the city gate built of bluestone radiates a steady glow under the sunlight, with green vines spreading over it, as if marking a pause in time. This is not the battlefield of the ancient Yelang state, with no iron horses or clashing swords, nor skies filled with the smoke of war, but a castle that has settled over time, carrying a cultural heritage. Here, people can reminisce about history and turn their unknown curiosity into a personal experience.
Going to Guiyang must go here. It is really fun. The strange stone statues inside are especially photographed. By the way, go to Huaxi to eat a powder. You can stay for a whole day. It is recommended to play.
The whole scenic spot is not big. I went on May 1st. The experience is not very good. The scenery can only be said to be average. It is quite distinctive. It is a sculpture made of tiles. The shape is exaggerated. For the cheap ticket, you can punch in.
Guiyang Huaxi Yelang Valley is a strange and dreamy place. Many bluestones pile up face and totems. Adults may be able to get it in half an hour. The photos are still quite good. The price is very affordable. The road in the scenic area can be repaired again. It is easy to slip on rainy days. And some are mud roads.
The attraction is located in the suburbs of Guiyang. The traffic is relatively inconvenient. It is still quite shocking. All kinds of sculptures made with large stones, broken stones and tiles are lifelike. I happened to meet the performance in the middle, and I saw the real "Shangdaoshan" and "Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made-Made
The small scenic spot is amazing. An artist has spent 10 years building a stone city. The portrait shape is very cute. It is very popular. It is crowded. It is not big. It is mainly a small mountain. It is very easy to visit. The surrounding area of the scenic spot is still under construction and is perfect. The overall is very beautiful.
It is very popular inside, all kinds of stone giants, and a small river full of floating rafts. It is not as big as I thought, and I will not find the valley at the beginning. Many people have gone out, but there is another large giant statue in the reverse direction.
It is very worth going, the feeling of strangeness, there is a high artistic appreciation value, with national characteristics and mythology, the old gentleman spent twenty years building such a city, a very great feat, is a real art everyone.