The Most Familiar Stranger||Qiang Village

||Qiang Village. DieXi Haizi, it doesn't sound very famous, and it took me 4 or 5 times passing by to really get to know her. At the end of the year, once again passing in front of her, Gongsa felt a bit carsick, so we pulled over to let him get some fresh air, and that's when we discovered this inconspicuous yet jade-like Haizi. Thus, Gongsa's father began to tell the story about DieXi Haizi... Originally, this was a Haizi that swallowed a whole city. The place used to be called DieXi City, an ancient frontier fortress. It was a strategic pass from the Western Sichuan Plain to Songpan dry land and the communication fortress of Qinghai and Gansu, heavily guarded by troops through the dynasties. Later, it was merged into Mao County and renamed DieXi District, bustling with merchants and traders. However, after August 25, 1933, everything vanished. That day marked the historic 'China DieXi Earthquake.' With a magnitude of 7.5, the epicenter collapsed almost in a straight line within a few minutes of the violent shaking, annihilating DieXi City and the nearby 21 Qiang villages. Mountain peaks collapsed, the Min River was blocked, forming 11 barrier lakes. The destruction of the entire city was exchanged for the more than 3.5 million square meters, 12 kilometers long DieXi Haizi. The disaster destroyed a city, blocked a river, and turned into this string of plateau barrier lakes as compensation. DieXi Haizi mainly consists of two lakes, one large and one small, connected in series, resembling intestines but actually a section of the Min River's main stream. The lake is not wide but very long, surrounded by green mountains that blend with the water. This is the essential route from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, a gathering place for the Qiang people. Compared to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong, DieXi Haizi is wilder and more majestic. It's like naturally embedded in the mountains, too peaceful, as if a green avenue stretches into the distance. This World Natural Heritage site can be both salty and sweet. At the mouth of the upper DieXi Haizi, there is a continuously erupting hot spring, never ceasing year-round. Nearby, there is a wide variety of plants, animals, and medicinal materials. In autumn, colorful flowers set against this green ribbon are overwhelmingly beautiful. After the rain clears, the lake surface sparkles, and in winter, the white lake is crystal clear like jade. Now it's February, very cold, and we didn't see the thin ice on DieXi Haizi, but the water is still as clear as jade. It's okay not to see it; coming here in winter is too challenging, experiencing what it means to shiver. After the sun sets, the temperature drops a lot, tonight it's minus 15 degrees. Generally, homes here, apart from the main house, have no heating, and we had trouble booking hotels because many of them had frozen pipes and were not available for stay. This kind of experience, once is enough! But the great beauty of Aba is not to be underestimated at every step, and the stories behind each scene are even more exciting and shocking. If you visit Aba, DieXi Haizi is well worth a look, and not far away is the Qiang Village City, rich in folk activities. The Qiang people's clothing is particularly colorful, and their houses are also very distinctive, like two chimneys, one high and one low, side by side. There's also the Wa'er Ozu Festival, which holds an important place in Qiang national culture and reflects the outline of Qiang culture more completely. Next to it is the rebuilt Mao County Qiang Ethnic Museum after the Wenchuan earthquake, recording the glorious agricultural and pastoral culture of one of China's oldest ethnic minorities, the Qiang people. Unfortunately, there are always many regrets. During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, nearly 20,000 Qiang compatriots were lost, and the vibrant Qiang culture did not escape unscathed. It was not until 2012 that Qiang cultural relics, kept by other regions, gradually returned to their home. Mao County is the only county that has survived two major earthquakes, indicating that the Qiang people are a tough and resilient nation. The slogan in the museum reads: 'The Qiang nationality is a blood-donating nation, many ethnic groups have Qiang blood flowing in them!' Some say that the Qiang people are barbaric and cold-hearted, but my memory can never erase the sorrowful 'Why should the Qiang flute lament the willows.'