Diary of a New Immigrant in Dali

It is said that the most beautiful national highways in China include National Highway 227, National Highway 317, National Highway 318, National Highway 213, National Highway 214 (Yunnan-Tibet Line), and National Highway 219.

In Dali, National Highway 214 is the most traveled.

National Highway 214 starts from Xining, Qinghai and ends at Jinghong, Yunnan. The whole journey is 3256KM. National Highway 214 passes through Qinghai, Tibet, and Yunnan, and passes through tropical scenery ranging from white snow to swaying banana leaves. The strongly contrasting climate zones form a complete vertical distribution spectrum of plants.

My baby’s school is next to National Highway 214. We also live next to National Highway 214, and we have to walk 214 every day to pick up and drop off our baby.

The speed limit on the 214 National Highway from Xiaguan to Shangguan in Dali is 40 or 60 mph, and no matter how good the car is, you don’t dare to drive too fast because there are too many surveillance systems.

Everyone is not driving very fast, so we can enjoy the beautiful scenery while driving.

Go to school along 214, with Cangshan Mountain on the left and Erhai Lake in the distance on the right.

In winter and spring, the eighteen peaks of Cangshan Mountain are covered with white snow. Sometimes I go to school in the drizzle.

As soon as I went out, I couldn’t see the top of Cangshan Mountain. The peak was hidden in the clouds, and the rain was pouring down. The farther south I went, the brighter the sky became, and the dark clouds were gradually replaced by beautiful white clouds. Slowly the sky lights up, the rain here stops, the green mountains, white clouds, and colorful flowers are all smiling in the early morning.

If you go out at eight o'clock in the morning, there will be almost no cars on National Highway 214. Occasionally, you can see a few locals leading or riding tall horses passing by the roadside. The "tapping" sound of horse hooves breaks the morning. of tranquility.

The people leading or riding horses are simply dressed, but the horses hold their heads high and their chests high, with cool heads stretched out on their long necks, a pair of bright and big eyes on their heads, strong muscles and a good figure. Shapely, the mane shines with oil.

They went to work at Cangshan Cableway, leaving in the morning and returning at night every day.

Whenever I see the horses walking calmly on National Highway 214, or the luxury cars such as Wrangler, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW passing by, I always have a dreamy feeling.

When I came back from school, I saw the flowers blooming on the roadside. The winter cherry blossoms had just finished blooming, and the spring cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom again. Behind the green fields and golden rapeseed flowers were white-dominated Bai folk houses.

I walk the 10 kilometers of National Highway 214 every day, watching the weather changes, experiencing the transition from rainy days to sunny days; watching people, cars, flowers, and the scenery of the world.

There are thousands of scenery in life, and even a lifetime of walking cannot see them all. It is enough to stay calm and accept what life has to offer. It is enough to just walk down National Highway 214.